Bits and Morsels at SalonTea

The perfect bite at SalonTea.

This past weekend I went with my digital to the new SALONTEA TeaBar, which is located at 501 East 75th Street. Being an avid coffee drinker it’s refreshing to see a shop specializing in tea. The Teabar is owned by the lovely Tracy Stern, who is as passionate as they come about tea and all things related.

When you step into TeaBar you are taken to a place where a leisurely afternoon tea is the norm. The salon decor is modern, coated with bright orange and pink walls and a disco ball dangling from the ceiling. Besides offering loads of specialty teas, she also sells perfumes, lip balms and lotions; all tea-inspired. Tracy has her own line of custom blended teas that include whole tea leaves, not of the Lipton-ilk. Her blends include The Society Hostess, The Artist, The Fashionable Dandy, The Writer, The Musician, The Romantic and The Lover. Another words, professions and profess-ers that would have visited tea salons in the 1800s.

The Musician: Herbal Rooibos tea blended with notes from the garden (hibiscus and rose).

The Sleeping Beauty: Chamomile blossoms blended with French lavender buds.

The Slimming Beauty is blended with guarana to naturally suppress your appetite and yerba mate to speed metabolism.

The Society Hostess: Naturally decaffeinated, vanilla-infused china black tea.

Green tea with milk.

The TeaBar also serves up a nifty selection of non-traditional beverages such as green tea lattes and Beauty Teas. I sampled both and not for one second did I long for my usual mid-day cappuccino. For the complete experience, ask for the scones, madeleines, and macarons. SALONTEA couldn't have come at a better (tea)time as good quality tea is an affordable luxury that everyone can appreciate.

www.salontea.com. [1]

Multiple canisters of SalonTea.

A canister of The Sleeping Beauty.

Tracy shows us around her SalonTea shop.

Snacks to enjoy with your tea.

The elegant tea display.

The Writer: Indian chai tea with cinnamon clove and cardamom.

Steeping a cup of the Slimming Beauty.

Tea Time with Tracy with blueberry scones with jam and cream, macarons, and madeleines.

Perfume Tea, Lotion Tea, Foot Tea, and Lip Balm Tea amongst disco balls at SalonTea.

Totonno’s of Coney Island, one of the oldest pizzerias in America, suffered a devastating fire last week. Thankfully, no one was hurt and the pizzeria will reopen in about a month. [Slice [2]]

I am so turned off by Whole Foods. Apparently they fired an employee for misconduct. The misconduct being that he set aside a tuna sandwich that was going to be disposed of anyway. He can’t collect unemployment because he was fired (for misconduct), hint hint. Some say this is Whole Foods' way of downsizing their workforce without having to pay the consequences of unemployment. [City Room [3]]

Russ & Daughters is extending their business hours. During the week they will open at 8:00 a.m. and close at 8:00 p.m. If you've never been to Russ & Daughters, it's worth going for some of the best-smoked fish around and for an experience to match. Russ & Daughters has been in business since 1914. [Grub Street [4]]

There is a chance that Per Se might start offering an a la carte menu in the salon and bar area. This is a huge deal for a restaurant like Per Se where the only option is a massively expensive tasting menu. The food and the service at Per Se is the best in the city however it’s hard to sustain a Per Se dining habit in this economy. However, I am thrilled about the new a la carte menu. [Eater [5]]

Until we eat again,
Jordana Z.

Comments? Contact Jordana here [6]