“Fancy Restaurant: One that serves cold soup on purpose”
Cold soups such as gazpacho and vichyssoise are often served at expensive restaurants. “Fancy Restaurant: One that serves cold soup on purpose” is a jocular one-liner that has been credited since 1997 to Doug Larson (1926-2017) of the United Feature Syndicate, but he never wrote it in this form.
“A fancy restaurant is one where they serve cold soup on purpose” was printed in Doug Larson’s column in the Green Bay (WI) Press-Gazette on July 15, 1992. “A fancy restaurant is one that serves cold soup on purpose” was printed in Larson’s column in the Green Bay (WI) Press-Gazette on December 12, 1994.
Wikipedia: Doug Larson
Doug Larson (February 10, 1926 to April 1, 2017) was a columnist and editor for the Door County Advocate (1953–1964) and wrote a daily column, “Doug’s Dugout,” for the Green Bay Press-Gazette (1964–1988), both Wisconsin-based newspapers. The column was originally syndicated through United Media under the title “Senator Soaper Says”; Larson took over authorship in 1980. Previously, it had been written by Bill Vaughn of the Kansas City Star. Larson was born in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.
15 July 1992, Green Bay (WI) Press-Gazette, Doug Larson column, pg. A-11, col. 2:
A fancy restaurant is one where they serve cold soup on purpose.
12 December 1994, Green Bay (WI) Press-Gazette, Doug Larson column, pg. A-7, col. 1:
A fancy restaurant is one that serves cold soup on purpose.
Google Books
The Reader’s Digest
Volume 150
1997
Pg. 68:
Fancy Restaurant: One that serves cold soup on purpose. — Doug Larson. United Feature Syndicate.
Google Groups: alt.humor
Keith E. Sullivan
5/22/97
(...)
SECONDARY DEFINITIONS
FANCY RESTAURANT: One that serves cold soup on purpose.—Doug Larson
19 September 1998, Green Bay (WI) Press-Gazette, Doug Larson column, pg. D-2, col. 4:
A fancy restaurant is one that serves cold soup on purpose.
28 September 1999, Green Bay (WI) Press-Gazette, Doug Larson column, pg. D-2, col. 4:
A fancy restaurant is one that serves cold soup on purpose.
22 December 1999, Green Bay (WI) Press-Gazette, Doug Larson column, pg. D-2, col. 4:
A fancy restaurant is one that serves cold soup on purpose.
Google Books
A Treasury of Humor:
Thousands of humorous stories, jokes, anecdotes and one-liners, up-to-date and categorized for ease of use
By Lowell D. Streiker
Peabody, MA: Hendrickson
2000
Pg. 350:
Fancy Restaurant: One that serves cold soup on purpose. — Doug Larson, United Feature Syndicate
18 June 2001, Green Bay (WI) Press-Gazette, Doug Larson column, pg. D-2, col. 4:
A fancy restaurant is one that serves cold soup on purpose.
Pittsburgh (PA) Tribune-Review
WPIAL finals draw TV ratings
By Brian Herman
Published: Tuesday, March 1, 2005
(...)
And thanks to Tom Rapp of Monongahela who defines a fancy restaurant as one that serves cold soup on purpose!
Easy Reader News
Dining, Entertainment|Alyssa Morin|September 14, 2012 6:46 am
The Local Feed: eateries, pubs artisans, tastes [Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach]
(...)
Tastes. Late Summer Calls for Cool Dishes: Gazpacho!
There’s a corny little joke that defines a fancy restaurant as one that serves cold soup on purpose. Well, your backyard is about to get fancy. We have been blessed with a heck of a nice summer in theSouthBayand, as a result, a heck of a tomato crop. The season for our juicy friends is waning and, as we enjoy a late heat wave, let’s make haste and make cold soup-Spanish gazpacho! Your kitchen will stay cool and the soup tastes even better the next day.