A Sussex Tea Pot Tea Room Moment

There’s so much to be said for old faithful friends. After living in Orange County for nearly 11 years now, I feel so blessed to have made some deep and rich friendships. My longest standing California friend is someone I worked with for several years, and now she and I find ourselves on opposite ends of Orange County in completely different roles than where we first started. We each have families now, with increasingly complicated schedules as kids get older, husbands’ work gets more demanding (and more precious), and then we have our own selves to manage!

So, when S suggested connecting through a two-person book club, I was delighted at the thought! This would be a way for us to do something together, though separately, and also give us a great excuse to escape our families for an hour or two to discuss our thoughts on the book.  Brilliant!

We chose ‘Eat. Pray. Love.’ mostly because of the timing of the movie release. We ambitiously thought we might be able to plan a girls’ movie night to tie in with our reading. And while that didn’t quite turn out as planned, we did manage to meet for lunch. Or, at her suggestion, for afternoon tea. She knows me oh-too-well.

Imagine my surprise when she suggested a tea room that I had not yet discovered! The Sussex Tea Pot Tea Room and Thistle British/Irish Grocery and Gift Shop. (Say that five times fast!)

Located in a business park of sorts, this little slice of Britain is as authentic as it gets! I’ve been to a handful of tea rooms in England over the years, and this transported me to those moments – right down to the two grandmotherly, no-nonsense ladies who oversee the premises. 
While S and I caught up on all the latest and discussed snippets of the book, we also thoroughly enjoyed the traditional fare of an English Tea Time.

It started with a salad dressed with a sauce that I have only ever tasted in Europe. Almost a mayonnaisse -y vinaigrette. (They carry it in the connecting grocery store!) Then a plate of 4 sandwiches and chips. I chose cream cheese and cucumber and egg salad. Delicious! Then came the scones with jam and cream. I had forgotten that in England, the scones arrive at the end, not at the beginning as I’ve found so often in the states. The pot of tea was a strong English Breakfast. Perfect, perfect, perfect.

And of course, while the setting and the food warmed the cockles of my heart, it was the company that made the moment so special. I took for granted all the weeks, months and years that I could grab S for lunch when we worked in the same office. Now, lunch together is a rare treat that can take weeks or months of planning!  And that’s why there is so much to be said for old faithful friends. Regardless of the amount of time that can pass between visits, phone calls or emails, whenever we’re back together it’s as if no time has passed at all.  Those are moments that I treasure.

The Sussex Tea Pot Tea Room
12752 Valley View Street, Suites P&Q 
Bridgecreek Business Park 
Garden Grove
714-897-9442

http://sussexteapot.com/aboutus.htm

Tea Room Hours
Wed through Sun – 11a-4p
Mon & Tues – Closed

A Neighborhood Cup Moment

The town where I live is a very small town in the sprawling landscape that is Orange County, California. Some might describe it as a bedroom community. It’s a new town, and as such, there hasn’t been much opportunity for quaint spots to be carved out of history. This is where The Neighborhood Cup comes in. It’s a little neighborhood cafe that is connected to our modest – but – modern library. One half of the floor space is taken up by homey, wooden tables, the other half by squishy couches and comfy chairs. It’s also the lifeblood of the local artistic community, providing live concerts, embroidery bees, yoga classes and family karaoke evenings. 

It serves light fare in addition to its menu of fun coffee drinks, smoothies and a wide variety of loose leaf tea, courtesy of Lindsay’s Teas. It is such a rare occurrence that a neighborhood cafe has loose leaf tea, that I love them particularly for the fact of it.

On the rare occasion that I have a free hour, I will cruise over, check out a book at the library, order a cup of tea, sink into the corner of the man-eating couch, and then not think about how I am going to get up again until the hour is over.

For this veg session on an unusually warm November day, I chose Summer Melon Oolong. I don’t often go for fruity teas because of the sickeningly sweet aftertaste so many of them have. Lindsay’s Teas do it right, however. A lightly perfumed oolong with the bright sweetness of melon. The fruit flavor doesn’t stay, it fades into a scent. Perfect. Just the thing for a quiet moment.

The Neighborhood Cup
1 Journey
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
949.716.5100

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A Green Tea Wrap Party Moment

With elections completed (thank heavens), and tea partiers having made their statement – whatever it is (frankly I haven’t paid attention) – I thought I’d wind down my own Green Tea Party movement with a fond remembrance of all I’ve learned and experienced.

For those of you who wonder who won, well, Green Tea did.

I began my Green Tea Party with the objective of exploring green teas and trying to develop any kind of appreciation for them at all. What I discovered was an incredibly vast spectrum of flavors, colors, and intensities that surprised and delighted.  I have been won over.  Here’s a walk down memory lane:

I started with my Green Tea Exploration Moment. Part of my motivation was the feeling that my family had been sick too much for too long. Began my journey with Wen Shan Bao Zhong from Naivetea and Genmaicha from American Tea Room.

Next  was A Long Jing (Dragonwell) Moment. David from American Tea Room recommended I begin with Chinese green teas to ease my way into the greens. Along the way I discovered fun legends involving dragons and village wells. (Thus the name…)

A House Green Moment happened next. A visit to Bill Waddington’s TeaSource in Minnesota provided a fascinating insight into another person’s tea obsession, with the bonus of acquiring some exquisite teas.

An Empress Jasmine Moment was next, with my introduction to a green tea blend from Lindsay’s Teas. My love for Chinese green teas was growing. I was beginning to see what all the buzz was about!

A Summer Morning Moment led me to explore a “greener” Chinese green tea from Two Leaves and a Bud, called Tamayokucha. The deeper you dive into this world of tea, the more fascinating facts you uncover, such as this particular style of tea is covered for the last few weeks before harvest to bring out a specific flavor!

My first tentative steps into Japanese greens was facilitated by MyTeaShelf in A Refreshing Sencha Moment. This introduction transformed my view of Japanese teas from scary Samurai to engaging Geisha.

In An Ashland, Oregon Tea Moment, I got to do what I most enjoy – share my tea discoveries with some of my favorite people. One of these teas was Immortal Green, a Japanese sencha with peach and passion fruit from American Tea Room.

Feeling braver, I decided to go right for the unadulterated stuff in A Who Sencha Moment. DAVIDsTEA provided some lovely Organic Japanese Sencha, and my newfound love of green tea took strong root.

In A Letting Go Moment, American Tea Room’s Marrakesh (a Chinese green with spearmint!) helped drive me to find clarity in what was truly important in my life and what needed to be tossed aside.

There have been other green tea moments, of course. The green tea samples I brought to a routine doctor appointment because I remembered she had said most green teas don’t agree with her and I thought she might like to try just one more (Marrakesh). The Harney and Sons Pan Asia tea bags I carry with me on all business trips because they are easy – though apparently they look like baggies of weed, which may explain why my carry on bag has been hand searched more than once. The Green Peony tea from Peet’s Tea given to me as a gift from a friend – the tea is hand crafted so that you place it in your tea cup, pour hot water over it and it looks like a blooming peony in your cup. Beautiful! 

It’s been a transforming journey, this Green Tea Party. I have fallen in love with something that less than a year ago would “gag me with a spoon.”  Thanks to all my tea friends and gurus who helped me see the light on this one!

As we approach the holidays, some of you may be dreaming of a White Christmas. Well, I’ll be dreaming of White Teas. I feel a new obsession coming on…

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An Animal Crackers Moment

Who said a tea moment has to be so serious?

An Unsettling ‘Fider’ Moment

Southern California fall days mean it’s time to be on the look out for large spider webs, and of course their architects. One strand of these spider webs can almost feel like sticky fishing line – it’s that strong.

I came home from an errand yesterday to find my whole family in the back yard looking up.

“Mom!” Edie yelled, jumping up and down. “Look! A big fider! A HUGE fider!”

A huge spider indeed. Big and fat and black with red bands around its legs.

“Ewwwwww! Yucky yuck!” Edie yelled, hopping around underneath the giant web that was nearly as tall as she is.

The web has been constructed between the patio cover and a fence post, about 5 1/2 feet in the air, with enough clearance underneath for a dog or a two year old to pass under without incident.

I had hoped that with the deluge of rain we heard last night, it would, “wash the spider out!” as the song says. But alas. Since this is no “Itsy, bitsy spider,” the web and its occupant steadfastly remain. The raindrops cling most beautifully to the silken strands, but no damage has been done. Drat.

What to do? It must go. But how will it be dispensed with? What a squish it would make. Gags me even to think about it. Does anyone have a BB gun?

However, it is still not as bad as the early Halloween visitor that visited my cousin’s home recently in the Northern end of this state. At least this spider does not have fur!

In any case, time for some tea. Indoors. Edie and I will have to content ourselves with yelling from our back door, “Go ‘way, Fider!”

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A One-Two Chai Chai Chai Moment

It’s little known fact, but my husband courted me over tea. We’d sit at his mom’s kitchen table covered in a red and white checked table cloth and brew tea and talk until all hours of the night. He with his Cincinnati Bengals mug and I with a white Corelle mug with blue trim. The tea? Your standard Lipton original. It didn’t matter. As with all tea moments, it’s more about who you’re with, not what you’re sipping.

So, I’m always a little sentimental when we have a quiet, spontaneous tea moment at our own kitchen table these days. On a rare occasion, Edie is dropped off at daycare, and we have 20 or 30 minutes before our respective work days begin. On this particular occasion, I told him I was going to try a sample of Chai that had been sent to me. He has always liked Chai, so he said he’d join me in the taste test.

The Chai in question was Tipu’s Authentic Indian Chai. Specifically, their new Instant Black Chai. I have to admit, I don’t have much experience with Chai. If offered a choice, I always fall back on a black breakfast tea blend rather than chai. For me, this was a fun change of pace. I used hot milk, as the directions recommended, and stirred in a teaspoon of the instant chai. I was tempted to use the Cincinnati Bengals mug (which made the journey to California with us).  The Chai is unsweetened, so I added some sweetener to each mug.

The first sip is always my favorite. Spicy and creamy, the Chai was perfect for an overcast, slightly misty October morning. Gene was an instant fan. As it turned out, he had just run out of coffee and decided that this could become a welcome replacement because it felt substantial and filling, the way coffee can be.  High praise, indeed.  Our only challenge was the idea of heating milk, if we were to indulge every day. We don’t have a milk steamer or an espresso machine, so it’s either boiling it in a pan on the stove or warming it in our mugs in the microwave.

Our solution came with our experiment the following morning. I put the kettle on and made the Chai using boiling water, leaving plenty of room for milk. I poured a generous glug of milk into each mug and stirred in the chai. The results was very satisfying in every way. Perhaps the brew was not as creamy as using pure milk, but it had enough. And the ritual of the tea kettle can be retained. Win-win.

I think we may have found our bridge between my morning tea and his morning coffee. Morning Chai.  Thank you Tipu’s!

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A Back On The Road Moment

Week 19 of T-R-A-V-E-L.

This should do it.

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An All-The-Oolong-Day Moment

I’ve been so entrenched in my Green Tea Party, that I decided I needed to pause my clique-ish behavior and try to make some new friends. Naivetea has been busy recently with some new and exciting teas, and I took the opportunity to take a day and make it all about Oolongs.

I began my day with Li Shan Oolong, which is grown in the highest altitude tea farms in all of Taiwan. Knowing this tea was so exclusive only made me feel that much more elegant as I experienced this lovely, delicate tea. It has the lightest floral perfume, and a soft sleek feel. The best word that comes to mind is refined. Sipping this delight, I almost felt underdressed. This is a tea with presence. A Lady Diana of teas.

As I journeyed forth through my day, I continued with a cup of Da Yu Ling. I have to say, it is truly remarkable how Oolongs that are both grown in similar regions can have such distinct differences. This tea had a smooth, almost buttery feel with that signature, yet mellow, floral perfume. The difference, however was in the tiniest peppery hint that brings to mind evergreen forests. As it was a rare, chilly autumn day in Southern California, this felt like the perfect choice.

As I made my way through the lunch hour, I chose to have a little fun and try the Kyoho Grape Oolong. As I opened the package, I was struck by the scent of grape Jolly Ranchers! Once I added the hot water the scent took on a level of sophistication that fused the grape with the floral. This is a robust tea, very full, and almost had the essence of grape Kool-Aid, though I don’t mean to cheapen the beautiful flavor. I was just amazed at the fact that a tea could maintain a profile of grape without that over-sweetness I associate with fruit teas and infusions. This was a perfect balance of grape and floral notes that was satisfying, but with a bit of playfulness.

And as the day approached evening, I was ready for something light. White Peach Oolong sounded like just the ticket. What a way to close out my day! This light and smooth Oolong had just a whisper of peach with no fruity aftertaste – a triumph in my book! As the rains continued, I lounged happily with my cup of sunshine. One word of caution – take care not to oversteep. I made this mistake once and encountered a slightly metallic taste. However, the greatest beauty of this tea is its ability to be delicious hot or cold. Some of the other Oolongs can take on an astringent quality as they cool. This Oolong is beautifully smooth hot or over ice. I can’t wait for the California sun to re-emerge so I can fully appreciate White Peach Oolong on ice!

A good day. A very good day. New flavors and fragrances accompanied me through the day, and not a stinker among them. Naivetea continues to surprise and delight.

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An Airplane Tea Service Moment

It has been my experience on most airlines that when it comes to tea, the typical service involves hottish water and a Lipton tea bag, or one of its near cousins.  So, imagine my surprise when on my maiden flight on Virgin America Airlines, when I asked for hot tea, I had the option of Teance Breakfast blend at no charge, or a green or white tea option for a small charge. Hallelujah! An airline who takes its tea a bit seriously. Although, being founded by Sir Richard Branson, an Englishman who surely values a proper cup of tea, this should come as no surprise.

 I had heard of Teance, but had not yet experienced them, so I greatly enjoyed this unexpected introduction to their artisanal teas. The Breakfast Blend was full bodied and clean, and it was so far away from the standard airline tea that I have to confess I had 3 cups. In addition to their fantastic tea, they also had some great snacks and meals for purchase. I opted for the Tapas plate that included a variety of cheeses, veggies, crackers and hummus. If you haven’t flown Virgin America before, I have to say I am inclined to bump them up above both Southwest and Jet Blue based on my round trip to Ft. Lauderdale.

They had the on time arrivals and departures that I love about Southwest, and they have the in-seat entertainment including satellite tv, games, and movies that I love about Jet Blue, but with the addition of a music feature that allows you to create your own playlist from an astonishing library of artists. But the best, and frankly the most efficient, feature was the ability to place your food or beverage order through your tv screen. So, after the beverage cart went through one time shortly after take off, the aisle was never blocked again as a result of ‘service.’ Instead, you could place any other orders through your screen, swipe your credit card there and then (if needed), and within 2 minutes, your order would be served to you at your seat with minimal disruption to you or the passengers around you. Brilliant!

My season of manic travel comes to a close in two weeks, and I am very happy to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Growing up, I always dreamed of a career that would take me on the road so I could see the country and the world. I’ve had that opportunity in spades within the past 4 months, and I can now say with much heartfelt enthusiasm that there is indeed no place like home!

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A Voting Moment

I don’t know if you’ve heard of Trazzler, but it’s a pretty cool travel site that gives brief descriptions of “Travel Moments.” Just my style!

I’ve entered my Mariage Freres Moment in their Reader’s Choice contest, and though a little late to the voting game, I still have 24 hours to get your votes. So, if you’d like to show some tea travel love, click on this link to sign up and cast your vote.

Cheers!