david’s tea has been open in uptown waterloo since the summer – and i have never been! it was high time to get myself in there -> and i knew just the person to introduce me to the wonders of this meeting spot right in my neighbourhood – my blog friend, angela!
angela, inside the tea shop!
so, angela and i made a date to visit david’s tea on saturday, after i was done work at the store. a blustery and wintery afternoon + hot tea + social time? sounds like a perfect match, no?!
david's tea is tucked in on willis way, in uptown
as great as it was to see angela again, i was also really looking forward to learning the ins and outs of the david’s tea operations. as noted on her blog, angela has frequented david’s many times, and really is a tea aficianado, so i was more than happy to let her show me around. just looking at the vast array of options was a tad overwhelming!
look at the options available!
david’s was positively hopping when angela and i arrived – the outdoor rink across the way has boosted traffic into the store. i’m glad to see that the tea shop is giving its neighbour, s’bux, a run for its money!
we were offered a free sample of the flavour of the day, upon our arrival:
i included the shot glass sampler on the top of the cannister - very cute, eh?!
“secret weapon” was just ok – it didn’t knock my socks off, or anything.
angela selected some of her favourites to purchase in the take-home size tins. [you can buy the teas by weight – say, 50 g of x tea. then, when you bring the tin back, you’ll get a discount on your next purchase]. as angela made her picks, she told me about some of the flavours she has enjoyed, and others that are merely so-so. i sniffed away at the various types – everything from organic banana oolong to chocolate chili chai. several scents were appealing, a few…not so much. with some options, you could really smell the flavour very strongly while with others, it was hard to discern the notes.
the yellow and red labels are all caffeine-free
as my sit-down-and-chat tea, i went with the crème caramel rooibos that you see in the photo, above. i did add some of my own stevia, also. it was delicious!
the tea shop was a cosy, fun spot to visit:
we joked about the "product placement" of our cups for this photo!
angela and i enjoyed conversation on a diverse range of topics. while blog commenting is fun, personal get-togethers really are hard to top. and, hey! my get-together with angela was outing #5 for the 12 days of kiki project! [not bad, considering the 12 days of kiki is only 19 days old, eh?!]. when we left, the snow was still blowing and swirling, and darkness was falling, but i felt energized by our fun visit, and warmed by the hot and yummy tea.
are you a tea fan? if so, please share some favourite brands/flavours! that’s two rooibos teas in four days for me (i enjoyed a “regular” rooibois tea on wednesday with the brother, in toronto – i’d never had that type before, and now i’m decidedly a fan!).
1970KikiProject Blog 
Comments
Tea places are fun! I’m not a tea fan in general—I try so hard to like it! Just recently, since I’m trying to cut down on caffeine, I figured out that if I make orange cinnamon red tea, and add extra cinnamon and a few drops of stevia…I really do like it.
Caramel apple with cinnamon and ginger added (and stevia) is good too. I always seem to be a little disappointed when I just drink it straight!
oh i hear you, lisa, on really trying to like tea!! let’s keep trying together!! 🙂 i cannot drink tea without stevia – even the sweeter, flavoured teas. your word choice, “disappointing,” describes the taste just plain, exactly!
what a lovely way to spend an afternoon! I love tea, but don’t know much about it. During the holidays, I was loving Chai tea, and I also enjoy green tea (for the health benefits) and chamomile (for the taste!). 🙂
you and me both, dorry! i know next to nothing about tea! i think i saw more teas on saturday than i ever have! thanks for sharing some types that you enjoy – good ideas for me to try!
My absolute favorite tea is Rooibos Spiced Chai from Davidson’s Tea Co. The one I drink almost daily is plain old peppermint by Celestial Seasonings. I like to try new types of tea but there’s a lot out there I don’t like too well. I like spicy flavors but not flowery ones. I do drink green tea fairly often because it’s supposed to be good for me.
well, it sounds like celestial seasonings is the “go to” brand!! i agree, johanna, that you need to try lots of different types in order to find your absolute favourites. i think i am going to scope out more rooibos – glad you have found a favourite type! haha – whenever i hear green tea, i think “oh, i should drink that because it’s good for me.” advertisers and marketers have successfully branded green tea, eh!
I second the vote for Celestial’s Bengal Spice… hands down my favourite tea. I also really like the Chocolate Chai by PC and Minty Chocolate. I’ve never been to David’s, but would really like to try! I also would like to get into the loose leaves more… maybe a Christmas list item for 2012?
ok! now i really DO have to pick up some bengal spice! and thanks for the chocolate chai suggestion – i will research that option, too. let me know when you’re in waterloo and we can go for tea together!!! 🙂 i love that you are thinking of items for xmas 2012…me, too, to be honest!
Oh boy. I’m sure you remember my tea cabinet of shame? I’ve been to David’s tea in Toronto. Love their forever nuts and oh Canada (maple) flavors. Was so excited because one has opened in NYC.
I drink green tea at work and rooibos or herbal at night. Bengal spice (herbal) by celestial seasonings is one of my favorites.
Totally envious here.
oh, you can be sure i did think of you several times when i was at david’s tea and when writing this post, zo! you are a tea expert, yourself! that is cool that you were at david’s tea in toronto. bengal spice sounds delicious! (i’ve concluded i am not a fruity tea fan – need vanilla or sweeter flavours).