Hampstead Heath 1 (of London 2010 Part One)

After years of waiting and whining, I finally made it back to London this month. My travel companion was my sister, Bonnie, and despite getting sick in the midst of it, she was a trooper. It was a fantastic trip, but instead of telling you about it, why don't I show you through interpretive dance! No? Well, all right then.

We took more pictures this time around than ever before. I also brought a tiny camcorder which proceeded to stop working halfway through, but I might be able to salvage it. In the meantime, I present to you Installment Number One of London 2010: Hampstead Heath.

Hampstead is sometimes categorized as a day trip destination in the travel guides. I'm not really sure why; it's mapped within the travel zones of London, I think Zone 2 which is just immediately outside the city center. You could, of course, stay here for an entire day and not get bored; particularly if the weather is pleasant. And it was. It felt like the perfect spring day, blue skies and sunshine. People were out in droves and it still didn't feel crowded.

This is the main difference between Hampstead Heath and Central Park. Much as I love Central Park, on the weekends it tends to be overwhelmed with tourists and other park-loving folk, and you can't move two feet without risking getting clocked by a softball or a couple out for a romantic stroll. The only exception is in the Ramble, which is designed to feel like unspoiled green space. Though Hampstead Heath has a number of more populated sections, we had plenty of frolic space. If I lived in London, especially northern London, I'd spend a large amount of free time in Hampstead Heath, but for this trip we were content with an afternoon. I can understand this particular source of Keats' inspiration...but more on that in HH2.

 

This is the only sad dog we came across in the area, and that's probably because he was outside of the park space. Every other dog I saw looked happy beyond their wildest dreams. I'd own a dog if I lived around there, just to be able to bestow such joy on another creature.

 

 

Because of its elevation, the views of London's skyline was spectacular. You get both country and city in one lovely package.

 

This was the most crowded part of the park. 'nuff said.

A Teany bit Disappointed

I reported a few months back on my first visit to Teany since it reopened. My greatest letdown at the time was that they'd run out of Teanychino. I'm glad to say that at today's visit this was not a problem. The beverage was lovely, and it was, I must say, the perfect day for it. I also had the Teany Tea Sandwich, which succeeded in getting me to eat massive portions of (pickled) beets and actually enjoying it. Dwight Shrute would be proud.

So what am I gonna whine about now? Something quite dear to my heart. It seems Teany has dispensed with Afternoon Tea. They still serve scones, but they no longer provide clotted cream, just butter and jam. Why, Teany? Why? I'm not gonna go into paragraphs of what I love about my three tiers of delight; been there done that. But Teany, you had Afternoon Tea for years. Why the change? If it ain't broke...

What baffles me, though, is that the online menu still has it. Perhaps it hasn't been updated recently: I'd get on that. Otherwise it's just a tease.

Now, I have no problem with the service. Everyone was friendly, and we were certainly not ignored. Of course, we were one of only a handful of people in the cafe. I know it was Friday night, and not everyone decides to go for tea at that time if they're normal, but in the past, even in June, it was more crowded. I don't want to see Teany fare badly; I just want to understand what the changes are about.

Also, they still have the list of teas in a binder, and it's still a good vegetarian eating establishment. As long as there tea loving vegetarians/vegans in New York, Teany could be around for a long time. I wish them well, but I'm moving on.

We didn't stay for dessert; instead, we picked up cupcakes at Sugar Sweet Sunshine. I love this place. They've got it decorated like the way I dress - or rather the way I used to before I toned down a little. The furniture is shabby chic, though we only bought cupcakes to go. I'm home now, so I tried the red velvet cupcake ("sexy red velvet" to be exact), and it's perfection. No wonder they were listed recently in a top ten list of best cupcakes in New York. Even better, the cupcakes are $1.50, which is half the price of Magnolia's. I had it with a "Sino the Red" tea, which I'll elaborate on in my next installment.

Right before we went down the steps to the Delancey Street subway station, we caught sight of the Tribute in Light, where the Twin Towers used to be. It looks eerie, kind of spectral. I thought about how some things are gone for good, and sometimes you can't really substitute what's missing. I really hope Teany makes a bigger effort to, though.

 

25 years later...

 

 

 

There's a drugstore on the corner of the block where I live. It's been there nearly four years. It's well lit, so when I pass by I can see everything they sell that's not hidden behind the counter. I can tell you where they keep their ibuprofen, mouthwash, and of course their tea. If memory serves me, however, I've never been inside.

But it's right there! you might be protesting. Just stop in; it won't be too much trouble. I agree. I still haven't passed the threshold.

Why is it some of the closest places are the ones I never visit? I could give you a list of locations in New York that are languishing on my to-do list. Carnegie Deli? Russian Tea Room? Someday, someday. How about one of the closest cities to New York...closer than Albany, possibly? Well, it had been a long time since I went to Philadelphia. A quarter of a century, apparently. I only have vague memories of the road trip there in 1985...I specifically remember hearing the song 'We Are the World' at one point.

So Daphne, who wasn't quite born the first time I went, said to me, "wanna do a day trip in Philly?" Hey, I survived two day trips to Boston, which is further away. Each time we took Megabus. I do have a few words about that. But first, I agreed to go, and she booked the reservation and did the mapping and planning. I'm doing enough planning for an upcoming trip, so I was glad to leave it in her hands.

The bus ride over was with little incident. I got mildly carsick, and spilled tea all over the table in the bus (but tables are fun! I love them in trains, too) but we made it in one piece. After a short walk, we made it to our first stop: Reading Terminal Market. It's a big old farmers market, with a variety of foods, specializing in Amish fare. I had what they called a pot pie, but it was more like a chicken dumpling soup. It wasn't bad. Daphne got a beef plate that was very much like SOS (ask a veteran). We also found a section in there with chocolates molded to look like internal organs. This was just the beginning in our adventures with Anatomy.

After a detour (let's just say I found the cutest dress!) we went to the Mutter Museum (of College of Physicians). Let me preface this by telling you a little bit about my history with body parts. It's just not my thing. I got out of dissecting a frog twice. The first time I had to take an essay to get into Advanced English in high school. The second time I let my lap partner do the dissecting, and I just looked on in fascinated disgust. I can't watch surgeries on television; it makes me ill. So a museum featuring nothing but real human skulls and pickled fetuses and misshapen stomaches is not going to uplift me. It is right up Daphne's alley, so I let her do her thing. I did buy syringe pen that I love. To calm the faint feeling that crept upon me (what a lightweight!), I relaxed in the Benjamin Rush Medicinal Plant Garden. If I had a garden, that's exactly what I'd do with it. That and maybe a few flowers. Just dwelling on these fantasies made me feel better.

The Philadelphia Art Museum does not have antiquities, but it does have those famous Rocky steps. I ran up about half of them. What? It was hot out! Besides, I needed my strength to take in all the lovely paintings. More importantly, this museum has a genuine tea house brought in from Japan...the ones they use for tea ceremonies. I've never been to one of these; they're too precise for me to pull off on my own. I do like some of its principles. I, of course, have my own version of a tea ceremony: Cathernoon Tea. We can talk about that another time.

The museums close at five, so nothing was entirely thorough. I had enough of a taste of them to know I could return for a good look around, without waiting so long this time.

After cooling off in a fountain frolic (what? It was hot out!) we did a little more walking. Philly's an okay city, but we must not have been in the most vibrant part of town at this time of the day. Almost everything was closed, and it was August, without a holiday in sight. The subways, by the way, were a little creepy.

On the transportation note, there was massive confusion in the bus lineup; the problem being there was no real lineup. Megabus needs to get on that, at least in Philadelphia. Get it together! I'd taken Dramamaine for safe measure this time, and was groggy, so the ride home went by in a blur. All in all it was a satisfying day trip. I'd like to go back someday, and if you have any suggestions of other places to see or eat at, let me know. Maybe I'll get to that corner drug store too.

It's like I died and went to Florida

 

 

 

 

I may have a different view of Florida than most. The average vacationer to the Sunshine State goes there to relax at the beach, maybe visit a spa, play some golf, or party on South Beach till all hours of the night. At least that's what I imagine people do; I was such a mediocre travel agent because I really don't understand what the typical traveller wants out of their trip. The closest I get to this demographic is the occasional shot I'll take next to a famous site (I was thrilled to be photographed next to Cinderella's Castle in Disney World but have no desire whatsoever to return. It was just one of those things.)

My only reason to book a flight to Florida is to visit good friends. I don't hate the state, but otherwise it's not really the Catherine destination. I do have some good memories of my previous visits, and they usually include going to the beach or going to a tea room. So when I did both of these activities on a recent Friday in Long Island, I imagined for a moment that I'd hopped on a Jet Blue flight, sans the cursing flight attendant (that's old news already, isn't it?) But no, this was not the case; I was at Jones Beach with Pam, and later at Teapot in Bellmore.

Besides travel agent, a job description that I'd contemplated but might have trouble with is restaurant critic. I love good food (which is the most banal four words I can utter; who doesn't?) and I enjoy finding new spots to eat, especially tea rooms. But I'd hate the part of the job where I'd have to look for something to criticize. Though I'm given to whining about prices, or the dearth of clotted cream (this is coming up), I have this ingrown terror of hurting a chef's/restaurant owner's/staff's feelings by pointing out what I really didn't like. So I'm going to stick to what was good, and gloss over the negatives as much as possible.

Of course Pam and I had the Afternoon Tea for two. Here you get a choice of two sandwiches and two different kinds of pastries. The scones are just the plain kind, but two types of jams add to the variety. Where was the clotted cream? Sorry, the critic just showed up. I'm shushing her as I write this. Anyway, I thought the scones were good; very home made tasting. The sandwiches were also substantial. One in particular, The Henry, was downright hearty. I'm guessing they are named after Henry VIII. The Elizabeth was a cucumber sandwich, with herbed cream cheese. They were dainty and We Were Pleased.

I was also impressed by the generosity of the teapots. We had a pot of decaffeinated lavender Earl Grey, and a peach flavored black tea, and we didn't come anywhere close to emptying the teapots. They live up to their name, for sure.

Teapot is on a strip of shops, which I suppose made me think of Florida as well. The interior had Victorian decor; by that I mean if someone looked for ideas in a Victoria magazine circa 1991. It was a bit much for my tastes, but this is not a criticism...it's an observation. The bathroom (very clean) had a hand lotion called "Drenched in Pink." Quite appropriate.

A morning at the beach, followed by tea, is an art form in itself. You don't want to drag a drenched, sandy self into any nice eating establishment. I'd like to think my sister and I managed to pull it off. And I'm as pasty white as ever!

Shakespeare and Fresh Air

I've never (yet) made it to the famed Shakespeare in the Park; probably because I don't like waiting on lines (even online), hoping to get free tickets and possibly not succeeding. I avoid free concerts too, because the crowds are daunting. I love watching shows live, musical or theatre, but if I have to deal with a crush of people and sketchy ladies' facilities I'll likely opt out. My apartment has air conditioning and a perfectly functioning DVD player. I'm not dogmatic about any of this, of course, so when an opportunity arises that fits my comfort zone, I'm there.

Enter New York Classical Theatre's production of Much Ado About Nothing. One website refers to these productions as "Shakespeare on the Run," and I'd agree. Shows are held in various parks in the City, and the audience shows up and follows the cast through the park during scene changes. I went to one of these shows back in 2002, but we showed up late, so only got to see the ending of Macbeth. As I'm an expert procrastinator, it took eight years, but it finally happened. This time the show was in Battery Park, beginning at Castle Clinton.

There was a good-sized turnout for the show (and a gorgeous day out) but very little crowding. Despite there being kids, and one dog, everyone was attentive and though there was laughter there was no chaos. The actors dressed in 1940's costume, which as a fan of anachronism suited me just fine. The dialogue was incredibly easy to follow, and my attention never strayed, except for when I saw the dog's tail whipping Daphne in the face. It was professional but easy going, as I believe Shakespeare was meant to be. A Shakespeare play does not need a wealth of stage props, music or costume changes to be effective, though there was a bit of singing here and there. Plus you get your action, adventure, intrigue and romance just steps away from the Staten Island Ferry? What more can you ask for? Well, maybe a blanket to sit on. Didn't think that part through before showing up.

Admission is completely free, though donating is quite welcomed. The 'friar' yelled out "Alms for the poor" when it was over...how can one resist?

I'd never read Much Ado About Nothing before, but it was fun and witty, and now I want to dive into Shakespeare the way I did last year (though maybe not as heavy on the tragedies this time.

Sorry, no photography allowed, and you really don't want to see the video we made in the fountains afterwards. No, you don't.

Cream!

 

Steinway Street, and the area around it seems to be going through a mild renaissance. A number of new shops and eateries have opened recently...Ricky's anyone? Red Mango looks to be opening soon, which should do well in this not so pleasant July heat. I visited Mekato, a Colombian bakery, last week. The empanadas are good and there is ample seating. The one shop I've been anxious to visit opened today at noon. That's Cream, the bakery with its eye on the cupcake-loving demographic.

What blew me away, upon entering was those colorful favorites of mine, known in Cream as "French Macaroons." Jaw-drop - macarons in Astoria? On Steinway Street? Oui! They're $2.50 which is a little steep for its size, but I must say the one I've tried so far, Strawberry, was certainly big on taste. The ganache seems to be real strawberry jam. Yes, I don't have to ride the subway for a good macaron anymore. The macarons share a display case with all manner of chocolates, including truffles. My to-try list grows with my waistline...

 

I picked up four cupcakes: Pistachio, Carrot, Red Velvet and Gluten Free, Sugar Free Tiramisu. Red Velvet is always my first choice, as it's my favorite and the basis for quality in my book. It passes the test. The cake portion was very light and mild, but the butter cream frosting along with the cream inside (living up to its name) was not overwhelming but wonderful. It had, in my opinion, the effect of a scone with clotted cream, but in cupcake form.

Why did I buy a gluten and sugar free cupcake? Because it was there. Well, the Tiramisu was rather good: less cakey, more of a chewy consistency, which didn't upset the quality of the cupcake. The frosting really tasted like Tiramisu. My only complaint, and this can't be helped, was that it had the aftertaste of diet soda. That's just me, I don't like sugar free products, but for sugar free it was excellent.

I have yet to try the other items I picked up, which only means I'm not a glutton. They won't survive Thursday, that I promise you.

Can this be a destination for taking tea? Well, there's a fair amount of seating, but so far there's no tea. I was told by management that I was the second person who asked after that, and that it should be happening in the future. When it's 90 degrees out, who really cares (coming from me!)

Their sign says "Sweet Surrender.) How sweet it is to have Cream on Steinway Street!

 

Added later...the Pistachio cupcake is Daphne-approved. She says it's a little dry, but she's pretty impressed; it doesn't taste too fake. There it is.

Can you say...

 

 

 

 

I love it when a new tea place opens within walking distance from my job. It's not as close during a heat wave, but I stuck to the shade on Friday and was able to make it to TeaGschwendner (a tea company originally from Germany) for its grand opening in New York.

Located near the new Lego store in Rockefeller Center, now both tourists and natives can get their loose leaf tea fix. I'm pretty sure I saw some tea bags there too, but they were in the minority. In case one is not sure what to do with the loose tea, there are teapots and cups with strainers in the store. And on these especially gross summer days, if hot drinks don't appeal to you there's a case of iced teas on the right wall. I did buy the Grenadine-Elderflower Ice Tea White. Normally that would get on my nerves (it's technically iced, not ice), but not only am I not the foremost expert on spelling and grammar, but any place that offers Elderflower anything is okay in my book.

The staff were very friendly without being over-the-top, just as it should be. They let me sniff a good number of teas, and I was amused at a particular one that along with tea and fruit pieces had gummi bears. Why didn't I buy it? Well, there's always next time. I did buy Cranberry Orange green tea, Midsummer Night's Dream Black Floral tea (already a favorite, and its smell is enchanting), and Magic Flute, a flute I mean fruit tea named after my favorite Mozart opera. I haven't tried the last one yet, but it smelled good and I'm sure I'll belt out an aria upon first try (in my head anyway.) I got Bonnie a Flower of Hawaii black fruit tea. She likes it, though she personally prefers it with milk. To each her own.

The prices were relatively reasonable, the staff seemed knowledgeable though I didn't quite test them on the nuances of green teas and regions. I wasn't really in the mood to; I was just happy to be there, and it was Friday. I also got a free tea shirt!

Teany closed last June due to a fire, and I was anxiously awaiting its reopening. Sometimes a shop or restaurant just cuts their losses, and that's the end of them. Well, when I heard Teany reopened in April, I was dying to return. It's like seeing an old friend after too long a time apart. Well, I finally made it back about a week ago, with another Teany fan, Cathy (there's lots of us out there, and most of us seem to like tea.)

We'd done a good deal of walking that evening. It was also our first time visiting the High Line, a blossoming park built from old elevated train tracks on the west side. I should share those pictures also. Not now. Needless to say, we were ravenous and tired of walking (well, I was. I'd done quite a bit of urban hiking before we met up. I'm not complaining, I love it.) When I suggested Teany, Cathy's eyes lit up and I knew it was Time.

Teany looked slightly different in the inside, but not in any extreme fashion - again, like an old friend who'd changed their hairstyle slightly. There was still the eclectic mix of music playing over us, and the funny-looking miniature robots. The tea menu was voluminous as usual. I asked for a cheese plate with fruits and nuts, and a blueberry scone. It was all very good, though the glaze on top of the scone may have been a tad sweet. I was only let down by the fact that they were out of the Teanychino, which I'd been craving. I had the Chaider instead, which was okay but too autumnal for June. The server was a friendly guy who seemed kind of new, but I'm sure he'll get the full hang of things.

I was surprised by one thing, though. I overheard a person at the table next to us ask for the Afternoon Tea. The girl behind the counter said that Afternoon Tea ends at seven. Although I'd decided against it for this visit, I thought it was kind of weird. The online menu says it's available all day. That seemed kind of lazy. I can understand if they were about to close for the night, but I'm pretty sure they close at 1 AM. We were there around 7:30 PM. Do the math.

Hopefully the inconsistencies will be ironed out by my next visit. You know I gotta have me some three-tiered action!

Punny Tea Names

Duane Reade has rebranded, it seems, and with that they've introduced a new line of products under the name "delish". I'm not crazy about that name, but their snack line isn't so bad (the maple leaf cookies are my favorite so far.)

Now they have a few kinds of iced teas. So far I've seen their Green Tea, White Tea (with pear juice, probably the best one), and Earl Grey. They're as good as any bottled iced tea I've had, and even better than some. But I'm not here to review these. I just need to remark on their need to tea-ize a few adjectives on their label:

serenitea
tranquilitea
new york citea

Enough!

What's going on with these people? Are they proud of their rhyming abilitea? Do they need to take every opportunitea? Isn't it just an exercise in futilitea? Or is my reaction due to my hypersensitivitea? No diggitea! (for all you 90's kids out there.)

I guess I've complained aplentea. I'm gonna finish the rest of my drink...because I'm thirstea.

My First Afternoon Tea...

...was a very long time ago. It's so long ago I can't mark the date on my mental calendar. What I do remember was that it was a turning point for me - the whole ceremony of it, which wasn't painfully ceremonial or I would have been turned off to it straightaway. The idea of the three-tiered stand, three departments with their own theme: Finger Sandwiches, Scones, and Desserts (cakes, petit fours, pastries) was appealing from the start. I am still pleased, after all these years, that I was introduced to Afternoon Tea at Tea and Sympathy. I've had Afternoon Tea in many places since then, and can rattle off a litany of places that do it well...quite a few in New York alone, but this is the place where, if possible, I recommend others try it for the first time. I guarantee it to be both satisfying and worth the price ($35 per person, a little less if it's for two).

On Saturday the three girls that came with me were all new to Afternoon Tea, at least in a tea room. Two of them have been over to my place for my version of it, which I'm not ashamed of to be sure. The actual tea room experience, though, is incomparable. They were not disappointed.

 

Man at the next table was sure eyeing that scone...

 

It's a pot pie, I know, but don't worry, she had the Experience.

 

Me in my natural habitat.

Argo....Not a Bad Tea Shop

What's the difference between a tea room and a tea shop? It depends on who you ask. For my purposes, a Tea Room is a place where you sit down for tea, generally a formal place with wait staff and cloth napkins. A Tea Shop could also have tables and chairs, but it's more casual, and you order at a counter. Even more specific, a Tea Room would serve Afternoon Tea, and a Tea Shop would not, even if there were scones on offer. A Tea Shop might have wifi, which would seem out of place in a Tea Room. Some may even seem modeled on the Starbucks brand, or even refer to themselves as The Starbucks of Tea (think Tealuxe.) There's also Tea House, which is either/or for me, but feels to me what I'd call tea spots of more Asian origins. I know others would disagree with these definitions, especially in different geographical locations, but this is my tea blog thank you very much, and I have to call the shots somewhere!

So, Alice's Tea Cup = Tea Room; Communitea = Tea Shop. Teany calls itself a Tea Cafe, which is all well and good, but cafe is just so coffeelike...I don't know.

But wait a minute, you ask: what about Whittard, or Tea & Honey? These are shops that sell tea products...wouldn't they be a Tea Shop? I've probably called them tea shops before, but in my estimation, they're really tea stores. Then there's Tea Lounges, which are probably closer to my Tea Shops, but with more cushions.

Argo would be classified as a Tea Shop. Its newest location, in the Flatiron Building (home of the Daily Bugle in the Spiderman movies for all you comic book people out there), is very well situated. It's got a decent amount of seating, though I can't imagine large parties hanging out there: unless it was a really quiet time of the day. The menu is large and bright and colorful, rather like a bubble tea shop. There's plenty of iced teas as well as hot teas, and for the most part they're made up of their blends of fruits, herbs, and teas, or their "Signature Teas." I had the Mojitea (much like the cocktail but with tea) and Bon had the Red Velvet (red tea [rooibos], raspberry, and white chocolate really refreshing.) I also had a nice salad with quinoa and chicken which was slightly overpriced...but everything is too costly for me, so don't go by my judgement there, and anyway it was delicious.

We sat at a window overlooking Madison Square Park, and right outside is public seating which is great for the Junelike weather we've been having. Next time I'd like to try hot tea, as I can't fully review a tea place of any kind without having a hot tea and some kind of pastry. My first visit, though, was encouraging enough, and may I say the staff is pleasant and helpful. The bathroom had some plumbing problems, but otherwise everything was up to standard.

Against one wall there are all kinds of loose teas to choose from, and in the center are teapots and cups and doohickeys for all your sipping needs. Do stop by if you're in the area, we need to keep these places alive and kicking! Even better, bring your laptop...free wifi!!! (I have a new netbook, so it's a focus of mine.)

Ville! (requisite cat name)

 

 

 

Inspiration at Grand Central Station

Seeing the whimsical window treatment at Posman Books in Grand Central Terminal was one of the highlights of Monday afternoon. The bookshop is already one of the places that makes you want to slow down in the busy thoroughfare...

 

 

 

 

How could I not drink it all in?

Now I'm moved to consider having another tea party at my place. It'll have to wait until May, as I'll be inordinately busy in April. Still, the planning is the best part, and it'll give me something to muse on throughout the hectic pace of this time of the year.

I don't think it'll be quite as mad as what Alice encountered in either the original or recent version of her story, but it's sure to be somewhat silly!

Two Excellent Teas...

Two interesting names, to say the least.

People always ask me what's my favorite kind of tea. My answer is usually the same as when I'm asked about a favorite book: It Depends. There's a tea for every occasion, every mood, time of day, time of month, weather pattern, health concern - not to mention pairing with food. I don't really play favorites, though just like I lean toward different genres of books, I have tea types that generally appeal to me.

Now, if you were going to ask what's my favorite name for a tea, I could get more specific. "Monkey Picked" is up there with "Iron Goddess of Mercy", and "Dragon Well". These names go way back, and usually refer to true teas. Blenders get even more creative nowadays in marketing their teas, and rightfully so. It's easy enough for an Anglophile like myself to zero in on a catalog that has blends named after streets in London, or after royalty, because it adds to the fantasy. Baker Street Afternoon Blend, from Upton, makes me feel like I'm sharing a pot with Mr. Holmes, while I pour my heart out about a mysterious missing relative. I suppose if it was called "Bohemian Rhapsody Blend", I'd imagine myself in another time and place altogether, but I don't mind. We all need a little whimsy in our lives. Today, though, I'm going to share my thoughts on two of my favorite flavored teas, one a flavored black and the other an herbal, that have quirky names and are worth every sip.

"Amorous Almond" from McNulty's: What makes almond so ardently passionate? Does the agony of the leaves infuse love within the tea taker? These were my musings when I first purchased this black flavored tea. To be sure, it smelled wonderful. I suppose almond oil is added to the leaves, along with little bits of my favorite nut.

Well, all I can say is, the next morning after purchasing it, I did try this tea and was instantly in love. It's not only fragrant, but it tastes magnificent. Not only that, but you don't even want an accompanying pastry. I wouldn't decline one if offered, of course. Still, you know what I mean: have you ever had an exquisite almond pastry? This is pretty darn close. I'd compare it to a Pignoli Tart - with fewer calories. Ahhh...love is in the air.

If you're like me, well, you have my sympathies. But seriously, if you're like me, you can't touch anything caffeinated with a ten foot pole after 4PM and expect to get any sleep at night. Herbal tea's what's needed of an evening, and what can be better than a Rooibos with peppermint and little bits of chocolate? I know, there's probably trace elements of caffeine with the chocolate, but one can't be that sensitive. Some people, however, might take umbrage at the title of this wonderful feast for the senses: it's Tay's "Better Than Sex". That's a real provocative name, and possibly up for debate. Either way, it's really satisfying, and can lead to a good deal of "that's what she said" typed responses.

All told, if you're gonna come up with a conversation-inducing name for your tea, it had better live up to it. These two teas do their best.

Surely You Jest

I'm sure I've rambled enough here about my fond feelings for the Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art, not the opera, I'll get there eventually.) Over the years I've spent hours wandering around that place, between school trips, visits with a group and solitary afternoons. I haven't decided what is my favorite section, though it tends to vacillate between Ancient Greek and Rome, European paintings and the musical instruments room. One thing I'd never managed to do was to try the Afternoon Tea at their Petrie Court. Recently my sister and I found a holiday Monday free to give it a go. It was between that and Alice's Tea Cup. I made the wrong choice.

The Petrie Court is beautiful. It's airy and is surrounded by bits of statue and sculpture. I have absolutely no complaints about the atmosphere. But Afternoon Tea is much more than that. Ideally it should be pots of loose tea accompanied by the three-tiered dessert stand groaning with finger sandwiches, scones and a variety of desserts. You think it's not going to be filling, but by the end you can't finish the last sandwich between you and your companions.

Here, though it was attractive in its presentation, something was glaringly obvious. Can you tell by the photo? It's space. Lots of space. One should not be able to see the bottom of the tiered plates until some eating has occurred. There just wasn't enough food. What food was there was good, but first of all, finger sandwiches should be close to the length of its namesake. There was a generous amount of cream and jams for the scones, but the clotted cream tasted a little off. The petit fours were good, and the staff must have sensed our dismay because they did bring out a plate with a few more. I don't blame them; I blame whoever plans this arrangement. I'd let it fly if it was like $10 or something, but no, it was over $25. What for?

My other complaint was that the tea,though good (I had Harney and Sons Darjeeling), was served in tea bags. That's more than fine in a diner, but not in the Afternoon Tea repertoire. Oh no.

I'll never stop visiting the Met. It's great. I will need some hefty convincing to have Afternoon Tea there, though.

Did I mention the food in the above photo is for two?

More happy calories

It's probably a good thing I joined a gym in the summer, even though I only recently starting going. There are too many amazing ways to put on pounds, and too few ways to drop them. It was uncomfortably convenient that last week's battle with my immune system left some casualties in the poundage arena, but I'm hoping there's no sequel for the rest of the winter. I love long walks in the City, but that's curtailed severely once the temperature drops below freezing. And now I really don't have to walk far to reach most of my tea time favorites.

Already Crumbs opened up near my office building, and Magnolia is threatening to any month now. Then there's Financier, which, as mentioned last time, has some inexcusably awesome pastries. I was already excited about their macarons, and now I have another, more strange source. Flipping Starbucks!

I walked past one of their ubiquitous branches during lunch, and the corner of my eye caught the colorful pictures of macarons on a box in one of their cases. I know: how on earth does a nearly blind woman who was preoccupied with thoughts of visiting a favorite pen store catch such a detail in her periphery? I'm not sure; I think I'm just drawn to tea and items related to tea drinking. It's teadar, to attempt to coin another corny tea word. Well, instantly I was in there shelling out $10 for a dozen macarons. At least my wallet's getting thinner!

I can say that so far I'm not disappointed. I've had the pistachio, which tasted almost like a nutty matcha scone, and the lemon, which is admittedly hard to mess up. The texture was done right, and it went well with Kusmi tea's 'Bouquet de Fleurs'. I cannot guarantee that these are necessarily better than Macaron Cafe's, but I am certainly saved the hike. Not sure that's a good thing, but it gave me a little bit of happiness on a Monday.

By the way, on the box it says the macarons are made in France by Chateau Blanc. Not super fresh, then, but not bad for Starbucks.

Well, the tea tastings have been on hiatus...but...

When your eagerly anticipated final 4-day weekend of the year comes around, if you're a Tea Queen Book Lover and it's supposed to be not the best weather that particular weekend, your itinerary might include the following: catching up on reading, doing some much needed home organization, maybe some shopping, writing, baking, and of course, tea tasting. I really intended to get to a good portion of these things among others, and what better time to really concentrate on all the teas I've read to taste in earnest than a long, chilly weekend? The best intentions, sadly: my immune system had other plans.

I spent four days sleeping, blowing my nose, sipping Theraflu, sleeping some more, trying to read and being too tired to, and sleeping again. There was a bit of staring at the TV slack-jawed in the midst of all that. Good job I had that time off, but not too exciting. Not really cozy either, especially when my lungs turned into a 5-car pileup. Sure, I drank tea, but the taste buds have been a bit off, so I mostly stuck to whatever was getting stale, with some honey. I was too miserable to be miserable.

I returned to work today, feeling almost better - though I sound horrible. Kind of like a husky Big Bird. I'm not as tired as before, but I'm not quite up to distinguishing particular flavors in tea, so I really wanted something to cheer me up.

Here's what I got: the library had the new Jasper Fforde book, Shades of Grey, waiting for me. It was earlier than I'd expected: Amazon said it'd be out on the 29th. At the library I bought a green lion tote for $1, which will be useful (and adds to the Mad Cat Lady persona.) Then I found out that Financier opened up in Grand Central Terminal. It sounds kind of financial, but it's actually a patisserie that just happens to have macarons! Okay, they don't have quite the variety that Macaron Cafe has, but I am saved a good half mile walk on a freezing day. My chest thanks me. I tried one of the macarons already. It tastes of almonds, with a chocolate ganache. The consistency is slightly different than what I'm used to, but it's still Heaven. I'm going to have to figure out a good tea pairing with this one. At least I have my book pairing!

So I figure you can't have everything, but you can have a thing or two, and that's something.

I can't help myself!

It's not like I need any new tea. Now, if I can find an excuse for buying some, it quickly seems like a need.

So, at work we have tea. The choices are Earl Grey, Green Tea (possibly a Sencha but Celestial Seasonings didn't specify), and Lipton. If I'm in need of a quick caffeine fix, this is fine, and I'm grateful for these provisions. But I'm a girl who likes variety, and during the winter months this becomes even more of a necessity. If I get bored in the flavor department, I'll be sorely tempted to rush out and get a cupcake or two...Crumbs and the Cupcake Truck are too close to the office building. This is a fun solution, of course, but if I keep going at this rate I'm gonna bust out of my clothes Incredible Hulk-style.

I have brought in my own tea often enough. I even have strainers, so I can actually have a proper tea setting at my desk. However, this isn't exactly possible on a daily basis. My job requires a bit of getting up and moving from place to place (one place more often than not being the copy room,) and it's just not practical to deal with the whole process of scooping out loose tea AND cleaning a teapot at some point in the day. I finally admitted to myself that teabags are a necessary evil in the office. So, I'd better get myself some good quality tea in some good quality, roomy teabags. Hence a great excuse for a shopping excursion.

There. I've convinced myself.

So off I went to Tea and Honey, which I wrote about exactly six months ago. I was there recently to buy tea for gifts, but for myself it's been awhile. Bianca made a bunch of good suggestions, and I settled on two boxes from Le Palais Des Thes: Saint-James and Big Ben (or should I say, Big Surprise.) Then a box from Kusmi caught my eye: their Essentials, which is two muslin sachets each of 12 different teas. Some are blends, and at least one is straight up Darjeeling. I've already tried one, Sweet Love, which I liked, though I probably wouldn't get a whole container as liquorice is not my thing really.

All of this cost enough, but at least now I have a great deal of sampling to look forward to in the cold months ahead. What can I say? It's my thing.

AdverTeasing

I'm one of those people who actually sits through commercials during DVR'd programs. Not all the time, of course, but I do like to see what's going on in advertising. It is its own art form, after all.

There aren't too many tea commercials on television - at least, not in the US. Bottled iced tea companies, once in a while, but otherwise it's extremely rare. So it felt like a new experience when I happened to pass by Radiance today, and saw there were two TV screens outside, on the building wall itself but at eye level, playing what was essentially ads for the tea room. The one I watched in its entirety (I was pressed for time, but it wasn't very long) showed scenes from inside the tea room. A woman enters Radiance and is greeted by one of the staff. Eventually she is joined by another guest. There's a small group of people who seems to be having a business lunch. Shots of the tea merchandise are shown, and of course the tea fare. We are also shown some really studious looking people seated at library-type tables in the bookshop section, each enjoying a cup of tea as they are jotting down notes. Everything is bright and welcoming...well, radiant.

I was five seconds from being pulled in by this promotional tractor beam. What an excellent idea. It wasn't Times Square flashy - it was peaceful, just like the words on the screen say: "an oasis in the city". There was no volume, though, so I did wonder if the video had any actual dialogue or soundtrack.

I'm gonna keep a lookout for more tea advertising in the future. I love the old ads from companies like Lipton and Ty-phoo, and would collect them if I had any room left to do so. Well, there's always room on YouTube!

Get Well Soon!

I just read that Teany, one of my favorite tea rooms and a fantastic place for vegetarian tea lovers, is closed temporarily due to a fire. It happened months ago, and I just found this out now. I need to get back in the loop! Anyway, here's hoping they reopen real soon. I'm due for a Teanyccino!

Cafe Lalo

Among my goals, some of which are actually important and some of which are just for fun, finding every tea place in New York City, visiting them and reviewing them is one of my favorites. It's also kind of an impossible dream, as restaurants of all kinds are constantly in flux - the minute you hear of one, it closes. I never did get to The Harlem Tea Room, and it kills me that I have yet to see Lady Mendl's - there's no excuse for that. Still, the pursuit is part of the pleasure, and I have plenty of sources with which to continue the search. Certainly blogs from other tea lovers have been helpful, and listings such as Teamap are fantastic. Through Teamap I heard of Cafe Lalo, on West 83rd Street. I used to work around the corner from this place, but I obviously never noticed it. Others have; in fact, it was used in a scene from You've Got Mail. So it's obviously been around for a while.

Cafe Lalo is not actually an all-out tearoom, but I suppose it's listed because you can get tea in a real Yixing-type iron teapot. It's not loose tea, but the bags are from Mighty Leaf which is the pinnacle of good tea in a bag. Also, Lalo is known for its plethora of pastries and other desserts, which makes for a good teatime. If you are there in time for brunch, you can order the British Breakfast, which comes with a scone and some aria-inducing Devon cream. So yes, why not deem this a tea destination?

I paid two visits in the space of a week, because I missed brunch the first time. Because of this I found out that their grilled sandwiches are worth it - complete with roasted potatoes and a salad, which at $10 is a value nowadays. The lemon meringue tart is just a pit too tart for me, and too sweet for my teeth. That was just a matter of taste, though.

As for the brunches (always a favorite topic of mine,) the menu runs around the world. Obviously mine was the British, which was okay but really the scone was what made it. Bathy enjoyed the French one, but Daphne's Dutch Breakfast was good but not big enough (I'm not knocking the Dutch, it's just the name.) Though everyone's desserts were good, I still kind of wish the brunches would have offered a little more: what, no Mimosa? But I'm reminded that it was real estate we paid for as well. It's close to The Park, and an easy distance from plenty of movie theatres (what movie did we see? Let's just say "it" was better than I'd expected. I thought the Cafe itself was really cute, and had good window and people-watching views. So, all in all, I say give it a visit when you're in the area. And bring cash; no cards accepted.

Time to humiliate my cat again

She had it coming...

maybe next time she'll let me brush her...

at least there's no more tumbleweeds of fur.