Here’s the UWS Dish: French Onion Soup Battle Edition

By Abigael T. Sidi

Back from a two-week break, college apps finally behind me, I wanted to open the year a little differently. While I didn’t have time to interview owners or chefs, I did manage to squeeze in multiple flights of my winter favorite, French onion soup. See this piece as a lifeline for the remaining freezing weeks ahead.

Whenever it gets cold — really cold — the virtues of onion soup outshine its caloric cost and the dish can be enjoyed shamelessly, multiple times a week if necessary. So, here are four variations for you to pick from, and to stir things up a little, I compared them straight up, focusing on core ingredients:

• Broth: sweet vs. savory;
• Onions: caramelization;
• Croutons: crunch (vs. mush);
• Gruyere: flavor/pull/burn.

I arbitrarily set another rule for the battle, deciding to exclude any place I had already visited for the column – which eliminated several prominent candidates for the throne, including Café Luxembourg, Café du Soleil, Amélie, The Smith, and Jacob’s Pickles. I also aimed for some versatility in restaurant type and budget, making sure to include a diner. With all that said, here we go.

I’ll start with Maison Pickle’s version, which probably represents the most middle-of-the-road, exactly-what-you’d-expect, “valeur sûre” (sure value) onion soup. Reasonable portion, reasonable temperature (perhaps a little lukewarm to my taste), a balanced and silky broth (some texture, as opposed to outright liquid; this soup’s best attribute), an onion-caramelization level on the lower end (hence the savory/beefy, not-too sweet broth), croutons in reasonable amount (i.e., not half the soup) and super high on the crunchy index (toasted baguette slices, cut in half, unseasoned), and a good melt and burn on the gruyere, which, flavor-wise, is of the timid, entry-level variety. Overall, a solid, safe pick, to be enjoyed in Maison Pickle’s open, glamour-slash-diner décor (but, noisy.)

Across the street and a block north, French Roast’s version is very similar, but with two notable differences. On the positive side, the cheese: absolutely top-notch. Bold gruyere bursting in flavor, with a tang, thickness, and melt so fabulous they reminded me of a full-blown raclette. On the negative side, I thought the bowl was a bit too heavy on the croutons, which were also lower on the crunchy index. Focus on the cheese while enjoying the soup in a classic, bustling French brasserie setting.

Of the four soups I sampled, the most charismatic version was Manny’s Bistro’s, perhaps our neighborhood’s most old-school French restaurant (even though it opened only in 2020, in the spot formally occupied by Cassis). Dim lights, servers à la Parisienne, accordion playing the background. The broth is rich, intense, with a gorgeous, deep-brown color. It is hyper-charged in onions, with the highest caramelization index I’ve tasted thus far (hence the soup’s distinctive, semi-sweet, almost jammy profile.) The croutons are few and seasoned, with pleasant (not overpowering) garlicky undertones, further elevating the soup’s character and providing nice depth and contrast to the sweet broth. The cheese gratin is impeccable but does not steal the show. Lastly, the soup is served HOT, and requires a bit of patience.

With all that being said, the above three soups will cost you in the upper teens ($15-$18). For half the price, run to Café 82 for an unpretentious but no less delicious bowl. Sure, the croutons are of the supermarket type, unseasoned, and in slight excess. Sure, the onions are low on the caramelization index, and the broth, somewhat light and clear. But, the soup has flavor, it’s warm, served rapidly, and the gruyere is unexpectedly excellent, with nutty undertones definitely coming through, plus a good cheese pull. I also love the authentic, almost unbeatable NYC diner interior and vibe, and revel in sipping the soup next to senior regulars enjoying their triple-deckers with method, and in silence.

So, for flavor and authenticity, go to Manny’s; for the cheese, head to French Roast; for crunchy croutons, try Maison Pickle; and for value, Café 82 is your pick. To me, this soup is all about the broth, whose depth and flavor directly depend on a slow, hours-long and careful frying of a ridiculous amount of sliced onions – it’s all about sweat and tears. And for this reason, I’ll hand the crown to Manny’s. But hey, you decide your own winner!

The Dishes:

Manny Bistro’s Soupe à l’Onion ($18)
French Roast’s Onion Soup ($15)
Maison Pickle’s French Onion Soup au Gratin ($16)
Cafe Eighty Two’s French Onion Soup au Gratin ($8.25)

The Restaurants:

Manny’s Bistro: 225 Columbus Ave (between West 70th and 71st streets)
French Roast: 2340 Broadway (between West 85th and 86th streets)
Maison Pickle: 2315 Broadway (between West 83rd and 84th streets)
Cafe Eighty-Two: 2282 Broadway (between West 82nd and 83rd streets)

Read all Here’s the UWS Dish columns here.

Subscribe to West Side Rag’s FREE email newsletter here. And you can Support the Rag here.