Monday, July 22, 2013

Tea and Sniffles

I've had a cold for a few days and the first thing I reach for is black tea with honey. My husband brought back some teas by Lupicia after returning from Australia. They actually have a few US stores, but they are all in CA and HI, so I was glad to have a few to try. I steeped up Keemun Queen's Hope, which is perfect for breakfast. This tea is earthy and fruity. I over-steeped this on purpose, because when I have a stuffy nose and drowsy eyes I like the tea as strong as possible. Even with extra steep time, this brew isn't bitter. Although the honey I added probably helped. The flavors include plum and raisin with an English breakfast bright sweetness. I enjoy the earthy taste along with the sweet. The honey I used is some of my favorite- it was purchased from the Rochester Public Market when we were last in town from Davis Raw Honey. The honey is from local hives in the Finger Lakes area near Rochester. Sure, in NYC you can have your pick of local-ish raw honey, but we love the different varieties from Davis. So every time we visit family in western NY, we pick up a jar. They have different honey depending on the flowers in season.


Riding on the subway this morning with a new book to read and soothing tea to drink greatly helped me feel better. The first gulp of tea always does wonders, but today it was needed more than usual. The train wasn't particularly crowded, but the tea still helped everything melt into the distance as I focused on my reading. The brew helps calm my cold symptoms, and lifts my spirits.

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Visit: Physical Graffitea

 
Last Friday my husband and I found ourselves with a rare day to ourselves. We went to a movie and ended up walking around the east village in tropical humidity. Looking for shelter from the heat, we found Physical Graffitea, a tea shop that has been on my list to visit for ages. The shop's name comes from the building it is housed in, featured on the Led Zeppelin album cover for Physical Graffiti.

The location is in the heart of the east village on St. Marks, across from the popular Yaffa cafe. It was previously a vintage clothing store until the owner decided to turn it into a tea shop. A smart move in a neighborhood full of vintage stores but missing a great tea shop. Until now, of course.


Down a few steps we entered the funky and cheerful space lined with a wall of teas and tea accessories. Familiar sounds of The Smiths welcomed us in, and The Postal Service played as we waited for our drinks. I felt right at home. Service was friendly and genuine. We felt truly welcomed, as if we were regulars popping in for our daily drink.


During our visit there were three iced teas ready to be poured, but we were told that any tea on the wall could be made iced as well. We both ordered an iced matcha latte. The matcha was well prepared, and each sip helped erase the sticky memories of the day. It had a deep green vegetal flavor with just enough milk (soy milk was also available). There is a huge range of teas to drink or take home. Everything from tea basics to mate and pu-erh, even medicinal herb blends. I would definitely be a regular at this shop if we lived nearby. It is a tea oasis in the east village.

Physical Graffitea: 96 St. Marks Place NY, NY 10009- Recommended for a leisurely cup, loose leaves to go, a quick cup, iced tea, and everything in between.




Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Event: French Your Day! At Le Palais des Thés

Breakfast of Champions!!
On Monday I had the pleasure of attending the French Your Day! Event at  Le Palais des Thés Soho. This event is a Francophile's dream! French canelé, Champagne, juices and of course top quality tea was served.

Stations were broken up by time of day: Breakfast/Brunch, Afternoon Tea, and Cocktail Hour. For Breakfast, we sampled flavorful fresh juices by Alain Milliat paired with Pommery champagne, dark chocolate and caramel canelé, and of course tea. Could there be a better way to start your day? The teas sampled were Big Ben and Thé des Lords. I'm personally not a huge Earl Grey fan, but I love the Big Ben breakfast blend. The Yunnan and Assam teas form an earthy yet robust flavor perfect to wake up with. This blend rivals my most favorite English Breakfast blend. The teas served at the event are part of the new 'My Tea for the Morning' package from Le Palais des Thés. This is a clever line of tea bags packaged for various parts of the day: Morning, Office, and Evening. These are perfect for travel, or of course to keep in the office. I may have to pick up a box since the 'office' teas contain some of my favorites from Le Palais des Thés. 

The  canelé from Canelé by Celine were absolutely divine. A chewy caramelized crust on outside, with melting softness on the inside. Heaven! My two favorites are the dark chocolate, and black truffle. I adore black truffles, and this savory, earthy canelé was a delightful surprise. Celine was on hand to talk about her product, and it was fun to meet the creator of these decadent pastries. She does not sell in stores, but you can find her products online or at various events.

Afternoon!
The afternoon tea was served with the luscious canelé, (vanilla was my favorite), along with the ever popular Thé du Hammam mixed with Milliat blueberry juice. Sweet, floral, with a hint of green tea. A satisfying afternoon sip to hold you over until dinner...or cocktail hour!

Cocktail Time
For cocktail hour we devoured the truffle canelé, with rooibos tea blends. Rooibos has never been a favorite of mine but it is a good choice for the evening since it is caffeine free. We also sipped Pommery Champagne with a refreshing herbaceous basil lemon syrup from Baume des Anges. The combination of flavors transported me to a patio out in the French countryside with a cool summer breeze. A lovely visual when you are actually in oppressive NYC humidity!


The iced teas all had re-usable ice cubes. A smart idea to help the tea retain flavor instead of becoming watery from the melting ice.


I am thankful for the invite to such a delicious event. It was wonderful to see folks I've been corresponding with such as Georgia from Notes on Tea and and Nicole from Tea for Me Please. Tea, pastry, Champagne, and great conversation. Perfection!