I’m not a coffee drinker. Except for a short stint during May Mini-mester my junior year of college, I’ve never regularly drank coffee. This is kind of surprising seeing as how my mom always drank two cups of coffee every morning while I was growing up, and how my two best friends are both coffee lovers. I just never liked the taste…and I felt like if I doctored it up to the point that I did like the taste, I’d rather use those calories on a piece of cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory, not a mediocre cup of Joe.
Tea however, is a different story. When I want something warm to drink I love me a cup of hot tea! Make it chamomile and I’m set! So imagine my excitement when I was invited to the grand opening of the flagship Village Tea Company’s store in Dallas! As if the fact that they specialized in tea wasn’t enticing enough – they promised me endless tea and even a light dinner. Sold. Upon arriving I immediately took to the ambiance…it was very stylish, but cozy at the same time. The kinda place you just want to hang out in for a couple of hours. (And the free Wi-Fi doesn’t hurt either!)
I found a comfy seat and was greeted by a friendly tea-enthusiast. “What would you like to try?”
I went for the safety, “Umm, the Chamomile sounds good!”
“Sure, would you like it sweetened? We can sweeten it with Agave nectar – it’s just as sweet as sugar but better for you!”
“Awesome! Sounds good.”
About 5 mintues later she hands me this:
Heaven in a mug. I didn’t know it before the first sip, but once I had a taste I knew I had found the best Chamomile tea I’ve ever had. And I’ve had a lot of it! Not halfway through the cup, she comes back.
“How is it?”
“It’s amazing!” I declare. “Really good.”
“Great, just let me know if you need another cup, or if you want to try something new.”
Later dinner is served.
What I like about this place is the tea is reasonable, but high quality, and so is the food. They offer light meals in addition to their comprehensive tea selection and all of them are budget-friendly.
After dinner the tea-pusher (as I’ve affectionately nicknamed her) is back. “Another cup?”
“Heck yeah!” I reply.
The best thing about enjoying a cup of tea is doing it with friends.
It’s like coffee, only you feel like it’s better for you. Perhaps it’s because tea is a foreign practice. Or maybe it’s cause all the cool kids AREN’T doing it…whatever the reason, tea evokes sophistication. And I’m a girl who likes to be sophisticated!
Speaking of sophisticated, they even sell a cool travel-mug with the infuser built right in! I’m all about cute and functional marrying together – so this thing was total eye candy for me.
I oogled over it for a bit, but decided not to get one…at least not right then. It was cool though, and it’s totally user-friendly, especially for the inexperienced loose tea drinker, like myself. Yes, I’ve pretty much been exclusively using bagged tea – which I learned that night is apparently inferior to loose tea. Who knew??? Not me.
My only complaint about Village Tea company is that they are a bit of a tease. You see they got me hooked on their fabulous Chamomile tea, only for me to find out that they don’t sell it. Dang! I was so hoping to hurry home to brew my own cup! Perhaps though, it’s a good thing, because now I have an excuse to go back. Not that I really needed one…
Cheers!
