Tea at the Left Bank Restaurant and Tea News

Happy Saturday. It's actually beginning to look a little like Spring around here...or at least mud season.

A few bits of tea news before we get started.
* India's Commerce Ministry is in the process of establishing a new "geographic indicator" for tea from the Nilgiris. The Nilgiris, translated as "Blue Mountains," are located in southern India and the high altitude tea grown there (known as Nilgiri tea) is known to be an aromatic tea rich with flavor. This indicator will help to protect the brand by limiting the identification of Nilgiri teas to those grown in a particular region. Darjeeling received a similar geographic indicator in 2000. You can read more about this development here.

* This month's issue of Food & Wine magazine (March 2008) has a feature on tea. It's a 6 page spread although the first 2 pages are just photographs. There is a page of recipes for tea time treats, a description of "10 Tea Names to Know" (although it includes Rooibos and Chamomile which are not teas...), and a 2 page write up on black, green, oolong and white teas, with recommended sources.

I will be making an effort to include more tea news in the future. I have recently signed up to help edit the Topix.com Tea News page so I'll be more current on what's going on in the world of tea. (If you are interested in helping to edit this page, you can register on Topix.com.)

Okay - today's tea adventure. I decided to visit the Left Bank Restaurant at the Stonehedge Inn in Tyngsboro, MA for afternoon tea. I had enjoyed tea at this location in the past when the restaurant was known as Silks. I decided it was time to see what the new restaurant had to offer.

The inn and its grounds are absolutely lovely. The road that the inn is located on is a mix of run down businesses, some middle of the road houses, horse farms, and a country club, all on the banks of the Merrimack River. As soon as you turn in the drive of the inn you feel that you are entering a different world. The grounds are beautiful and serene and the inn is stately.

Entering Stonehedge gives you a warm and cozy feeling. The staff are always welcoming. The restaurant is a large space with a fireplace in the center and walls of windows overlooking the gardens. There was a luncheon event going on (a bridal shower perhaps?) so I was seated on the other side of the fireplace, providing us all with a bit of private space. I appreciated the gesture as I think I would otherwise have felt that I was intruding. There were two other women also enjoying tea on my side of the restaurant.

I selected the Afternoon Tea special that was being offered for Restaurant Week. (Each year the Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau organizes Boston Restaurant Week where special three course luncheon and dinner menus are offered at fixed prices - $20.08 for lunch and $33.08 for dinner. Oddly, Restaurant Week lasts for two 5-day periods, but no matter.)

The tea began with a selection of three tea sandwiches. I chose the roast beef on rye with horseradish and cornichons, smoked salmon with creme fraiche on wheat, and the parma ham with cantaloupe and strawberry on white toast. (Other options included poached shrimp with lemon mayonnaise, cucumber with herb cream cheese, and crab calypso on endive spears. The regular afternoon tea menu also has a tofu and watercress selection.) The sandwiches were perfectly sized - just enough to feel that you really got to taste them, but not too filling. The presentation was gorgeous.

For tea, Left Bank serves MEM Imports (Somerville, MA), a popular choice for the high end restaurants and hotels in this area. I chose the Keemun (Hao Ya). (As it was not specified, this was likely Hao Ya "B"rather than the rarer Hao Ya "A".) The tea was served already brewed in a really funky Front of the House white teapot. The cup was especially beautiful with a modern look and a unique rim to the saucer. I really wish I'd checked out who made those pieces. I'd never seen anything like them. Anywat, the tea was quite good. The liquor was reddish and exceptionally bright. There was a slightly smoky scent. There was some astringency to this full bodied cup. A nice black tea, all in all.

The sandwiches were followed by a choice of a raisin-currant scone or a plain scone with Devonshire cream and preserves. I tried the raisin-currant scone and found it a nearly perfect treat. It was warm and flaky, light and not too sweet. I hadn't had Devonishire cream before and it made me think of mascarpone cheese (mmmm....). Then I found a recipe for a substitute devonshire cream which was made from mascarpone cheese, whipped cream, vanilla, and sugar...Maybe that's why I saw a similarity.

The next course was a plate of 5 "old fashioned English tea cookies" - some filled with apricot, a molasses cookie, and a couple dipped in chocolate or white chocolate.

For the final course you were given a choice of tea cake (today's options were apple or a brownie) or ice cream (berry and vanilla today.) I chose the brownie, but found it only so so after such a wonderful tea experience. It was a bit dry and didn't have much flavor. This final course was saved by the glass of Jonesy port which was provided as part of the Restaurant Week special. I had also never had port and found this a really wonderful treat - sweet, smooth, and honey-like with a deep flavor reminscent of caramel. Fantastic.

I highly recommend the Left Bank for afternoon tea. When it is not Restaurant Week, your options are:
Spot of Tea - Cookies and tea - $7.50
Afternoon Tea - Scone, cookies, and tea - $11.00
Traditional Country Tea - Basically what I had today, less the port - $21.00
Traditional Country Tea with Champagne Cocktail - $28.50
Or you can create your own experience from the a la carte menu.

Your tea options are: English Breakfast (Ceylon), Decaf English Breakfast, Keemun, Finest Earl Grey, Mango (Black), Sencha, Crimson Berry Tisane, Ginger Lemon Tisane, or Rooibos.