By Lei Pollard
COBLESKILL — — On Saturday, Cobleskill hosted the second annual Soup Stroll to bring attention to seven locally owned and operated restaurants in town. The event was brought together by Cobleskill Partnership Inc. (CPI) with the goal of getting more traffic to businesses during a time of year that’s typically slower. Participating restaurants included Chieftains, Bull’s Head Inn, Locomotions, Brick House Bakery, Pizza Shack, La Marketa, and Cowboy’s Taqueria. Mayor Rebecca Stanton-Terk started the event at the ticket booth, greeting everyone with a confident smile and handshake before she began checking in on restaurants to ensure all involved were happy.
Pre-purchased tickets cost $15, and day of purchases were $20 per person. Half of the funds raised will go to the Marathon for a Better Life, a committee-run not-for-profit corporation that began in 1996 to assist Schoharie County residents fight cancer.
Brick House Bakery served fire roasted vegetable soup along with creamy grilled cheese and tomato soup near their regularly set up soup station. Children coming with their parents had fun looking at all the baked goods as they waited in line for soup. Staff showed a strong bond and appreciation with each other as they came together to do well.
Bull’s Head Inn prepared prime rib beef barley soup in their ambient cellar, which was accompanied by live performer Div. Mary welcomed everyone who came down, served the delicious soup, and checked in on those who ate in. “It’s so great to see everyone coming out,” Mary said. “Not everyone is comfortable to come alone and this allows them to try something new.” Singers like Div perform regularly in the Inn, with Div saying he comes about once a month.
The Pizza Shack cooked up lobster bisque and chili. The family owned business happily chatted with customers, hoping that people would come in more. “We’re not just pizza,” owner Sal Liadro stated, “we’ve got it all.” With the quaint atmosphere, great soup, and large smiles from staff, the Shack felt like a place to enjoy quality time with others. They’ve proudly operated together since 1981.
La Marketa served Sopa de Salchichon, a Puerto Rican salami soup. This restaurant opened back in September of last year, highlighting part of the owners culture through food from the territory. In coming months, they plan on purchasing a fryer to cook even more Puerto Rican originated foods. On Tuesdays, the pair also serves Cuban sandwiches. La Marketa also mentioned that they were a safe place for members of the LGBTQ+ community, and working on getting on the Everywhere is Queer app.
Bustling Chieftains served chicken corn chowder at the bar as seats filled up at tables. Servers also made sure to give out soup to loyal customers, even if they didn’t purchase a ticket for the event. The kitchen struggled to keep up with how many people came into the restaurant for the Soup Stroll.
Alongside the hosting two adorable Girl Scouts selling their iconic cookies, Locomotions cooked up kick’n stuffed pepper soup, Mexican chicken soup, and cream of broccoli soup. Locomotions was quieter, but the connections were stronger. Large rooms allowed for groups of guests to spread out, yet come together for conversations. Locomotions served guests multiple servings of soup so they could try all three kinds prepared.
Cowboy’s Taqueria served chicken bowtie soup and a spicy chicken vegetable soup. Colorful decorations covered the interior. Staff made rounds to seated guests to offer water with either watermelon or mandarins; a sweet way to counteract the mild spiciness of the soup.
The Soup Stroll had large numbers of people coming to attend. Community came together to support each other over some delicious soup. CPI thanked all who came out to support the event online.
For more information about CPI and their mission, contact them at cobleskillpartnership@gmail.com
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