The Ladle Lady Warms Up Milwaukee One Bowl at a Time

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Maryann Kmet realizes that everyone loves soup and appreciates how this warm, versatile comfort food is enjoyed in every culture. While working in restaurant kitchens, she was often delegated to make the soup of the day. Having a restaurant supply of produce to experiment with, along with a support staff to help her craft new recipes, got her creative juices going. In 2019, she launched her own business, The Ladle Lady, specializing in scratch-made soups, meal bowls, noodle bowls and salads.

“You can make almost anything into a soup, Either it will work or it won’t, but it’s worth trying,” Kmet says. “Soup doesn’t talk back to you. It’s not like baking, where everything has to be precise. You can get creative and add your own special touches.”

Kmet describes her business as a hybrid between a meal prep service and standard delivery restaurant. She doesn’t have a brick-and-mortar location at this time but makes her soups, meal bowls and salads in a commercial kitchen in Riverwest.

The Ladle Lady offers eight to 10 rotating items per week, which includes three to four featured heat-and-serve soups that come packaged in quart-sized containers, with rolls and butter on the side. There’s no minimum delivery. Kmet delivers within a 10-mile radius of Riverwest. Customers can pre-order for the week or place same-day orders. She also offers full-service catering.

Building Upon Previous Careers

Kmet has worked in all facets of the restaurant industry, including positions at the River Club of Mequon and the Brown Bottle. She’s worked for catering companies and did wedding and event planning. She had also worked in the fitness industry as a personal trainer and fitness instructor. “Soup has vegetables and nutrients, and it’s a low-cal food that puts you on a healthy track,” she says.

Since opening The Ladle Lady, Kmet estimates she’s made about 70 different varieties of soup. Her popular Japanese detox, with antioxidants including ginger and turmeric in a mushroom broth base, appeals to the diet-friendly crowd. The sweet potato curry soup has a butternut squash consistency and is made with coconut milk. It’s vegan and gluten-free. There are standards like chicken noodle soup, lots of chowders with cheese, mushroom bisque, African spicy peanut, sweet and sour pork and an Italian sausage and spinach soup. Each weekly menu is designed with something for everyone, including a meat-and-potatoes standard, a gluten-free soup, a vegetarian option and a “wild card” that appeals to the masses.

Kmet tries to source ingredients locally whenever possible. She forged connections with many local farmers while selling her soup at farmers markets in Whitefish Bay and Riverwest. She is particularly inspired by Asian and Mediterranean cuisine. “Asian cuisine is a simple array of spices like ginger, lemongrass and coriander. From that base of three to four spices, you can build your puzzle of flavors. Flavor doesn’t always equate to spicy—you can make it flavorful and aromatic with citrus or ginger, without adding a bunch of chili powder.”

Other offerings include mac and cheese, a pineapple curry rice bowl and a lemon pesto linguini bowl. The broad catering menu features breakfast, lunch and dinner items, charcuterie boards, appetizers, wraps, sandwiches, main course entrées and taco and nacho or Mediterranean-inspired bars.

Kmet is working on expanding her presence in the Milwaukee area. She hopes to add more farmers markets this summer, along with pop-up events and wholesale accounts.

Although she started The Ladle Lady shortly before the pandemic shutdowns, having a delivery-only model with an online ordering system already in place helped her go from operating on a part-time basis to full-time very quickly.

“It’s been a roller coaster with great days and proud moments,” she concludes. “I compare it to having a baby that needs time and attention during the first few years, and then hopefully the toddler flourishes and becomes self-sufficient.”

For more information and weekly menus, visit theladlelady.com.