Garlic Rose, Madison, NJ

I had some delicious lobster ravioli this weekend at the Garlic Rose in Madison, New Jersey. However, since I have had tea there before, I skipped the tea course. Like many other places, the Garlic Rose offers an acceptable selection of caffeinated black teas: Twinings Irish and English Breakfast. However, your decaf options are limited to Lipton for black tea and a blueberry or raspberry tea for herbals. The water is served in the cup, rather than in a pot of some kind, but, since I did not drink it, I cannot comment on the taste or temperature of the water itself. Based on the fact that I would have been really hard-pressed to find a tea in the basket that I felt like drinking, the Garlic Rose rates a 2 teapot ranking on the 5 teapot scale.

Reviews - Danielle's, Chatham; Maison du Chocolat, Manhattan

This past weekend brought two opportunities for public tea drinking: Danielle's Restaurant in Chatham, New Jersey and the Maison du Chocolat on Madison Avenue and 78th street in NYC.

At Danielle's, I ordered after-dinner tea to drink with my incredible mango sorbet. On the teapot scale, Danielle's ranks a medium-level three teapots. The water was not filtered so it had that public pool taste and the decaf black tea (Lipton or Tetley) and even herbal tea selections were not overwhelming. However, the water was served hot in a separate stainless steel pot and Danielle's does present a good selection of caffeinated black teas, including an Earl Grey. With the caffeinated options, Danielle's might be best for a cup of tea after lunch rather than after dinner.

In all fairness to the Maison du Chocolat, one should not expect the tea to be perfection. After all, their specialty is chocolate and I can certainly vouch for the absolute decadence of their chocolate pastries. However, in terms of their tea, they rank four tea pots, not perfection, but not very bad either. The menu included only four or five tea selections, most of them caffeinated. Since we were there for tea time, however, caffeine was not an issue. The tea they served was of very high quality with good water and it was served already brewed in individual ceramic pots. What keeps the Maison du Chocolat from garnering the ultimate, five tea pot ranking is that the water was only lukewarm and the tea was not strong enough for my tastes (the downside of tea that is served already brewed). On the whole, though, it was a very pleasant place to drink some afternoon tea (and have some afternoon chocolate cake!).

My great new Christmas gifts

This was the tea Christmas! Several of my loved ones, who clearly know my passions well, gave me Tea Tumblers for Christmas this year. If you have not yet encountered the Tea Tumbler, well, you are in for a treat if you are a serious tea drinker! It's a travel mug, specifically designed for tea, with a stainless steel basket for loose tea leaves, a well-designed drinking lid, and a feature that I have never before seen on a travel mug - a stainless steel, screw-on lid that covers the drinking lid and essentially turns the mug into a thermos. I have tested it driving in rush-hour traffic on the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey and can confirm that nary a drop of tea was spilled either in my car or down the front of my shirt, which I can't say hasn't happened with other mugs. I have not yet tested it in true travel, but, if you've read my previous post on traveling, you will likely have determined, as my husband did, that the mug will be perfect for brewing my much-needed morning beverage on the road. REI, Eastern Mountain Sports, and other stores carry them. Happy Travels!

STUDY SHOWS TEA HELPS PREVENT OVARIAN CANCER

From Honest Tea, in case you need another reason to drink tea:

"STUDY SHOWS TEA HELPS PREVENT OVARIAN CANCER
One thing we know about tea is that it's just about the healthiest drink out there. Historically, tea has been shown to help curb obesity, decrease risk of prostate cancer and even fight bad breath. More good news comes to us in the latest issue of Archives of Internal Medicine , which suggests that women who drink two cups or more of tea per day had a 46% lower risk of ovarian cancer, compared to non-tea-drinkers. The data was derived from a 15-year study involving some 60,000 women and is exciting news for those of us already drinking loads of tea. As for the earlier claims about tea fighting bad breath? Probably too early to give up the Tic Tacs."