Vinegar Hill Tea

Bringing young children out for brunch is always a gamble. You never know if they will sit and eat, or instead try to spill things, play with knives, drop food on the floor and run around the restaurant. With my daughter Hana, it is usually a combination of sitting for 5 minutes, then playing with everything on the table, and whining until she is taken outside to run around.

Despite the extra energy it takes to bring our kids to restaurants, we try to go as often as possible. It gets them used to eating out, and it also helps us attempt to feel like social beings. We met our friends at Vinegar Hill House on a beautiful Sunday morning. It will probably be our last meal there for quite awhile, since we are moving to Park Slope in 2 days. Vinegar Hill House is a great neighborhood place- the atmosphere is quirky and rustic, and the food is seasonal and simple. Most of it is quite tasty and thoughtfully prepared. Pork is a predominant ingredient on the menu, which is always a good thing. But I’m here to talk about the tea. I asked the waiter for the types of black tea they had, and he simply replied with ‘China Black’. In desperate need of caffeine, I placed an order for a pot. The price escapes me, because my daughter kept grabbing the menu out of my hands.

When the tea arrived we let it steep for a few minutes, and then gave it a taste. It looked and tasted like Yunnan. It had a golden color, and was strong with a very light floral note in the background. The leaves were a nice size, and seemed fairly intact. Most importantly, it gave me a nice caffeine jolt to handle the little girl next to me, who was trying to empty out a salt shaker.

Thankfully our younger baby Noah was having a great time, as he usually does. He is not old enough to make demands or move around too much, and he’s just an all around sweet guy. He was sporting the old-man-ready-for-retirement look, and couldn’t have been happier about it. He couldn’t drink any tea of course, but his big sister did, and she thoroughly enjoyed it. It also gave her something to focus on for a few minutes, which is always a good thing. Vinegar Hill House is a great spot to add a quality pot of tea to your meal, with or without little ones around to keep you busy.

China Black Tea @ Vinegar Hill House- 72 Hudson Ave, Brooklyn