The Law of Tea

I had kind of a cute exchange with the counter girl at The Greenhouse Cafe today. She had just prepared my Coconut Black Tea and was handing it to me.

Me: "So, is this good with milk? Or just black?"
Her: "I like it with milk or cream. Maybe a touch of sugar to sweeten it a little."
Me: "Cool."
Her: "Give it a few minutes, you've gotta let it steep."
Me: "Oh yeah, sure. Of course."
Her: "I don't know why it is, but you cannot add the milk while the teabag is steeping. It just stops the steeping altogether."
Me: "Oh my god, I know! I have tried millions of times, and you just end up with milky weak tea. It tastes like dirty water."
Her: "Exactly!"
Me: "And you just have to start all over again."
Her: "Totally! You can never get it back. It's just...over."
Me: "And if you do it again, you have just spent twice as long as if you did it right the first time."
Her: "Yup. That's just how it is. You have to wait. You have to let it steep."
Me: "You have to be patient."
Her: "It's the Law of Tea."
Me: "The Law of Tea."

---moment of silence---

Her: "Enjoy your tea!"
Me: "Thanks!

Secret Hideaway

It's a cold, rainy day - this is winter in San Francisco. I am sitting in my new favorite haunt, the Greenhouse, in West Portal. It's a lovely little coffee house/cafe which somehow no one seems to know about. Just one block away, there is a Starbuck's and a Peet's (my Peet's, which I feel that I am betraying at this moment, shhhh...), both of which are full of people and void of seats. I have been putting off writing my Yelp review of this place because I don't want anyone to know about it - it's MINE, all MINE! My Preciousssssss......

I arrived here at about noon, loaded up the parking meter with 2 hours worth of money, and ordered lunch: a Veggie Burger wrap with Green Goddess dressing - divine - and a large latte. Then I settled into one of the comfy couches in the back room, and plugged in. They offer free Wi-Fi here, which is such a precious commodity in this tech-obsessed city - most places charge for it, and those that don't are usually jam-packed.

This place has existed right under my nose for a while now. I don't know how I missed it - a local business, offering free-trade & organic coffee & teas, organic health food, local artwork, and a great space. It's actually 3 spaces - a large front room, this cozy smaller room where I am sitting now, and an outdoor area out back. And they have these Almond Tea Cakes - aka little morsels of crack. Just the right amount of moistness, tender cake, and the perfect chew at the edges - they are beyond delicious. I'm watching my sugar intake these days, but this is an indulgence that feels worth it.

My brother Jonn came by on his lunch break to visit me, and then a few minutes later my friend Adrienne showed up, with her new laptop (so tiny, it would have been right at home in "Zoolander"). I feel like the Godfather, sitting here in my small kingdom, with the world at my feet.

I have Carla Bruni crooning in my ear as I write this. Every rainy day should have a little Carla Bruni in it - her voice is like a warm fire and a pair of cashmere socks.

The rain is showing no signs of letting up. My raincoat still has droplets of water on it from when I went to re-stock the meter with money. I don't mind - I am not going anywhere soon.