OFF-MENU SPECIALS

HOT SOUP & BAD LARRY’S SANDWICHES

November 2024

It’s 10:30 am on a Sunday in early November. A grey, dreary morning – as quiet as the Lower East Side gets. Those wandering the streets have hoods up, and iced coffees in hand, delicately navigating the delayed consequence of Le Dive’s very strong martinis. Most storefronts are a few hours from drawing open their shutters – but at 22 Orchard Street, there’s an unmistakable hustle.

We’re 90 minutes from service. Russell Markus is writing out the daily offerings with a Sharpie on painter’s tape, affixing each strip to the corkboard by the door. Reid Webster is baking off the final batch of ‘Pala alla Romana’ – his Uncle Mario’s bread recipe, inherited during a furious baking stint in Compignano, Italy. Lamb of God’s “Walk with Me In Hell” plays over the speakers as the daily prep reaches its final stages.

Hot Soup & Bad Larry’s Sandwiches is the latest project from two chefs with impressive, albeit unconventional backgrounds. Both are known in New York City for their work not in restaurants, but at popups.

Markus’ Hot Soup (and Essential Herbs) has garnered attention for its nourishing, wholesome approach to food, art, and community building. Webster’s Bad Larry’s churns out free-wielding, but technically proficient pizzas at breweries and wine bars around town. Together, their operation is a symphony of creativity making waves on the Lower East Side. Their 6-week residency serves exactly what it sounds like: soup and sandwiches.

Markus's contributions to the residency are largely a continuation of his recent successes in the world of soup (which is hot right now, according to Vogue). For Webster, it’s a project outside of his recent pizza domain – still baking [fresh bread, daily], but applied toward the art of sandwiches. They collaboratively steer the marketing, design, and branding vision – which is tastefully simple, hand-drawn, and haphazard.

The duo met at a collaborative popup at Prima, a cafe and wine bar in Clinton Hill, towards the end of summer. It was self-described and promoted as “A very chaotic, seasonal menu.” They served guests sweet corn chorizo dogs, pickled egg salad mousse, and brioche maple bars with fresh upstate cream. The creative process felt so good that both chefs sought opportunities to link and build beyond the one-night stand.

22 Orchard was the long-time home of Scarr’s Pizza, which has migrated across the street to a larger, flashier space. Sushi Oku, “a premier 17-course omakase journey,” now operates out of the back room, but during the day Markus and Webster hold down the fort and make use of the double-decker ovens.

The menu rotates often, prioritizing what’s available at the Union Square Greenmarket. On my visit, two soups were on offer: velvety Red Lentil with confit shallots, garlic, and celeriac (made with “a shit ton of nice olive oil”) and Yuzu Kosho Chicken made by brining and roasting off chickens, and rendering the fat to use as the base.

Three sandwiches were available: Sweet Potato with a serrano glaze, topped with frisée dressed in smoked maple vinaigrette; Chicken Salad with tarragon, fish sauce, and arugula; and Pork Belly with pickled daikon, cilantro, and a proprietary spicy mustard blend.

“People want good, casual food that’s affordable,” said Markus. The $20 soup & half-sandwich combo certainly fits the bill (for $7 more, you can add chips and a beer). Their partnership – built on trust and respect for each other’s strengths – shares the goal of building community and serving the neighborhood.

Evan, a patron who wandered into the shop at around 11:30 am, 30 minutes before open, was sold a pair of somewhat off-menu souffle egg sandwiches, one with a slab of pork belly, both with a smattering of chipotle mayo (on Webster’s fresh bread, of course). “Thanks, guys, my girlfriend is gonna be real happy with this,” Evan exclaimed as he departed with his morning bounty.

As 12 pm neared, ferocious death metal was usurped by what sounded like Khruangbin radio, softer tunes to match the warmth and comfort that soups and sandwiches provide. A gentle queue formed, as they so often do in this neighborhood. Soup began being carefully ladled into non-descript to-go containers, sandwiches wrapped in black and white checkered wax paper. The combo is tried and true – but this iteration is like nothing you’ve had before.

Hot Soup & Bad Larry’s Sandwiches is located at 22 Orchard St on the Lower East Side. Open 12pm-4:30pm on weekdays and 11am-4:30pm on weekends.

The residency kicked off November 2, and will run until “the end of the year.”

About the author

Mr. Flood’s Party is a creative project from Lorenzo Bongiovanni, a Brooklyn-based photographer, writer, and creative consultant.