Tea

Tea time

Veggie Girl: Mandala Tea Room

The Skinny: Dainty dining at The Tea Shoppe

Shelf Life: Mystery Tea at Food City

Mr. Tea

Second Helpings

Mr. Tea

Best Downtown Lunch

Coronado Cafe
2201 North Seventh Street
602-258-5149

Best Place to Step Back in Time

Somewhere in Time Tea Room
7003 North 58th Avenue, Glendale
623-847-5100

Best Tea Room

Serendipity Tea Room

Best Tea House

Akbar's Finest Teas

This Week's Day-by–Day Picks

Akbar's Finest Teas

The Masterful Mr. Tea

Akbar's Finest Teas

Caffiend: The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf's Earl Grey Tea

Tastes like: A full, tangy citrus tea with a rich Bergamot flavor (Bergamot is a Mediterranean citrus fruit, and Earl Grey derives its taste from the fruit's oil).

Caffiend: AriZona Green Tea Energy Drink

AriZona Green Tea is one of the most popular pre-made teas, so when we heard the company made a new Green Tea Energy Drink, we figured we'd give it a try, despite our reservations about how strange a "lightly carbonated" green tea might taste.Looks like: The can is black, embossed with cherry blosso ... More >>

Caffiend: Chakra 4's Cherry Sencha Tea

Tea is a multi-purpose drink -- people use it for comfort, healing, and yes, energy. Although tea doesn't contain as much caffeine as coffee, it does provide more pep than many other drinks. Here we take a look at a tea from local shop Chakra 4 that's supposed to comforting and energizing, Cherry Se ... More >>

Suited to a Tea

Tea is a multi-purpose drink -- people use it for comfort, healing, and yes, energy. Although tea doesn't contain as much caffeine as coffee, it does provide more pep than many other drinks. Here we take a look at a tea from local shop Chakra 4 that's supposed to comforting and energizing, Cherry Se ... More >>

Strangers on a Train

Road trip tale stings with deep whimsy

Amblin' Man

The "topical pop" creations of a bass-playing adventurer

Dim Sum Days

The best à la cart(e)

Stingray Stung

These fish need a little more schooling

French Fried

Citron is taking August "off." I won't be back in September.

Mini Pearls

Trendy teas catching on in the Valley

What's Up, Docs?

PBS serves up fresh one-hour documentaries on P.O.V.

Caffiend: Organic Yerba Mate Tea

Yerba Mate, a species of holly native to South America, makes for some tasty tea. Unlike black teas, which are prepared by steeping dry tea leaves in boiling water, Yerba Mate is made by steeping leaves in hot water (not boiling).  This is because boiling Yerba Mate leaves can make the tea tast ... More >>

Caffiend: Jolta Java's Mexican Joltachino

Locally-owned Jolta Java's beverage menu reads like a wish list for sugar freaks: caramel espresso blends, fruity tropical teas, Italian sodas, smoothies, and whipped cream on pretty much anything you want. We decided to combine our quest for caffeine with a massive sugar rush by ordering Jolta Java ... More >>

Lunch Box Mondays at Lisa G's

Today marks the start of a new lunch deal at Lisa G Cafe Wine Bar: Lunch Box Mondays. Through the end of July, the casual CenPho eatery will offer a Monday-only special, with any lunch item (sandwiches and salads) plus an iced tea for $8. It's a nice perk for the start of the work week.

Campus Coffee: eJoy Reopens and Loses the Creep Factor

Our favorite place to get fed and caffeinated between classes is probably eJoy Internet Café off Mill Avenue and 7th Street. Now that eJoy is finally out of its creepy gamer phase and under new management, it is better than ever. The back room, full of unused computers, has been completely transfor ... More >>

Chakra 4 Herb & Tea House Makes Bingeing Good For You

Our favorite place to get fed and caffeinated between classes is probably eJoy Internet Café off Mill Avenue and 7th Street. Now that eJoy is finally out of its creepy gamer phase and under new management, it is better than ever. The back room, full of unused computers, has been completely transfor ... More >>

Genmaicha to Combat the Food Coma

​I drink more tea than I want to admit -- I must horde at least a dozen different kinds at any given time. Lately genmaicha is my fixation. I bought this particular Ito-En brand "Oishii O-Cha" at Lee Lee, where you'll find genmaicha from several different makers.

The Hottest Teas for Cold & Flu Season

​Everyone around us seems to be sniffling, sneezing or coughing these days. Right before the holidays, we were standing on a long, seeming never-ending line at the post office behind a woman who kept hacking up a lung in our direction. "I'm not contagious," she kept assuring. Uh-huh. Two ... More >>

Embracing Tea and Tradition at the Japanese Friendship Garden

When's the last time you were intentional about your food -- noticing every bite, exploring the flavors of an appetizer with your tongue or resting in-between sips of a good cocktail? Blaming our lack of time, most of us end up scarfing down even the most gourmet meal in mere min ... More >>

AriZona Iced Tea Unfairly (but Predictably) Targeted in Boycott of All Things Arizona

Arizona Iced Tea: NOT MADE IN ARIZONA​ With Arizona's new immigration law, SB 1070, causing certain groups to call for a boycott of all things Arizona, AriZona Beverages -- the company that makes AriZona Iced Tea -- is probably kicking itself right now for choosing Arizona as the ... More >>

Iced Teas: Hibiscus Mint and Citrus Arnold Palmer

​It's too hot to bake. No one wants to turn on the oven in this heat. Plus, we feel more thirsty than hungry. What we really want is to feel refreshed. Which is why we sprang into action when we saw a selection of ice tea recipes this week on www.marthastewart.com. We quickly decided to try tw ... More >>

Ask the Critic: Where Can I Find Boba Drinks?

​You have your neighborhood gelato shop and ice cream parlor, but boba drinks -- cold, sweet beverages filled with ice and chewy balls of tapioca -- are much harder to come by. I was living in New York City when the boba trend first hit. Also known as "bubble tea," the drink was popularized ... More >>

Fleur de Teas Opens in North Central Phoenix

​Folks in the vicinity of 16th Street and Bethany Home already have a great cluster of local food-centric businesses to choose from -- the awesome new Vig Uptown (in a renovated bank building), Phoenix City Grill, Luci's Marketplace, and Dick's Hideaway all make that intersection one of the ... More >>

TeaTime Chocolate = Wei Good

This is the kind of math we foodies understand: One part tea plus one part chocolate equals a heavenly escape from the craziness of life, which is exactly what TeaTime and Wei of Chocolate intended for last night's tea and chocolate tasting.

Emily Spetrino-Murtagh, What Are You Eating?

Emily Spetrino-Murtagh​ Emily Spetrino-MurtaghThe co-owner of Sweets & Beats hosts a show at The Trunk Space Sunday, October 17th, featuring Liam and the Ladies and more. What'd you eat for dinner last night? Homemade egg salad. Actually, egg salad or eggs of some form have been the last seve ... More >>

What happened to GT Dave's Kombucha?

Photo courtesy of Amanda MilewskiGT Dave and his mom, Laraine​Kombucha: The vinegary, foul-smelling tea, elixir, or whatever, that all your hipster friends are drinking. Or were drinking. This summer, the product from one of the drink's largest manufacturers, California-based GT's Kombucha, was p ... More >>

Rejuvenizer

​The phrase "herbal carbonated drink" makes us think of fizzy dirt tea, so when we saw it on the label for Rejuvenizer, we were reluctant to try it. The fact that the green tea/cranberry flavored Rejuvenizer is a dark purple color didn't help (we have a history of falling down with purple drinks) ... More >>

Christopher Gross' Scallops with Green Tea

Courtesy of Christopher Gross​ Yesterday we wrapped up our conversation with Chef Christopher Gross of Christopher's and Crush Lounge about his time spent in Japan during the Tohoku earthquake. Today he will show us how to make a scallop dish inspired by the Orient. Just as you might expect of Jap ... More >>

Boba: A User's Guide, Part One

David Sydiongco​The forecast is finally calling for some serious weather this weekend, Phoenix-style. We say bring it -- just give us a boba tea to wash that heat down. Wondered what this increasingly popular, bizarre beverage is all about? You've come to the right blog post.  Boba teas, a ... More >>

More Places to Get Boba in Phoenix: A User's Guide, Part Two

David Sydiongco ​Last week, we posted a list of some of the East Valley's best boba tea offerings and heard from those of you outside the lower righthand corner of town. You want boba, too! No worries, we're back with more.  To recap, boba tea, or "bubble tea," are sweet, cooling ... More >>

Georganne Bryant's Perfect Food Day

Jamie Peachey​Georganne Bryant is the owner of Frances, Smeeks and the new Frances Studio, all in Medlock Plaza on the northwest corner of Camelback and Central. If you've seen those Love Phoenix or Leave Phoenix t-shirts and bumper stickers around town, we have her to thank. She has enviable tas ... More >>

Starbucks' New Refreshers: What Was Wrong With Iced Tea?

Pretty! ​Last week, corporate coffee house giant Starbucks stuck its new non-coffee coffee drink, the "Refresher," on menu boards across the nation. The drink is meant to be a refreshing alternative to coffee for the warm summer months -- but we have to ask, isn't that what iced te ... More >>

Arizona Biltmore Celebrates 82 Years of Afternoon Tea With, What Else, Afternoon Teas (And an Updated Menu)

​Since its opening in 1929, the Arizona Biltmore Resort, located in Phoenix near 24th Street and Camelback Road, has been carrying on the 200-year-old English pastime of afternoon tea. Now, in its 82nd year, the Arizona landmark is planning to delight tea freaks and the infusion-curious alike ... More >>

Urban Tea Loft: Happy Hour Report Card

The Chocolate Raspberry Truffle-Tini is just the sort of divine cocktail you could waste the day at work dreaming about. ​The Spot: Urban Tea Loft, 11 W. Boston St. #2, Chandler. (480) 786-9600. urbantealoft.com The Hours: 3 to 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 3 to 6:30 p.m. Thursdays and Fri ... More >>

Steeped in Tradition

The Chocolate Raspberry Truffle-Tini is just the sort of divine cocktail you could waste the day at work dreaming about. ​The Spot: Urban Tea Loft, 11 W. Boston St. #2, Chandler. (480) 786-9600. urbantealoft.com The Hours: 3 to 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 3 to 6:30 p.m. Thursdays and Fri ... More >>

Japanese Green Tea Cheesecake at Sens

Asian tapas-style restaurant Sens is a favorite downtown spot for fusion fare and house-infused sake and shochu. Thanks to their purposefully small portions, you can enjoy a few bites of bacon-wrapped okra, call it dinner, and move right on to Green Tea Cheesecake for dessert.

Flavor-Packed Vegetarian Food at Chakra 4

The name of Chakra 4 Herb & Tea House is somewhat misleading in that it offers so much more than dried leaves. While you're there, stay and have a healthy, flavor-packed lunch or dinner.