Sawyer’s comfort food does not disappoint

Only a short walk down Broadway from the campus of Transylvania University, Sawyer’s Downtown is a precious pub that cranks out fantastic American cuisine.

Their décor is minimalistic, composed of quaint booths and dining sets. But what really makes the setting pop are the floor-to-ceiling windows that look out onto Main Street. These windows give you a fantastic view of downtown.

It is especially mesmerizing during winter when it is snowing and the Christmas tree is lit up. I bring this up because I remember going with a group of friends last winter and one of them being so engrossed by the sight that he really didn’t say that much. But I ramble. Let’s actually talk about the food.

The burgers are great, and the chili is as well, but on this excursion I opted to get Sawyer’s pretty much permanent soup of the day: potato and bacon soup. I feel like I’ve written so much about soup but it really is a wonderful thing, especially this soup.

Usually the problem I run into with potato soup is that its broth is too thick because the potatoes have started to fall apart and thicken it. This is not the case with Sawyer’s potato and bacon soup.

Its broth is silky and thick enough that it is substantial on its own but not too thick as if you’re eating thinned-out mashed potatoes. In addition, the bacon in the soup was just enough — enough that when I got the soup I could smell the bacon but not so much that the soup was overpowered by it.

Also, I appreciated that they used red potatoes instead of russet. I think this fact also helped out the broth.

But a humongous downside to the soup was the size of the potato chunks. They were enormous — so big that I had to break them up into bite-sized pieces. This is really a hassle when eating soup. I appreciate a nice bite-sized chunk of potato, but I don’t want to have to cut up my potatoes while I’m eating soup.