We decided to take a little road trip with the kids. M and I decided that while vacations with a toddler and an infant are not exactly "relaxing" it was definitely enjoyable. Despite the very cold weather we spent lots of time taking walks, window shopping, and getting excited about the holidays. I also snuck in some opportunities to have tea. :)
We spent two nights in Newport, Rhode Island and one night in Providence. Since I have much to report on the tea front I thought I'd break this post up over a few days.
Today will just be some basic impressions.
1) We had bad timing with hitting local tea shops since it was off season. Of course there was the expected Starbucks and Panera but we wanted something different. There is a tea shop called Empire Tea & Coffee which we never actually located. (I kept forgetting to check the address and we didn't run across it in our travels.) I'll have to try next time because their website looks promising. We went by Tea & Herb Essence twice but they were never open (even though the sign on the door indicated they would be...Off season is a tricky time in Newport. Stores and cafes seem to open at will.) We visited "Elizabeth's Newport Cafe" which afternoon teas on their front window but they were not open either. Another place that looks like it might be worth a return visit in season. We stopped into "Tea on Thames" (in Brick Market Place) twice also. The first time they were also closed. We did finally make it in on Saturday. The shop is quite beautiful. It's a large space with a gorgeous bar and a few tables - Definitely a Victorian feel to the style. The proprietor was very friendly and she offered us tea samples and some yummy looking sweets. However, the tea was simply Republic of Tea loose leaf and it was stored in glass jars. (Alas.) My husband and I both tried a sample of a holiday tea (I think it was the Tea of Good Tidings from Republic of Tea) and neither of us cared for it. (And at that point the baby started getting grumpy so we had to beat a hasty retreat.) M reported that he thought the tea tasted like "sawdust and floor sweepings." A bit harsh but I knew what he meant. We both had only had a sip or two but there was an aftertaste that was pretty overwhelming. It felt like my mouth just kept puckering and getting drier and drier. What's that about?
2) We stayed at the Hotel Viking on Bellevue. It was a gorgeous hotel with incredible common spaces, especially with all the holiday decorations. They had a great pool, comfortable rooms, and a nice restaurant. They served...believe it or not...Mighty Leaf tea. I am now beginning to think that Mighty Leaf is stalking me. : ) I'll write my impressions on Mighty Leaf Organic Breakfast tea tomorrow, as well as a review of the afternoon tea I had at the Viking.
3) In Providence we had tea at two places I'll write about on Wednesday. We stayed at the new Renaissance Hotel near the State House and their restaurant served Revolution tea. We also visited the Tealuxe location over by Brown/RISD. So more on that later.
So more tomorrow on Hotel Viking and on Mighty Leaf tea. Keep your comments and notes coming. I love hearing from you!
Tea: Tea of Good Tidings
Source: Republic of Tea
Type: Scented black tea (teabag)
Brewing details: Not sure - It was a sample from a store
Comment: Reinforces my belief that Republic of Tea has gone down down downhill...
Taken from http://teapages.blogspot.com/
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