Author: Katherine Lonsdorf
I carry my travel mug proudly and openly admit to spending half my meal plan on the simple mix of hot water and herbs. I’m not ashamed. Hello, my name is Katherine Lonsdorf, and I am addicted to tea.
Yes, I’m finally able to recognize it freely, and I’ll say it without shame. It started out slowly. At first it was only on cold days, on the way to class to keep me warm. Then, it was only once a day at breakfast, which snowballed into midmorning, after dinner and before bed. Soon, I was carrying it everywhere I went, drinking during class, alone in my dorm, even being so bold as to drink publicly in the quad on a daily basis.
It hasn’t gotten any better. In fact, it’s worse-the habit has become an obsession. I drove all the way into Hollywood in rush hour traffic to pick up a mere two ounces of sweet, earthy chamomile last Tuesday. I’ve trekked to Glendale for a single box of Yerba Mate, been ripped off for the perfect mix of tropical green sencha in Santa Monica and even shipped home specialty blends from Germany in a desperate attempt to fulfill my craving for the ideal cup.
Tea: it has been my downfall. Luckily, I’m obviously not the only one. This city is a tea addict’s heaven. Los Angeles offers numerous tea bars and cafes throughout the trendiest of areas, complete with intricate settings and extended hours, hundreds of tea offerings, paraphernalia and full deli menus to compliment your brew. It’s also way cheaper than most other addictions fueled by the Los Angeles scene.
Hollywood is brimming with teashops, especially after recent hype regarding the health benefits of tea. Elixir Tonics and Teas, located on Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood, is especially unique for a few reasons. First of all, its ambiance is ideal: a small, zen style structure right off the busy street practically exudes relaxation with its wide open doors, a small front patio with seating and a calming display of greenery. Step inside, and the soothing feeling is almost overwhelming, as the small shop and tea bar leads directly into an open courtyard with pockets of seats nestled amidst garden landscaping, a fountain and quiet music. It all begs you to stay for hours-and you can, after ordering a cup of tea or one of their signature tonics (Chinese herbal blends for specific health benefits), all for under $5. The store has numerous books, candles, teapots, loose teas and unique snacks for purchase. There’s even an inhouse tarot card reader and psychic. On Friday and Saturday, Elixir stays open until midnight, so you can come and relax or power up before hitting Melrose late at night.
Almost right across the street is Urth Cafe, another signature teashop, with a balanced focus on organic coffee, high quality cafe food and a delicious assortment of baked goods. One of the popular Hollywood hangouts, Urth Cafe provides a sprawling patio of outdoor seating, filled regularly with a hip crowd. Boasting a very eco-friendly philosophy (bring your own cup and get 25 cents off, for example), the coffee here is fair trade, sustainable and all organic, and the tea is hand selected from sources around the world, including the cafe’s very own tea garden that has been in the same family for over six generations. There is also a breakfast, lunch and dinner menu, offering healthy entrees, soups, salads and sandwiches, with a decadent bakery to match. While the food is not exactly cheap, a cup of tea will only run you about $3 and you can enjoy the sunlit patio for hours on that small fee.
Last, but certainly not least, is Zen Zoo Tea, away from the Melrose scene on Vine Street near Sunset Boulevard. An indoor tea bar and cafe, Zen Zoo offers less of a setting than the other two but an equally interesting menu. With a choice between specialty teas (green, black and herbal), rare teas (white, green, oolong and black), their unique whole leaf tea menu is enough to satisfy. However, Zen Zoo also has its own line of tonics (considerably cheaper than Elixir) and a variety of fusion drinks (tea with a combination of juice, milk or honey) with tapioca pearls, hot tea lattes or espresso drinks, all for $5 or less. On top of all that, feel free to pair your drink with something from their Asian fusion menu, boasting everything from spring roll appetizers to dumplings, dim sum, salads and rice bowls. But again, just a simple, soothing cup of tea will take you far at this Hollywood stop.
Finally, if you’re not in the mood to sit and chat, buying loose tea to take home is always a great alternative. While all of the above cafes sell tins of tea to go, one of the best loose tea shops I have found in Los Angeles thus far is simply called T, located at the Farmer’s Market next to The Grove shopping area in Hollywood. Although its small size may be deceiving, T has an incredibly complete selection of loose blends from around the world-and they are cheap. Sold by the ounce, weighed in small ziplock baggies, tea from here presents itself as a strong look-alike to its illegal herbal counterpart, adding more stigma to that previously mentioned addiction of mine. But even so, the staff is very knowledgeable and helpful, the tea list extensive and there is even brewing equipment for sale for all you loose tea virgins out there.
In this massive sprawl of a city, I’m glad to see I’m not alone. I doubt my dependency will ever be cured, as there are so many more teashops out there yet to be discovered (and now every coffee house, chain or not, has caught onto the craze as well). You can be sure, whatever your addiction – herbal, green, black, white, oolong, mate, matcha, hot or cold – Los Angeles, as always, will keep your high alive.
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