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Neighborhood news

Soup like an elixir of life

By HELEN ANNE TRAVIS
Published February 16, 2007

You know IT when you find IT: It's something unique, something out of the way, something you could find only at one place in the Brandon and South Shore area. Send your picks, finds and hidden treasures to brandon@sptimes.com.

Everyone is sick. People in the office sound like they're auditioning for the next blockbuster movie about the plague. The woman behind the counter at the deli couldn't stop sniffling. The mailman sounds like Fran Drescher.

And now I have The Tickle. It's that funny feeling in the back of my throat that usually accompanies the onset of a mean sinus infection.

I'm stuffed to the brim with vitamins and herbs. But it's time for my health arsenal's secret weapon: sopa de pollo from Estela's Mexican Restaurant.

After a complimentary serving of sinus-clearing salsa and chips, the waiter brings a big-as-your-face bowl of cilantro, guacamole, chicken, tomato, rice and lime. The broth is salty and mild.

I keep my face in the steam, letting the aromas work their magic on my sinuses. Another bite, another tissue.

I can't finish. Thank the chips and salsa.

It's raining outside. I step into the wet parking lot armed with a belly full of warm broth, a clear nose, and a to-go cup. I feel better already.

Helen Anne Travis can be reached at 661-2439 or htravis@sptimes.com.

If you go

Estela's Mexican Restaurant

312 E Brandon Blvd.

Call 657-1421

Sopa de pollo costs $7.80

[Last modified February 15, 2007, 08:04:49]