Can we start with the soup?

Aiken Brewing Company is renowned for its ribs, chicken wings and, above all, its fantastic beer, micro-brewed on site. (The restaurant recently won second place in a national competition in the red category, a well-deserved honor.) We offer kudos for all of the above, but we can't stop thinking about the soup.

Soups can speak volumes about a restaurant. Many eateries don't think twice about charging $3 or more for a slightly doctored 89-cent can of supermarket soup. But real chefs would no sooner wield a can opener to prepare their soup than they would serve Spam as an entree. They aren't interested in cutting corners, they're interested in cutting-edge cuisine. One sip of Aiken Brewing Company's soup of the day ($2.50) convinced us that this downtown Aiken restaurant is definitely a cut above.

Its cream-based tomato soup - silky-smooth, exquisitely seasoned, interestingly textured with its chunks of ripe, plump tomatoes - was enough to sell us on this sensational restaurant. But we're awfully glad we stuck around for the rest of the meal.

The restaurant is small but appealing, with its eye-catching brewing vats, heavy linen tablecloths and gleaming hardwood floors. The dinner menu, limited but carefully selected, includes beef, chicken, seafood, quail, pork, appetizers, salads and sandwiches.

We opted for New York strip steak ($13.95) and barbecue baby-back ribs ($11.95 for half a rack). Both were served with house salad, asparagus and steamed potatoes. The salad, bursting with mesclun greens and topped with crisp cucumber slices and tomatoes, was delightfully fresh. The homemade dressings, a chunky bleu cheese and a tart/sweet raspberry vinaigrette, were luscious. The asparagus, an extra-generous portion, was young and tender, steamed to the perfect tender-crisp texture.

The steak and ribs were nicely cooked, with the restaurant's own Carolina-style barbecue sauce slathered onto the ribs. We also sampled our companions' fries and Brew City Hot Bites ($5.95), both delectably beer-battered. The rolls were mouth-watering, too. We loved the large water glasses, etched with the restaurant's name and logo.

We couldn't resist trying the restaurant's fried cheesecake, a fun twist on a classic, with the creamy filling surrounded by a sweet, crunchy crust.

We were impressed with the restaurant's attentive service, spiffy decluttering, laid-back yet subtly elegant ambiance and very reasonable prices. And did we mention the soup?

---

ON THE TOWN

The Eatry: Aiken Brewing Company, 140 Laurens St. S.W. (map)

Hours: 1 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5-10 p.m. Monday-Friday, and noon to 3 p.m. and 5-10 p.m. Saturday; closed Sunday

Phone: (803) 502-0707 (phone), (803) 502-0407 (fax)

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Final Word: A laid-back yet subtly elegant eatery with exquisite attention to detail

---

Mary Deriso is the retired general manager of the Pinnacle Club, a private dining club in Augusta. Christine Hurley Deriso is a writer whose children's book, Dreams to Grow On, is available on Amazon.com.