This is the perfect time of year to head to the Black Cow in Newburyport , MA – the crowds are minimal, but the views of the river are still breath-taking!  I enjoyed a quiet evening  there with my husband recently; we started with some stellar soups.
 
I can’t get enough pumpkin and squash bisques this fall, so I was excited to try a Pumpkin Coconut soup – a combination I’d never tried and won’t soon forget.  It was a perfectly pureed pumpkin bisque with many of the traditional seasonings, but the addition of shredded coconut added a lovely texture to the smooth puree, and an unexpected sweetness.  I could eat this soup for dessert – it’s not cloyingly sweet, but pleasantly so, as well as being rich and thick.  Our friendly waitress concurred that she’d happily eat this soup every day.
 
My husband ordered the soup of the day, which was a Southwestern Meatball soup.  It packed a little bit of a spicy punch!  It was reminiscent of a chili except for the meatballs.  It was full of onions, corn, beans, jalapenos, and tomatoes – warm and comforting.  Two perfect fall soups on one lovely night!