Buffalo Chicken Chili Soup

Local restaurant delivers in quality and quantity of food

318 Forum’s always-hungry reporter often has lunch at a local restaurant and tells you about the experience.

I’ve lived in Shreveport-Bossier for a minute.

Or two.

So, when someone mentions a restaurant of which I’ve never heard, I assume it’s not a place I would like.

Well, you know what they say about the word “assume.”

A long-time pal whom I respect encouraged me to visit Glow Alchemy Kitchen (955 Pierremont, Suite 200, Shreveport). He also encouraged me to invite a female, as the restaurant’s atmosphere was a long way from that of a sports bar. So, on a recent Tuesday, I did just that, and off we went.

At 12:25, we walked past two outside tables and into a small dining area — six tables, mostly two-tops. There was a bench for larger groups and counter seating for six. Immediately, I saw what my male friend was talking about.

The tables were pink, with clear seats trimmed in gold. The walls were white. The soothing music quickly melted away my life’s worries. For our entire time in the restaurant, I was the only male, and that didn’t bother me a bit.

A nice lady named Denise offered us seating anywhere we would like. She would also be our server. Despite working the register and waiting on other customers, Denise was attentive to our needs. She even sat down and answered some of my friends’ questions regarding the menu.

Speaking of Glow’s menu, it wasn’t complicated. Two appetizers and seven main course choices. Denise explained that the restaurant recently changed ownership, and the new owner wanted to condense the menu to the items that had proven most popular.

There were also two specials: Buffalo Chicken Chili Soup and a Shrimp Salad. The outside temperature was in the 80s, but my friend and I decided to pretend the weather was cold, and each had a cup of soup ($7.75). I might suggest that Glow include the prices of each special on the “specials” board. Knowing how much something costs makes a difference, at least for me, when deciding what to order.

For my meal, I went with Buffalo Chicken Tacos ($15). My friend ordered the Autumn Harvest Salad ($13.50).

In short order, Denise brought our soup. I was excited because I could see smoke rising from each bowl. There’s nothing worse than cold soup — even if it’s supposed to be cold (which is why I don’t have cold soup). As I stirred with my spoon, I could see that the Buffalo Chicken Chili Soup was full of ingredients. There was chicken, avocado, celery, diced tomatoes and peppers.

I can best describe the soup in one word: excellent. In fact, it w a s one of the best soups I’ve ever enjoyed. It had a bit of a kick, and I can’t wait to have it again on a 40-degree day. My friend felt the same, but I wondered if Denise had made a mistake. Our soup was in more of a bowl than a cup. Surely a serving that big couldn’t be a cup. When we checked out, I asked Denise, and sure enough, we were served a cup. She said that if we had ordered a bowl, it would have been filled to the top. Our “cup” had more than enough soup, so we were glad we didn’t order a bowl.

It took a while to get our meal, but I only saw one cook. By the way, Glow features an open kitchen, which adds to the restaurant’s “open” atmosphere. My friend noted that the kitchen was bigger than the dining area.

When our food arrived, I could tell we were in for a treat. The presentation of both the tacos and the salad was fantastic. I received two large tacos, filled — and I mean filled — with chicken, peppers and diced tomatoes and drizzled with sour cream. The tacos came with chips, salsa and a serving of pineapple chunks and mangoes.

The tacos were delicious. They, too, had a kick. The shells weren’t hard, but I wouldn’t describe them as soft, either. They had a crunch, as if they had been slightly heated. As for the chips, they were outstanding. And remember, I said Glow’s kitchen was open? Well, it was so open that I saw the bag the chips came from. I will look for them on my next trip to Sam’s Club. As my pal who recommended Glow said, “That’s fine.

Autumn Harvest Salad

They never said they made the chips in-house.”

My friend thoroughly enjoyed her salad. As proof, she doesn’t always eat her entire meal. But on this day, she made a happy plate. Her Autumn Harvest Salad was a large serving of kale, topped with hot (not cold) chicken, butternut squash, pecans, pumpkin seeds, apple slices and lemon poppyseed dressing on the side.

By the way, Denise mentioned that the kale was massaged with oil and salt. You know you’re eating at a classy place when the lettuce is massaged.

I found it interesting that there weren’t any desserts on the menu. However, had there been, we would have passed. Our soups and meals were so filling that our stomachs didn’t have room for anything else. The menu offered smoothies, various types of coffee and tea. My friend had French-pressed tea ($6), while I had water with lemon, served in a cute pink glass with a design. (Men, if you go to Glow, leave your man card at home.)

Buffalo Chicken Tacos

The cost of our meal, before tax and tip, was $50. Usually, I would say that was pricey for lunch. But it was not pricey for the quality and quantity of food we enjoyed, along with the service and atmosphere.

Without hesitation, I give Glow Alchemy Kitchen a rare Four Forks. I still can’t believe we have a place like that, which I had never heard of, much less visited. Not only will I return, I will go out of my way to do so. Glow was that good.

My visit also taught me a lesson.

Don’t dismiss a place just because I’ve never been. I just might give it a glowing review.