Barton Creek Resort & Spa Signature Tortilla Soup

In the same way that cities and towns have local specialties to try, hotels develop signature items that guests shouldn’t miss — whether it’s a popular room-service dish they’ve perfected, a cocktail named after the hotel’s longtime bartender, or a seasonal specialty that repeat guests always look forward to. These are the things that they love to serve, and that you’ll really consider going back for.

What’s in the Tortilla Soup: To make the signature tortilla soup at 8212 Wine Bar & Grill, chef Phil Bouza mixes sautéed sweet onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Masa and seasonings are added to the vegetables before they are coated in flour and toasted. Chicken broth, V8 vegetable juice, Rotel tomatoes, corn kernels, and diced chicken are stirred in as the soup boils. Finally, it is seasoned with salt, pepper, cayenne, and Tabasco, then garnished with avocado, tortilla chips, sour cream, and cheese.

Inspiration for the Tortilla Soup: "The inspiration behind chef Bouza's tortilla soup recipe was to follow the tradition of Barton Creek's standards and create a soup that not only looks good but is very flavorful," said Kay Franz, exectuive assistant of operations at Barton Creek Hotel Resort & Spa .

"The one thing I preach is execution. Everything has to be perfectly cooked," said chef Phil Bouza.

Ryan Cousins is a Junior Writer for The Daily Meal.  Follow him on Twitter @ourcuzreborn.

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