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Tea
The crew at Northern Liberties' Random Tea Room (713 N. Fourth St.) is throwing a party this coming Thursday, March 1 in honor of their four-year anniversary. Owner Becky Goldschmidt will be pouring tea-infused cocktails and passing around some sample bites of their upcoming menu. "We do offer some food now, like muffins and fruit, but we're expanding the menu to something more substantial," says Tea Room herbalist Danielle Dwyer. The specifics of the food and drink will remain a secret until it's party time, but we do know there is a cocktail that will feature their housemade chai. The space is small, so they're opening up the back yard for guests to mingle and warm up around a bonfire. Food and booze are complimentary, but the regular tea menu will be available for purchase, too.
Photo: Random Tea Room on Facebook
The World Tea East Conference — its first convention, an offshoot of the World Tea Expo — ended its run at the Pennsylvania Convention Center this past weekend. During its two days in Philadelphia, the conference, geared toward members of the press, retail outlets and restaurants, basked in the tannin-soaked glory of a U.S. tea market that's estimated to gross beyond $16 billion come 2016. During its weekend of tastings, pairings and prize-givings, the elders of the tea game were as recognized, as well as the newcomers. Lifelong tea aficionado/freelance tea reviewer Glamorosi (my wife) introduced me to this event and I can't tell you how glad I am she did.
Madeline Hoefer and her husband Werner, both of whom have decades of experience in the F&B biz, have taken over Fairmount's Flying Saucer (2545 Brown St.) and will reopen the dormant café on Nov. 19. The coffee shop, which closed in July of this year, has been given a retro '50s makeover with literal interpretations of the name galore look out for the UFO artwork, ET-friendly logo and "Deep Space Decaf," "Nebula Blend" and "Cosmic Roast" coffees from Souderton's One Village. Hoefer says Flying Saucer Café will also carry Premium Steap teas and an array of sweets and baked goods from South Philly's Traveling Hat Bake Shop and Tea Room, plus housemade soups, chilis, hummus and more.
Melange Tea Cart (33rd and Market), which we told you about recently, was involved on a crash on the 21st that left the truck in the repair shop and the mobile tea business closed indefinitely. "At 10:50 a.m. this morning, a truck decided to make a very late left turn directly in front of me at 18th and Washington," owners Boris and Yumiko Ginsburgs wrote on their blog. "To avoid being hit, I was forced to swerve, and the cart rolled over. [...] The cart has sustained major damage that, to be brutally honest, we can not afford to address." Tough stuff. Fortunately, repairs were completed ahead of schedule and Melange is back in action on a test-run today, pouring their select menu of exotic teas and tisanes. (Try the new white teas, like shou mei or bai mu dan.) The cart will be around on Drexel's campus until 2 p.m.; stay tuned to their Twitter to learn when they resume regular hours.
[...] West Philly’s Melange Tea Cart reopens after a crash. [...]
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by The Best Of Food.com, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: Crash into tea, yeah. After accident, @melangetea reopens today http://j.mp/apoP88 [...]
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| melange-tea.com |
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| melange-tea.com |
[...] Tea Cart (33rd and Market), which we told you about recently, was involved on a crash on the 21st that left the truck in the repair shop and the mobile tea [...]
OMG that dog is adorable!
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| Photo | Michael T. Regan |
So the goal is to find a similarly community-minded independent company to take it over. Until that happens, say Dye and Huber, theyre in it to win it. Infusion is maintaining a full calendar of events, while a new ad campaign highlights the integral role their customers played as InFusion evolved from just a coffee shop to a community gathering place and key driver in Mt. Airys Germantown Avenue renaissance. Even with competing demands on our time and energy, we continue to improve our menu offerings, and to make ourselves available to the community, says Dye. InFusion is too important to Mt. Airy and to us personally to do it any other way.Those interested in inquiring about InFusion should contact Dye at 215-248-1718 or jocie@infusioncoffeeandtea.com.
Who's making the food?
Ooo. yum. matcha. can't wait.
Love their Before Sunrise special - a delicious blend of OJ and matcha.
Don't know who makes the food, but the sandwiches and salads were unique, fresh and tasty. I have to sample some more.
Kylie! Congrats on your opening.
Yay for matcha! Thanks for the early tip on this post, Drew. Any luck in me buying straight matcha powder from there? Or any suggestion where? Dying to make a matcha finishing salt!
Erin, yes, I believe you can buy any of their teas looseleaf, and I don't see why that wouldn't include matcha.
You can buy loose matcha at the tea place on 4th and monroe (around the corner - across from Essene). it's $10 an ounce.
Thanks to Meal Ticket tipster DO for this one: Unitea is the name of the tea bar aiming for a March 29 opening at 265 S. 44th Street, right on the same block as Local 44 and Tampopo in West Philly. Owner Kashif Ahmad is an accountant by trade, but he's got some family connections to the food/drink biz — his aunt, Tayyaba Khanum, owns Nanee's Kitchen in the Reading Terminal Market. Ahmad will offer a lineup of 25 or so international teas (Ahmad's landed a top-of-the-line Brasilia espresso machine that can simultaneously brew coffee and tea), fresh-squeezed juices, a few sandwiches and crepes on weekends. Lots of halal and vegetarian options, too.
[...] to our pals over at City Paper’s Meal Ticket, a new “tea bar” called Unitea is planning to open soon on 44th and Spruce, right by [...]
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| effectualdesigns.net |
That's the cutest logo.
[...] Meal Ticket tipsters JC and DO for simul-sharing word of Cups & Chairs‘ opening with us. (We first mentioned it back in March.) The tea-centric café, located at intersection of Fifth, Passyunk and Monroe (701-03 S. Fifth St., [...]
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| Photo | Mark Stehle |
Technically Philly co-founder/editor and CP contributor Brian James Kirk is a serious tea head, so Meal Ticket dispatched him to Premium Steap to check out what's new for the chillier months.
On a summer afternoon, one could likely amble into Premium Steap (118 S. 18th St., 215-568-2920) and find owner Peggy Stephens (right) perched alone at the store's cash register, patiently waiting to help customers. But recently, as a cold drizzle fell on a mid-autumn morning, Stephens had her hands full, unloading new drink accessories while simultaneously schooling a new employee about Steap's expansive selection of of 160 looseleaf varieties. "Christmas is crazy for me," Stephens told us, her neck wrapped with a red scarf to fend off the chill that comes in after the constantly swinging-open door.
Though her holiday gift lineup features contemporary cookware, Pantone mugs, travel containers and Indian drinkware, tea is Stephens' priority, and she finds that sales always get a boost when customers start jonesing for a warm cup to distract from miserable weather.� The store's "more cozy drinks" now dominate the shelves, she explained � ones that complement holiday desserts or make a brisk trip across town a little more bearable.
The store's black teas, which are typically harvested late in the season, are currently at their freshest. Steap's Indian black spiced chai has just enough bite from cinnamon, black pepper and cloves to coerce drinkers away from more conventional morning teas like Earl Grey or English Breakfast. The Chinese black Cozy Almond, our new favorite to wake up to, is flavored with cinnamon and safflower blossoms along slices of rich nut; it's delicious straight or dashed with milk.
Stephens also touted her Japanese Genmai-Matcha, a hearty green "sushi tea," with bits of rice garnished with a Japanese tea powder that give the finished product a deep, hearty flavor that's tasty alongside a spicy roll. The organic Yin Gou Chinese green, a great post-lunch pick-me-up, is smooth and never bitter. Then there's the selection of green and white teas flavored with real dried fruit: blueberry, strawberry, raspberry and everything between, all subtly touched with ginseng. Since they're naturally sweet on their own, there's no need for added sugar � and they make great iced teas, Stephens reminded us.
Walking away from the store, as the frigid rain drops turned to steam atop the warm plastic lid of our paper to-go cup, the mere thought of anything iced gave us the chills � but Stephens' collection of teas is doing its part to make winter seem a little shorter.
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