spot of tea darling?

Written by Wifey.

It's amazing - I actually found a flavored tea that I like! And it's an Earl Gray blend! whoooooaaa...

last little bit of the Crysanthemum tea

Okay, let's take a step back.  I'm part Asian, and as such, a slight tea snob.  One of my big rants is that Americans seem to enjoy putting fruity crap in their tea.  I cannot count how many times I've been at an American restaurant, and ordered green tea, only to be grossed out when it turns out to have tropical fruit or lemon or orange added to it... blech!  Tea should be drunk straight - no fruit, milk, cream, or anything else weird!

So, now that I'm done ranting, what in the world does this have to do with date night?  Well, I snagged a groupon for a tea tasting at this little bakery/cafe, Valen Dolce. So, Hubby and I made our this adorable little Santa Monica neighborhood for a spot of tea!  The groupon got us 3 different pots of tea to try, plus 4 macaroons, & then we took home 2 of the teas.   Awesome deal!
 Hubby and I spent a fantastic 2 hours sipping tea, chatting, and generally thoroughly enjoying ourselves.  We tried an Earl Gray Creme (surprisingly, the creme cuts the normally gross flavor of Earl Gray into something quite yummy!), Lychee flavored (not quite as yummy), and Crysanthemum flower tea (not bad for flower petals!).  In between the many many cups of tea, we also chowed down on macaroons - raspberry, coconut, coffee, and lavender.  Nom nom nom nom!!  Delicious!

Heehee... Hubby and I don't share very well when it comes to our desserts!

If we lived a bit closer, and parking was a bit easier, I suspect we'd be here quite a bit.  It's a very nice chill cafe, and the service was fantastic.  Plus, they have tons of little desserts to enjoy (i just had to buy one cuz they looked so goooood!) to enjoy.  So yeah, if you're ever in the area, go check it out!! :-D