The Ten Top has gradually become a Ghent institution over the years. It seems to fly under the cultural radar due to its status as a lunch spot because dinner spots get all the attention nowadays. It’s even been self-awarded the title of ‘Neighborhood Secret’ according to their Instagram bio. The Ten Top’s location off the main Colley drag even makes it easy to miss.
But that off-the-beaten-path reputation might not be entirely true anymore–The Ten Top has routinely ranked in local ‘best sandwich shop’ lists. A few years back, their legendary tuna melt was named the best in the Commonwealth by Mentalfloss. They even won the Virginian-Pilots award for best potato salad. The Ten Top’s culinary credentials are starting to be a long list. If The Ten Top were in the military, you’d be able to hear that uniform jangling halfway down the street.
But I’m not here to tell you about egg salad and tuna melts. It is downright cold and miserable in Norfolk right now. That ‘I forgot I had fingers after five minutes outside’ level of cold. The Ten Top is serving up the perfect cup of sunshine and warmth for you. Let me introduce you to The Ten Top’s Soup Du Jour. Yeah, that’s fancy language for The Ten Top’s daily soup offering. Please break out your notebook and note that I did not say daily soup. It’s a daily soup offering because quite frequently, they have multiple daily soups.
They’re slinging hearty soups and light soups. Creamy soups and broth soups. Soups with noodles, soups with rice, soups with orzo! Vegan soups and meaty soups. We’re talking bisques, curries, stews, minestrones, and chowders! The creativity alone that is required to put together such a varied array of soups is impressive.
If you’re looking to warm up from your stomach out, The Ten Top’s got you covered. If you’re looking to dunk your sandwich in soup with reckless abandon, The Ten Top is there for you.
Such a variety makes it hard to speak on each individual, but the Tomato Parmesan is one of their recurring staples. If your idea of tomato soup is still the old Campbell’s cans your mom used to heat up on the stove, you’re in for a big surprise that’ll blow your taste buds out of the water. Somehow their kitchen team nails the balance of sweet, savory, heat, and umami. Its creamy body carries countless spices across your palette.
That Tomato Parmesan sets the tone of excellence for their many other soup offerings. The best way to keep up with the du Jour menu is by following The Ten Top on social media. Here’s a partial list of their recent Soup du Jours:
*Classic Beef Vegetable w/ Egg Noodle*
*Cheddar Chipotle Chicken & Corn Chowder*
*Tomato Parmesan*
*Spicy Italian Vegetable Minestrone (vegan!)*
*Curried Lentil Vegetable (vegan)*
*Tomato Parmesan*
*Herb White Cheddar Potato*
*Lemon-Dill Chicken w/ Orzo*
*Coconut Curry Pumpkin (vegan!)*
*Low Country Chicken & Applewood Bacon Chili*
*Smoked Salmon & Potato Chowder*
*Herb Sweet Potato & Butternut Squash*
*Rustic French Lamb Vegetable Stew*
*Cheddar Broccoli Potato*
*Chorizo Chipotle Pumpkin*
*Cuban Black Bean & Rice (vegan!)*
*Hungarian Beef & Egg Noodle*
*Creamy Cajun Andouille Chowder*
*Moroccan Lamb Stew w/ Cous Cous*
*Cheddar Chimichurri Potato*
*French Lentil Vegetable (vegan!)*
*Braised Pork, White Bean & Greens*
*Lemongrass-Coconut Chicken w/ Rice*
*Cheddar Caramelized Cabbage & Potato*
*Greek Style Lamb Vegetable Stew w/ Couscous*
Paul Stetson Rice
Chelsea, NFK
Paul is the creator of NFKVA.com. He was born and raised in Norfolk, graduated from Virginia Tech, and narrowly avoided law school. Chat with him about economics, entrepreneurship, hip-hop, and hiking. When he's not working on five different projects, you'll catch him sharing a beer with friends at a local brewery.
