Hey Jude (always wanted to say that! ;-)

I googled and found that, although Standard Bistro is now closed permanently, the chef, Alan Martin, is now the owner and chef of Victoria Inn in Anniston, GA. At a special dinner, the courses included:

first course:
sweet corn chowder
vidalia onions, peppers, new potatoes, chives, truffle popcorn

second course:
fresh gulf fish
corn, mushroom & leek ragout, ham hock-corn broth

That might give you some idea of the ingredients he uses.

Sue

Oops, make that Anniston, AL, not GA.

I make corn chowder....but I don't boil the cobs, I use chicken broth as a base.
I don't like the flavor you get when you boil corn cobs....don't like corn cob jelly and if corn sits in the boiling water, or worse yet on a steam table too long, I can taste the cobby-ness.

My soup is pretty straight forward....sautee onions, celery garlic( always garlic!) and diced green peppers in as little butter aas you can so it doesn't burn....add corn you have cut from the cob, chicken broth and simmer until all is well cooked.....about 45 minutes.
If you want to make a more chowder-like soup, sautee in more butter and add an equal quantity of flour( equal to the butter you used), stir, and whisk in some broth....and add diced potatoes....I use russets because I want them to fall apart. Cook until the potatoes pretty well fall apart....stir in some cream and garnish with a lot of chopped parsley, chopped chives and popped corn...or bits of pretzel sticks.

Thanks mtnester, I like hearing "hey Jude" believe it or not. Question, what is truffle popcorn and do you think that's one of the ingredients? I can see the onions, potatoes and chives...peppers hmmm, (is that green sweet pepper?),but popcorn???? I believe Anniston is even further from me than B'ham. Thanks for all that info.

LindaC, your ingredients sound interesting and you use green peppers, too. I see you have added optional popped corn or bits of pretzel sticks. I have never in my life heard of those ingredients in soup.LOL Learn something new every day.

Popcorn is a common garnish on corn soup....also on tomato soup in these "corny" parts of Io-way.
You don't cook it....you just float a few on top of the soup as a garnish.
And truffle pop corn is popcorn flavored with truffle oil.
My ingredients are just the basic stuff for any vegetable chowder sort of soup....you could sub broccoli for the corn...or asparagus, or cauliflower, or winter squash....
You may want to vary here and there with red peppers....or perhaps some marjoram in the cauliflower soup....or maybe bacon grease for the butter and garnish with crumbled bacon.....but that's a pretty straight forward basic soup recipe.

LindaC, I think it's interesting to learn about regional foods and ways of serving them. My ways are certainly not the only way and I like trying new things. A lot of things you mention from time to time are done where I live too. However...and that's where it gets interesting.!lol

It's not at all unusual....in most parts of the country. When Emeril does it you know it's also a southern thing.

I also make peanut soup pretty well like I make the corn soup....and cheese soup.....
Garnish the peanut soup with peanuts...of course....and cheese soup with popcorn.

Here is a link that might be useful: pop corn soup garnish