Mother's Day at Radiance Tea House & Books

I needed a place to celebrate Mother's Day, and I had a pretty tall order to fill. We were meeting our friends the Olives, who have two little girls, one of whom is an avid reader. Both girls love rice and miso soup. We also had someone in our party who avoids all wheat, spices and added oils, several people who were trying to save money, and my very active 16-month-old toddler (Baby Vates), who only seems to eat pancakes. What to do?

I found the perfect answer in Radiance Tea House & Books. A surprisingly serene oasis near Times Square, the restaurant features an inexpensive menu of dumplings, rice bowls, salads, and noodles, as well as an impressive tea list and a beautiful selection of ceramics for sale. There were books for the Olives, gluten-free dishes, bowls of miso soup, and plenty of room for my little one to toddle around (although I had to make sure that he didn't try to go down the staircase). Best of all, everything ranged around $10.

We ordered a plate of steamed bok choy, which was seasoned with a light soy sauce. Chewy, translucent vegetable dumplings arrived with ponzu; unfortunately, Baby Vates was not interested in the slightest. I instead occupied him with cranberry sesame crackers, the same ones that came with our tea. Our gluten-free parties were satisfied with shrimp/mango and teriyaki salmon rice bowls, and I devoured a salmon salad with a peanut dressing, which was loaded with avocado slices, mango, and sweet five-spiced roasted pecans.

Baby Vates started to roam the place. He was taking the gift boxes of tea apart, so I ordered him some almond tofu with strawberry sauce and fresh strawberries to try to distract him. Again, he was not interested, so I ended up eating the dessert; it was light and refreshing. There was also a tea-colored dragon fruit dessert for Mother's Day - this was an acquired taste.

I can't say that I didn't envy the solo diners relaxing over a pot of premium rose tea and books about Chinese brush painting, but I did have a swell time.

Radiance Tea House & Books: 158 West 55th St., (212) 217-0442.

B Koffie and Organicoa

It's a furnace out there lately, so I'm always looking for refreshment. B Koffie (370 West 51st St., 646-330-5515), the "first African coffee shop," offers cold-brewed coffee, pomegranate redbush tea, and acai berry green tea. (They also serve a nice cup of Ethiopian Yirgacheffe.) Down by the Christopher Street Pier (Pier 45), I like to watch the live tango dancers while sipping fair-trade "frocoa" (frozen cocoa), ginger lemonade, and mint tea from Organicoa. This little stand was a big hit during its test run at the Highline, so its owners now have a five-year-contract at the pier. (Don't forget to take away one of the big organic chocolate-chip cookies.)

Tea Box Café at Takashimaya - and a Note to Readers

I've always wished that a giant, multi-level Japanese department store would open in NYC - the kind that has a rooftop garden, an art gallery, a floor devoted to kimonos, and, of course, a floor devoted to restaurants. As it does not seem that this will ever be in the cards, I still enjoy a trip to the exquisite (and expensive) Takashimaya - especially the Tea Box Café.

The East-West Afternoon Tea is a splendid affair, with a bento box filled with goodies like green tea creme brulee, chocolates, butter cookies, fruit salad, and a small selection of savories - vegetable crisps, a curried rice paper roll, a tiny chicken sandwich, and smoked salmon pressed into rice (for vegetarians, cucumber/pickled plum is an option). The box comes with your choice of various green, black, flavored black or herbal teas (I always get the genmaicha).

Note to readers: My most recent visit to the Tea Box Café was a party to celebrate the impending arrival of a new generation of foodie for my companion and me. Because of this, I will be taking a break from this beloved blog. However, since it's been a labor of love since 2002 (yes - I was one of the first NYC food bloggers!), I hope to eventually contribute to it again. In the meantime, I will keep the blog online, but probably won't be updating it. Have a great winter.

Takashimaya: 693 Fifth Ave., (212) 350-0180.

Colson Patisserie

It hasn't taken long for the subway platforms to heat up, even though the weather has warmed only recently. The other day, I stepped off of the Park Slope F train, craving refreshment. Fortunately, a cool drink and a cup of gelato were only a block away. Colson Patisserie, which is known for scones and muffins which are wholesaled to cafes around the city (Cafe Grumpy is one), also makes its own gelato, sorbet and iced tea. The iced tea comes in mint, blood orange, pear, ceylon, chai, and pineapple papaya varieties, and the other day there was a special lemon-myrtle mint. As for gelato and sorbet, there are flavors like balsamic strawberry and brownie; the delicious Italian espresso dessert known as affogato is offered with a scoop of vanilla.

Colson Patisserie: 374 9th St., Brooklyn, (718) 965-6400.

Amai Tea & Bake House (CLOSED AS OF 4/19/09)

I have a free-floating scone obsession. It first attached itself to the oat scones at Balthazar Bakery. Then, it was transferred to the buttered walnut scone at Cheeks. (That scone is lovely with an apple slice and a bit of cheddar.) After that, there was the sugarless fruit scone at Joe Coffee. My obsession briefly morphed into a muffin obsession, which was satisfied only by the diminutive maple muffins at Kyotofu. But today, in full force, it returned to its original manifestation when I entered the new Amai Tea & Bake House.

I had been watching the space for ages, ever since I first caught sight of the owner's popular Lovescool blog, which announced the impending opening of the cafe. Finally I went in tonight, and became starry-eyed with scones! Earl Grey currant? Greenmarket cheddar with pepper? Vanilla bean? I thought I would go insane. And then there was the lavender butter...

(... and dark chocolate brownies, and quince chocolate brownies, and green tea cupcakes with nice big swirls of green buttercream on top, and butternut squash tarts adorned with pumpkin seeds, and chocolate espresso tarts...)

Did I mention they serve tea?

Amai Tea & Bake House: 171 3rd Ave., (212) 863-9630.

Cha-An

Many restaurants stop serving lunch around 2:30 p.m. Often, I'll neglect to check my watch and then walk around in a hungry haze, wishing I hadn't missed the cut-off. Fortunately, I now have a trusty standby for those hours between lunch and dinner: Cha-An.

The menu is limited at this Japanese teahouse, but there's a wonderful lunch set (the "B") with changing selections. Today, the B included: two jumbo shrimp in a gelatinous spicy ginger-chili sauce, a tiny slice of quiche, crunchy hunks of bamboo shoot with caramelized onions, creamy seafood chowder with tomatoes, onions and shiitakes, tea-smoked salmon slices under a refreshing shredded radish and sprout salad, 15-grain rice, and finally, chocolate cake with mousse, cherries and vanilla ice cream. All of this was accompanied by a pot of my favorite Japanese tea, genmaicha!

Cha-An: 230 East 9th St., 2nd Floor, (212) 228-8030.

A Mug Of Hot Tea

There's nothing more soothing to the winter-weary than a mug of tea. Today I ventured over to the new Roebling Tea Room in Williamsburg (143 Roebling, St., Brooklyn, 718-963-0760), where I found a very imaginative tea menu. Among the impressive variety of green, rooibos, white, black, herbal and mate teas were such intriguing blends as "green coconut cream" (coconut chips and green tea). I tried the cocoa nib black tea, and accompanied it with an excellent chocolate croissant. Roebling's "comestibles" menu is also appealing; there are pulled pork sandwiches, various salads, duck pate with cornichons, and baked brie. On the weekends there's a "tea brunch" with your choice of different items such as an egg and gruyere sandwich. For those of you who can't make up your mind between tea and coffee, there is the "Black Eye Chai" (chai and espresso). (Of course, this may defeat the relaxing purpose of tea.)

In Manhattan, a former antique shop now houses a Chinese tearoom: The Tea Gallery (131 Allen St., 212- 777-6148). Besides offering a high-quality selection of red, white, green and oolong teas, the Tea Gallery provides tastings and classes.

A recent (and exquisite) 8-course dinner at Ito-En's Kai (822 Madison, 212-988-7277) featured sencha and hojicha. (However, the portions were doll-sized, and I was so hungry afterwards that I was forced to order an additional dessert.) Craving the grassy sencha, I returned to the Ito En store to learn all kinds of valuable tidbits about the teamaking process. Apparently, the water must not be too hot, and should first be poured into teacups (or a special cooling cup) for cooling. The water and tea are then added to a kyusu, or teapot, which ideally should contain a porous surface to absorb the flavor of the tea. (Repeated use "seasons" the teapot.) I am now ready for some tea-making experiments of my own!

Sympathy For The Kettle

Every so often, there's a newspaper article touting the health benefits of tea. Although I've yet to see a similar article about the benefits of truffles and pound cake, I quite enjoy the tea-flavored treats at Sympathy For The Kettle.

The funky East Village tearoom doesn't have much space in which to sit down, but it's chock-full of goodies like vanilla rooibos rose buttercream cake, lavender bars, rose truffles, orange apricot rooibos bread and bergamot-flecked, citrusy Earl Grey-iced pound cake. And if you want to bake your own goodies, there are over a hundred varieties of loose tea you can take home to experiment with!

Sympathy For The Kettle: 109 St. Marks Place, (212) 979-1650.

Alice's Tea Cup

Is the constant rain getting you down? Shake the rain off your umbrella and walk down a couple steps to the warm and inviting Alice's Tea Cup. Pour yourself a pot of exotic vanilla-scented Mauritius tea or Red Fruits Indian tea flavored with strawberry, raspberry, red currant and cherry. Then you'll be ready for a flaky and buttery fresh-baked scone served with raspberry jam and clotted cream (I especially appreciate the strawberry scones). Or if you'd like something savory, bite into a mustardy tuna salad sandwich. If you bring friends under the age of two, they will appreciate the daily homemade pureed baby food. If you'd like to postpone your reentry into the puddle that passes for Manhattan these days, take a moment to admire all of the tea-oriented gifts up front (lovely teapots and toiletries like "Body Tea").

Alice's Tea Cup: 102 West 73rd St., (212) 799-3006.

Afternoon Tea At The Mark Hotel (CLOSED)

Grandma immensely enjoyed our tea at Fauchon, so we decided to recreate the experience at The Mark Hotel. At The Mark, there are three varieties of afternoon tea: the Mandarin, which features Chinese tea and almond cookies baked to order, the Strawberry Cream Tea, which includes strawberries and Chantilly cream, and the traditional Afternoon Tea (our choice). Grandma was a huge fan of the chicken mousse tea sandwich and the smoked salmon on black bread. Also gracing our plates were thick slices of banana bread, tiny chocolate tarts, pineapple coconut cakes and homemade raisin scones with mascarpone cheese. (For the persnickety in our party, there was a bloody-rare burger with fries.) Generously, our waiter provided extra complimentary sandwiches and pots of Ceylon tea. If you would like to learn about the art of Chinese tea, you can still snag a spot at the June 6 class with with Tea Master Ringo Lo (call 212-879-1864 for information and reservations).

The Mark Hotel: 25 East 77th St., (212) 744-4300.

Afternoon Tea at Fauchon (CLOSED)

My grandmother never leaves the house without lipstick and heels. Being quite the social creature, she thrives on her excursions, but the harsh weather has made it difficult for her to go out. Last week, the thermostat finally reached 50 degrees, so I decided to pamper her with an afternoon tea. I just needed to find a sufficiently elegant venue for such a lady.

I found the perfect solution in Fauchon, the condiment nirvana that houses a charming tearoom. With its comfortable chairs and attentive waiters, Fauchon is an oasis of civility.

The extensive tea menu is organized into such categories as Ceylon, Assam, Darjeeling, Chinese, Japanese, flavored and herbal. Although I was intrigued by the geranium and ylang-ylang, I settled on a fragrant Earl Grey with flowers. I never knew that a cup of tea could be so flavorful! My grandmother opted for French-pressed coffee with a flask of warmed cream.

We ordered an afternoon tea for two. (There is also an a la carte menu, which includes light meals such as salads, quiches, and soups.) Our trays overflowed with five different tea sandwiches (I liked the cucumber watercress and the crabmeat), small crackers topped with either foie gras or smoked salmon belly, and sweets galore: raspberry linzer cookies, hazelnut sables, moelleux in flavors of pignoli, hazelnut, and pecan, small orange and chocolate eclairs, slices of fruitcake, petits fours, the famous almond-flour macarons, and finally, chocolates! Chocolates with the Fauchon emblem in gold, chocolates with a layer of crunchy rock sugar.

After a satisfied final sip of coffee, my delighted grandmother purchased an entire box of pistachio, apple, and chocolate-raspberry macarons to take home! (I think she will be venturing out very soon to replenish her supply.)

Fauchon: 442 Park Ave., (212) 308-5919. (There is also a much smaller location at 1000 Madison Ave.)