A Cup of Tea

I met a couple of friends for a 6 AM breakfast this morning at a little diner I like.  We got there right at 6, when the place was just opening, and we were the first customers.  The sky outside was overcast so it was a little bit dark and chilly.  We yawned and pulled our coats around our shoulders as we sat in the booth.  We all ordered tea.  I like getting tea at this place because they bring you a big teapot, not one of the stingy little mini metal ones, but a nice big one with three or four cups worth of water in it.  They give you a selection of teabags on the side -- not the classiest way to serve tea, but it's acceptable, because the variety is usually decent.  But today the selection was only herbal teas, with the basic bulk-order Salada or Lipton equivalent black tea for someone who wanted caffeine.  I was hoping for Constant Comment or Earl Grey or English Breakfast.  I asked if there might be more behind the counter, and the waitress dug up a Lemon Lift.  Better than nothing.  But then I poured the hot water from the teapot into my cup and discovered that the water was lukewarm, not hot.  By this time I felt like a high-maintenance complainer, so I didn't say anything.  But there's nothing more disappointing than lukewarm water when you're looking forward to a cup of tea.  You really aren't going to get what you want.

The best place to get a cup of tea in Portland is Artemesia Cafe, which is one of my secret places so I'm not going to tell you where it is.  They have a great variety of teas, and they will brew a pot and serve you a teapot that's just the right size, and pretty to boot, with a pretty little cup and saucer that's fun to drink out of.   The second best place to get a cup of tea is Arabica Cafe, which is not a secret and in fact is almost too public to go to anymore because you won't be able to get anything done because you'll run into lawyers and fishermen and people whose faces are familiar but whose names you can't remember and you'll forget what you were thinking about because you're trying to remember their name.  Arabica doesn't give you a teapot, but they brew the tea themselves and they are very strict about it -- they let the tea steep the right amount of time, then take out the tea strainer and bring your cup of tea to you.  Most places will just throw loose tea into a filter and put it in your cup and give it to you, leaving you to decide when to take it out, but Arabica is strict and won't even give you the tea until it's right, which is kind a fun little ritual in and of itself. 

Comments

[LIsa]

I visit your site often and enjoy your writing tremedously.

I am a tea drinker and I'm rather religious about it. Lemon Lift and Constant Comment are my staples, but I also enjoy the Stash Chai Spice and Metabolic Frolic. Can't think of who makes the Frolic, but it's in a round canister and comes in both loose leaves and bags.

I have an electric kettle and a white stoneware teapot by British mother-in-law gave to me and nothing tastes quite so right as tea in my special teapot. Finding a place that really makes tea is wonderful. I hate those cheesy little tin pots.

[Nicole]

Metabolic Frolic is Mango Ceylon by The Republic of Tea.