Anyone who knows me is aware of the fact that summer is usually the worst time of year for me. I don't just mean the weather, though it has a lot to do with it. I hate the heat. To me it's fitting that the two words are anagrams. Warmth is perfectly fine; it becomes heat when it's oppressive. I guess anything over 85 degrees, especially combined with humidity, is enough to send me cowering in front of an air conditioner. Oh, the electric bill! This year, though, it's been really mild. I've heard some complain that it's not hot enough, but I'm thrilled. I can take my long walks without sweating buckets, waiting for the subway train is not (as) suffocating, and my wardrobe options are plentiful. So I've been more of an outdoors person than usual.
Besides the actual temperature, in the past few years July and August have been nightmares for me. Some of the worst events took place under the summer sun. Obviously the biggest tragedy was losing my father in July (it'll be three years on Sunday). Also, I tend to be the most broke this time of year, and the most obnoxious roommate moments happened around the summer. Duforth died in early September (which is technically still summer), and let's not even go into September 11th. So, the fact that it's been so far, so good, is enough to keep me thankful. I'm trying to be as pleasant as possible, just to show my appreciation.
It's not a bad time for drinking tea, either. Hot or iced, I'm still sipping. But because the "broke" part of summer is still kind of there, I haven't really been hanging out at tea rooms. I did try one recently, though, and that was Podunk.
Podunk is on East 5th Street in Manhattan. It's been there awhile; I just never got around to visiting it. Technically, I didn't really spend enough time there to merit a full-on review. I had an iced tea to hold me over until I met up with a friend. As far as environment was concerned, it was quite cozy. In fact when I first stepped inside, my nose was rewarded with the smell of buttery baking. It's not a huge tearoom, but the seating isn't cramped either. It's called an American tearoom, and it does feel like Anytown, USA. I'd share pictures, but I had a recent streak where I kept forgetting to tote my camera (imagine my chagrin when I was able to see Johnny Depp in person! Cell phone camera just doesn't cut it!).
Anyway, I asked for an iced tea, and I got the green tea with apples and cucumber. It's served in a mason jar, which is really more than I can drink. The price was also more than I can swallow. The lady behind the counter, who was friendly and quaint, felt bad that I'd waited a while, so she discounted the tea - it was only $8, down from $10! Really? Really, Podunk? It was refreshing, but the aftertaste was kind of mealy. Perhaps if I'd hung out for a few hours I would feel like it was worth it, but for a quick tea break, no thanks. I will have to return one more time, and get food while I'm at it, in order to give a fair review. I'd better save my pennies.
