Boston: Tea at The Courtyard

Location:

700 Boylston Street, Boston

My sister, niece and I went to The Boston Public Library's The Courtyard for Tea after the the Fall Fashion presentation by Roopal Patel at Neiman Marcus.  

The Courtyard restaurant is set within the gorgeous Boston Library courtyard, which is one of the most beautiful places to have lunch - quiet and serene, as if transported to another era.

It was before 2pm and tea hadn't officially started (Wed-Fri from 2-4pm) but they seated us graciously and even made vegetarian accomodations for my sister who is vegetarian (and I also don't eat chicken, but my niece does).  They were able to switch out the smoked salmon canapes for more cucumber/cheese ones.

Our server was really sweet.

The teas were excellent - ranging from Earl Grey (who else?), Ceylon Indian and Raspberry Herbal.

Although the sandwiches were tasty, we were surprised at the quantity, which was very little.  We each perhaps got 2.5 sandwiches (that's in the quarter size that it's cut into) and 2-3 tiny pastries each.

For $22.50 per person, we were expecting a bit more.  Even the scones were small.  My sister who has had afternoon tea all over Boston (and Toronto) and I, who's had it all over Ontario were not satisfied with the portions.

Might have worked well for someone like my niece and her friends and their doll-size proportions of high tea.

Seems like their lunch portions are much larger, but for a high tea experience, this is probably not the best place in Boston for it.  

Boston: Thinking Cup

Location:

165 Tremont Street, Boston, MA

Honestly, this place should be called thinking crap.

Hands down, the worst Earl Grey I've ever tasted...and I've tasted plenty.  And besides, the chocolate croissant was nothing to write home about.  Boo.  Very disappointing.  Someone quickly direct me to a good bakery/coffee shop.  I miss Le Gourmand.

Royal Parties

In celebration of the Royal Wedding this Friday, there are several events happening in the city.

The Fairmont Royal York's EPIC Lounge will be serving English Breakfast for $21 and Library Bar will be hosting a royal tea party for $35 at 5am during the televised broadcast.

Le Meridien King Edward is also serving traditional English breakfast for $65, in the Sovereign Ballroom with scones and baked beans, starting at 5am.

The Windsor Arms is hosting the Royal Experience a la carte.

CBS is hosting a Royal Viewing Party  at 5am in the Atrium of the Canadian Broadcasting Centre, prizes will be given out for wedding dress or bridesmaid dress or hat.  Free tea and scones.

For more events around the city and in Ontario, check out Global News's list of events.

NEW: L'eat

Location:

410 Adelaide St W

www.leatcatering.com/home.htm

In the cursed location where Zimbel's Cafe and before that,  Mosaic used to be, L'eat Express is the newest addition to the building beside Toronto School of Art.  Herbal Infusions is faring quite well so far, so maybe there is hope for L'eat (such a difficult name to wrap my head around.  Sometimes I think "teat", wrongly, of course).

I hear the brownies are amazing, but I walked by earlier today and the door was locked!  Will try again in a bit and keep you posted.

** So went back with some co-workers but they were still closed.  Someone did inform us that they were open this morning for a training session which included free pastries and plan to open again later this afternoon for another training session.  We were told they'll be open again tomorrow, so fingers crossed!

*** Went back on Friday and they were OPEN!  Found out a few things. 

Most importantly it's pronounced "ELITE", literally pronounce the letter "L" and the word "EAT".  I feel so much better, now. 



Owned by Tony Loschiavo with hand-crafted  goodies and gourmet meals made by Chefs Christopher Palik and Eric Walker, L'eat Express looks promising, especially with their original full service catering business (started 1983) in full swing at their Bathurt location.  I DID try the brownie, and it did not disappoint.  Shared with several co-workers, it was a huge hit! 



The complimentary bran muffin and double chocolate fudge cookie I scored was equally as satisfying, although I have to admit the cookie can't compare to Le Gourmand's chocolate chip walnut cookie which still reigns supreme. 





The teas on hand are from Language of the Leaf, which I love and which Neeta Khanna had sent me a package of teas to review in 2009.  I've also heard great things  about Paese, the sister restaurant to L'eat on King St W.

 

 

I really hope L'eat Express does well in this district, it's such a beautiful space and after speaking to Christopher, Tony and Rahim about their vision for this location, it looks like it's got all the ingredients to being as successful as the original.

Open Monday - Saturday (7:30am - 7pm)

Michel's Baquette

Location:

(Yorkdale Mall) 3401 Dufferin Street, Toronto

www.michelsbaguette.com

One of my favourite "go-to" bakeries in Toronto is Michel's.  It's an European-inspired cafe/bakery and there are several locations in Ontario.  It reminds me of Paul's in Paris.  No nonsense pastries, sandwiches and cafe lattes.



It's the perfect spot for a giggly group of girls women to go without bothering anyone.

The pastries are delicious.



Perhaps not as good as in Paris, but when you're with a group of good friends, who knows where you really are?

TODAY: Starbucks 50% OFF

Starting TODAY, get 50% off Tazo Tea Lattes at STARBUCKS, until February 20, 2011 between 2pm and 5pm.

Herbal Infusions

Location:
404 Adelaide Street West
Toronto, ON

www.herbalinfusions.ca

Just west of Spadina on Adelaide is a hidden gem of a gourmet tea shop.



While rounding up everyone for our daily tea train, it's been referred to as "that fancy new tea place" and,when they were giving away free steeped tea a couple of weeks ago, "the free tea place". :)

Well, its name is Herbal Infusions, and even if the name doesn't stick, the tea flavours will.

The wall of teas is the focal point of the the store, with black, herbal, green and white teas all neatly labeled in see-through canisters. Part of the experience is having a canister presented to you for smelling. Unlike David's tea, these teas actually taste the way they smell!

I recently had the roasted almond tea (herbal tea but with soy milk) and it was incredible!



I hate to admit that I veered away (mostly from the urging of Lurgs to try something different) from my usual Earl Grey staple to try it. I was not disappointed. Clearly Dan and the gang know their teas and how to steep them, 'cause I've never had a steeped tea that tasted so good.



Everyone there is not only super friendly but also knowledgeable about tea and skillful in preparing the perfect cup.

Other touches that make Herbal Infusions stand out from the other gourmet tea shops in the city:
their variety of sugars (cane, beet)



that add a nice touch to the teas and the delicious desserts they have on hand, which I believe are from Sweets from the Earth.



Highly recommended if you like tea!

NEW: Jimmy’s Coffee

Went to Jimmy's Coffee and got some Earl Grey (Mighty Leaf brand) and a banana caramel cake/bread - which was tasty but greasy.

Banana caramel cake

My tea has a funny aftertaste, which I can't pin-point, tastes like the cup?
Still, I like this place - it's cosy and they have a lovely sunny patio out back. Reminds me a bit of Moon Bean in Kensington although it's a lot newer and also trendier.
Love the photographs of all the Jimmy's on the walls.

And considering our old fave Le G is now shut down due to rent evasion, we'll be back!

Over Easy & The Coffee Mill

Locations:

Over Easy 208 Bloor Street West, Toronto

www.overeasyrestaurants.com

Coffee Mill 99 Yorkville Ave, Toronto

www.coffeemillrestaurant.com

Our girlie gatherings usually revolve around food;  specifically, brunch!  What better way to start the day.

This time, our choice brunch location was Over Easy since the plan was to check out the latest addition to the ROM (mainly, The Lee-Chin Crystal addition) after brunch.

I think it's quite safe to say that brunch is easily unscrew-up-able.    Am I right?

And while nothing was screwed per se, there was certainly nothing memorable about eating there (except for the company).

I do have one gripe, however.

My tea was lukewarm.

I truly dislike a lukewarm tea which brings to mind A Salmon of Doubt by Douglas Adams where he describesa perfect proper cup of tea.

I've noticed lukewarm tea all over the city - ya know, that "hot" water from that hot water machine just doesn't cut it.

Anyway, here's some of what was eaten.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="512" caption="Eggs and chicken sausage $6.99"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="604" caption="Spanish Omelette $9.99"][/caption]

I must say, the pots that the hot drinks came in were  loads of fun!

After a blustery walk from the ROM, all we wanted was a warm hideout and a hot drink to warm up our hands.

Starbucks was full, and the next best idea was the Lettieri but before we made it there, we found The Coffee Mill!

Interior of The Coffee Mill

Nestled within the shops at 99 Yorkville is the quaint old (est. 1963!) hideaway for just these types of gatherings.   The pastry selection got us all salivating, so a chocolate cake and an apple (or was it rhubarb ?) strudel, it was.

Chocolate Cake

Strudel

Interior

As far as copy coffee shops go, this one has the cosy part down pat.

Product: Language of the Leaf

Product:

Language of the Leaf Teas

www.languageoftheleaf.com

I'm so excited to review this product as it was a package sent to me from Neeta Khanna (founder, Language of the Leaf) herself after she saw my Zimbel's review. So about four weeks ago I received this package and have pretty much been getting drunk on teas ever since.

Assorted Language of the Leaf tea packets

In fact, as I sit here writing this, I'm sipping on a lovely Rooibos Sunset tea . Outside, the leaves are the same colour.

Fall 2009 © photohogger

Language of the Leaf: Rooibos Sunset

The Rooibos Sunset tea is much like a walk in the crisp fall weather with crackling leaves underfoot and a real sense of being at one with nature.

Language of the Leaf: Rooibos Sunset

Its citrus flavour is refreshing and light and the high level of antioxidants makes it a winner all-around. I should also mention that this tea arrived as a wedding give-away sample; the tea in a gorgeous silken tea bag in a cute round metal container.

Language of the Leaf: Rooibos Sunset as a wedding giveaway

Language of the Leaf: Rooibos Sunset tea bag

The Wedding Blend, a white tea infused with peach nectar and speckled with pink rosebuds is appropriately titled as it would make a very good wedding give away.

Language of the Leaf: Wedding Blend (as a wedding giveaway)

I found this to be a really enjoyable after-dinner tea. We'd purchased a rose-bud tea in San Francisco from a wonderful tea shop sold to us by a very knowledgeable salesman and he told us that the rose buds are great for complexion and said to relieve menstrual pain. I find the pure rose-bud tea to have too strong of a sweet scent (much like rose water), so the blend of white tea, peaches and roses was more tolerable.

Language of the Leaf: Rooibos Lemongrass

The Rooibos Lemongrass tasted much like the Rooibos Sunset, I couldn't quite detect the difference, but I'm not complaining since I longed for more of the Sunset after the tea bag was finished, so this works just as nicely.

I have to admit that I am not a fan of green teas; I've never come across one that I've liked (until now), mostly because of their sometimes powdery and always bitter aftertaste.

Language of the Leaf: Queen of Siam Green Tea

That said, the Queen of Siam is a green tea with a lemon ginger finish and I was hesitant to try it, it was the last one of the batch left for me to try and the lemony scent reminded me of NeoCitran, but then I tasted it and it was wonderfully not lemony at all...rather, gingery and smooth with a mild hint of green tea. Very soothing. We cracked this tea pack open at work one day when one of my friends was feeling a cold coming on...she agreed that it was very calming.

Okay, can I please talk about the Biscotti now? WOW! Imagine your grandmother's biscotti, or if your grandmother didn't make biscotti, imagine she did and now imagine it in liquid form. Okay, that probably didn't make it sound too good, but honestly, I was floored that tea could taste as if I were actually biting into a biscotto. It's great with or without milk. Amazing. Truly a tea to make you feel warm and fuzzy all over!

And lastly, y'all know how much I love my Earl Greys (and I have had some really pathetic EG teas...bags and loose leaves,but I shan't name any names...*cough Twinnings Lipton David's Tea cough*), and Language of the Leaf's Earl Grey is what I really should be talking about since it's what brought this whole review together! I fell in love with this LotL's EG at Zimbel's Cafe a while ago, enjoying it with some soy or lactose-free milk in the afternoons as a wake pick-me-up. I love the smell of it; it's got a milder scent of bergamot but it's not mild on taste. A wonderful version of EG that I adore and continue to purchase from Zimbel's, even with a batch of it at home. The one time Zimbel's didn't have EG, I decided to try the Ginger Peach Apricot black tea; I found it to be deliciously gingery and robust in fruit flavour.

I'd like to thank Neeta Khanna for this opportunity to review her fabulous teas, it was such a treat! And thanks to Language of the Leaf for making the days leading into winter so much more enjoyable.

Rude Service @ Whole Foods (Whole Hearth), Yorkville

Location:

87 Avenue Road, Toronto

Cost: Hot chocolate $2.99 (mint shot $.50), cooked sushi combo 6.49, avocado roll $5.99

To clarify; this review is not about the Whole Foods Market in Yorkville....which I actually like very much and can't complain about. Instead, this post is in regards to the absolutely disgraceful service we received at the Whole Foods cafe, Whole Hearth (located on the street level of Avenue Rd.) one afternoon after a day at the spa.

It's very surprising that such a location as this in Yorkville (or anywhere, for that matter) would have staff like this employed.

Imagine this, if you will. Three perfectly relaxed women, sauntering into the cafe for a mid-day snack after a leisurely few hours at the Nova Spa across the street. Each picking a sushi snack tray from the freezer section and standing at the cashier ready to pay.

At once we notice how our server is incredibly short with us...ringing in my friend's sushi while impatiently gesturing for mine as well. I tell him we want to order a hot chocolate which he doesn't even acknowledge, still waving for my sushi tray. I try to tell him that my sister and I will be sharing our hot chocolate (my friend had also ordered a hot chocolate) but it goes unacknowledged (although appears on the receipt).

We take our sushi to the table (sans hot chocolate) and begin to eat, all the while looking to see if our hot chocolates are being made. Instead he seems to be occupying himself with other tasks and then begins moving around from one end of the cafe to the other.

At one point, my sister stops him mid-walk and asks about our hot chocolates to which he snaps, "In a minute, I'm not going in that direction..", meaning he was heading away from the coffee counter. Seriously?

Finally..and I mean by this time, my friend has already finished her sushi, he plops down her hot chocolate whereas ours is nowhere to be seen. So again, my sister begins to ask for an extra cup for the hot chocolate (assuming he plans to bring it) to which he rudely retorts, "In a minute, after these customers". So now they are other customers waiting, but weren't we also waiting?

Eventually we receive our drink (and the second cup) but are not happy with it (besides the manner in which it was produced, it didn't taste all that good either).



Later he returns with some 'leftover samples' from the bakery - some pizza which he shoves in front of our faces without explanation so I ask what kind of pizza it is, veggie or meat (my sister is vegetarian). His response? A classy, "chicken!" and then whips it away from me offering it to my friend who helps herself.

Wow.

As we get up to leave, we're barely out of our seats and gathering up our things when he comes over and starts moving the tables apart. I was practically still sitting in the chair. Yikes!!

My sister and I were appalled and even my usually zen-like friend was amazed at his actions.

Forget Whole Hearth, we sure got a WHOLE lotta attitude! What a horrible person to keep employed. Shame on you Whole Hearth.