CC: TBar

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Subject: TBar
Location visited: Philadelphia, PA
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]


For several years, I have been searching for a rose petal tea that I sampled in my great uncle's kitchen in San Francisco. The tea had all of the aroma of a rose bush and was complimented by a sweet tartiness and a nice hint of the very flower petals laying at the bottom of my cup. But though I searched for it (even the very company that sold it to my uncle), I could not find a similar match, as all the teas I tried sampled either too much like a fruit punch or too little like a rose.

But a bit of a blessing lead me to the TBar in Philadelphia, a local tea establishment that has a great number of teas as well as a full menu. I had just finished eating a mediocre dish of bangers and mash (I was feeling Irish that night) across the street with my family at Finn McCool's Ale House when I felt the overwhelming urge for a spot of tea (I had seen T Bar coming in). Naturally, as we were about done and ready to leave, I excused myself and ran across the street.

TBar itself sits pretty on the corner of Samson and 12th with tan stone, large windows, and earth-toned awnings. The interior opens into a large space with beautiful furniture and very calm decor.

The menu of the place consisted of all kinds of tea-related drinks (bubble tea, chai, etc.) as well as numerous kinds of free leaf teas. Curious as to the quality of their chai (as most coffeehouses use a powder and it's rare to see it done right), I decided to sample it. The chai proved a beautiful marriage of tea, milk and spices, proving sweet but not at all strong.

The final moment of elation came as I was sniffing through their teas and the woman behind the counter mentioned they had a rose petal/green tea combination. Skeptical at first, as I've done the song and dance before, I asked to smell it and to my delight, it smelled like a tea rose in full bloom. Willing to take a risk, I got a few ounces to go, and later that night my delight was complete as the tea was even better then the one I remembered.

Needless to say, if you're a fan of tea in any way, I would highly recommend stopping by TBar for a cup in-house or a bag (or two) to go. Obviously, I would suggest the Rose Sencha.