Java Joe's, Tea Classes and a Special Fundraiser

Hello all. I'm back from a short trip to Maine to visit my parents. We had a great visit - celebrated my mom's birthday - and enjoyed some downtime.

The tea situation is not so great up in those parts of the state. I've had a really hard time finding good loose leaf tea in the Bangor area. One specialty food shop I go to was where I first saw Equal Exchange loose leaf tea awhile back. That shop didn't have any tea but tea bags this time, primarily Republic of Tea. There's an excellent natural foods store in Bangor that has a great assortment of tea bags that are far more appealing and interesting - Numi, Stash, Yogi, Uncle Lee's, etc. I didn't get there this time though. I brought my own loose leaf to tide me over during my visit. One day we visited Bangor's Discovery Museum, an outstanding children's museum that is a must if you're in the area - clean, well thought out, creative, and full of great activities. On the way over I spotted a place called Java Joe's at BookMarc's (BookMarc's is the adjoining bookstore) which had stacks of Tealuxe tins in the window. I knew that we'd have to stop on the way back to my parents' house.

Java Joe's is on Central Street, right in downtown Bangor. It had a diner-y, lunch counter kind of feel. There's a small kitchen space behind a bar and a few basic tables. The decor definitely isn't anything particularly inspiring, but it was certainly adequate. The menu surprised me. I noticed a mix of basic cafe food as well as Thai offerings. I almost veered from my initial plan for Tealuxe in order to try their Thai Iced Tea. Maybe next time. (I kind of regret that I didn't while I had the chance!) I ended up ordering a Pumpkin Spice Chai. They used a fillable tea bag with a reasonable amount of tea and filled it with hot water. They then added milk from a carton and some sugar. I feared that the cold milk would drop the water temp too much, not allowing my tea to steep properly. It ended up being fine. Good to know there's a place I can get a good tea. Great place to grab a cup and walk through downtown on a nice day. It gives me hope that I can find more loose leaf in the area in future visits.

Funny - I hadn't really even intended to review that place. I just got on a roll!

TEA CLASSES
Exciting news here at Tea Pages! I have just entered into an agreement to teach 3 tea classes at my local community center in the Fall. One class will be a Tea 101, one is on black teas, and one on green. They'll be entry level overviews and discussions with tastings. I am really looking forward to refining the content, and even more importantly, choosing the teas. I'll be sure to let you know more as they get closer.

TEA FUNDRAISER
I also wanted to let you know about a tea-related fundraiser coming up in the Boston area. Pearl Dexter, editor of Tea: A Magazine, was the winning bidder on one of the top entries in this year's 2008 World Tea Expo rating competition. It is a high grown Sri Lankan tea from the Uva region. The Boston Park Plaza hotel will be serving some of this tea at a charity tea event on September 7, 2008 to benefit the Sri Lankan Tsunami Relief effort. I will be there so let me know if you are planning to attend. I'd love to meet some Tea Pages readers! Here's the write-up:

Sri Lankan Charity Tea -- Boston
September 7, 2008
This charity tea event will support the Sri Lankan Tsunami Relief. This event will feature a tasting of the exclusive high grown St. James Estate Sri Lankan tea, which was grown in very limited production in the Uva Region and won first place at the recent 2008 World Tea Expo. Swan’s Café will also be serving a special Sri Lankan Tea Cocktail, followed by a 3-course afternoon tea experience, which will include Tea Cuisine infused with Sri Lankan teas. Special guest will be Pearl Dexter, publisher of Tea Magazine, and Joseph Simrany, President of the Tea Association of the USA, and others. All proceeds will be donated towards the ongoing Sri Lankan Tsunami Relief. Reservations required. Location: Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers, 50 Park Plaza at Arlington Street. Time: 4 p.m. Cost: $50 per person. Information: 617-654-1906.

I'll be back tomorrow with another tea review. I have a few book reviews on the horizon also. So stay tuned!