The French onion soup at Angele in Napa
Searching for the best French onion soup
I’m on a search for great French onion soup for my monthly Six of a Kind feature in The Chronicle Sunday magazine. While it’s a year-round staple on many menus, it’s one of those things I begin to crave about the time I start putting lights on the Christmas tree. Maybe it’s because it’s so soothingly rich: a molten covering of cheese and bread, covering a steaming amber pond of soup filled with bits of onions.
I thought about featuring this popular soup when I dropped into Angele last week. With the gusts of wind coming off the Napa River right outside the restaurant’s door — this place used to be a boathouse before it was converted into a chic French restaurant — I knew I’d order the onion soup. It turned out to be some of the best I’ve had. Sometimes the soup tends to be too sweet, but this had a perfect balance of flavor.
However, there are other versions that come to mind. I love what’s offered at Absinthe and Cafe de La Press. Still, I’m searching for more, and I’d like to hear from you about where to find the best.
Apparently there’s no shortages of aficionados. As I was doing research I ran across a blog devoted to the subject, called French Onion Soup Page, which carries the tag line: “One man’s culinary journey of onions, cheese, sherry, and broth.”
The author, Ron Schnell, has reviewed 134 versions around the United States and he lists Bouchon in Yountville as the best. It’s been several years since I tried it there, but it was indeed exceptional.
If all goes as planned, you can check out my final picks in the Sunday Magazine on New Year’s Day.
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