Süp perfects the art and craft of lunch

The chicken tortilla soup at Süp is a customer favorite. It’s made with homemade stock, freshly roasted chicken and a ton of cheddar cheese. (Credit: Clay Lomneth/Special to Metromix)

Even before Süp (pronounced just like soup) opened last year, I wanted to like it.

I admired the 20-something, (young) mom-and-pop owners, chef Christian and Kasey Christensen, chasing their restaurant dreams. I applauded their scrappy spirit, opening a place on a scruffy stretch of South Virginia Street. I approved of their wisely focused concept -- soups, salads and sandwiches crafted with fresh ingredients and with as much care as fine dining dishes.

Reno, I thought, could always use another good lunch spot.

And now, after several visits since last summer, I don't like Süp. I don't like it at all. I love it.

The chicken tortilla soup calls to me at least once a week around noon, and only force of will and lunchtime lines -- Süp is storefront cozy and fills quickly -- prevent me from indulging more often.

The soup brims with shreds of roasted chicken and delivers subtle smokiness. Tortilla triangles have been added at just the right moment -- they're pliable but never soggy. The spiciness of the broth is deftly pitched for a variety of palates.

I want a spicier broth, and so I ask for red pepper flakes, which one of the server-counter guys quickly provides in a ramekin. That's a nice service touch for a casual joint.

Another time, my party spoons into bowls of creamy, gently tangy broccoli cheddar soup abob with celery and carrots.

We follow that with a shared flat iron steak salad built from generously portioned strips of beef blushing pink in the center (as they should), balsamic marinated strawberries and rich gorgonzola streaked with blue. White balsamic vinaigrette, a welcome change from the usual balsamic dressing, graces the salad.

Customers line up to order at Süp. Prime lunch hours are busy, but the counter staff, led by Kasey Christensen, does an excellent job of keeping the line moving and the orders coming out. Süp offers only about two dozen seats; folks willing to share their spots display "share my table" cards.

But there's never any pressure to sit with strangers (unlike the coercive family-style seating at some local Basque restaurants), and at yet another lunch, my companion and I arrive early so we can spread out for a meal-slash-meeting.

A hefty club sandwich -- big enough to take half home -- layers tender rosemary chicken breast, provolone, really crisp greens and pleasantly salty shots of house-fried bacon between pillowy cheddar bread (otherwise known as baked addiction).

Grilled chicken, generously deployed, makes another appearance atop a Caesar salad. It's a bit dry, which surprises me given the obvious care with which the food is prepared. Still, it's my only quibble during months of dining at Süp.

Every visit, I look forward to finishing my meal with one of the homemade cookies (oatmeal one lunch, chocolate chip the next) tucked beside the soups, salads and sandwiches.

Homemade cookies. What's not to like? Scratch that. What's not to love?

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