Mediocre Japanese

We went to Porter Exchange Mall in Porter Square to eat at the Kotobukiya sushi bar before my husband went to get a haircut at a salon in the neighborhood. It was pretty mediocre sushi, but wow, was it ever cheap. We didn't have a problem getting 2 seats together. We were seduced by the prices and ordered WAY too much, but in general, it was just okay. At one point, my husband looked at me and said, "We're not in California anymore." That's okay- I will take mediocre sushi in exchange for public transportation any day.

While my husband was off to get his haircut, I got a bubble tea at the little stand in the middle of the mall. It was TERRIBLE. The powders weren't well mixed in, so it was too sweet, with a chemical almond taste, plus it was GRITTY. I threw it out after about 3 sips. I later ended up with a blueberry white iced tea with pearls from Tealuxe in Harvard Square. Much better!

East Coast Grill and Raw Bar

We had dinner at East Coast Grill and Raw Bar in Inman Square last night. We went primarily for the oysters; my husband and I have great memories of slurping down a dozen oysters artfully arranged on styrofoam plates by the oyster-mongers at the Washington DC fish market (we learned later that people had actually died of food poisoning from eating oysters there!) and barbecuing probably a hundred oysters (seriously- there were about seven of us, but still) at Tomales Bay in Northern California. My husband doesn't like seafood in general, but he loves him some oysters!

The oysters at East Coast Grill were okay. I am not sure what kind we got because the place was so loud we had a hard time hearing our server. We determined that there were 2 kinds of oysters, though, so we had half a dozen of each kind. One was "brinier" than the other, and we didn't care for that one- it had this metallic aftertaste that was not very pleasant.

Where the place really shines is the entrees. I had the bluefish and my husband had the... striped bass? Monkfish? I can't remember, but both were very good, and the sides were also very good. I got these huge fried sweet potato wedges and balsamic flavored greens that unfortunately were swimming in oil or butter, so I didn't want to eat too much of them. My husband's fish came with a really great side of heirloom tomato salad and really tasty fried artichoke hearts. The artichoke hearts appeared to come from a can because they didn't have much flavor, but the batter was really good, and they weren't greasy but tasty and crispy. I kept picking them off his plate!

We skipped dessert because if we wanted dessert, we would have just gone to Christina's, which is right next door. However, we were too full, so skipped the sweet stuff. Alas, because Christina's is really good!

Nectar of the Gods

While the actual identity of aforementioned "nectar" may vary from person to person, for me, the uber-beverage is tea. Good, strong black tea, with a spoonful of sugar, no milk. It is a rare and bad day when I do not have my morning cup of tea. My favorite type is Lapsang Soushong, which is an intense, strong, smoky tea. Not many people have heard of it, and it can be hard to find, although I have found it at my local Whole Foods (yay!!). Sometimes, when I have ordered it at the rare place that has it, the server will question me to make sure that I have had it before, just because the smokiness is so pungent and surprising. Russian Caravan is another smoky tea that is similar to Lapsang Soushong.

I have started to notice tea places stealthily creep into the domain of the coffee shops. Nestled in amongst the Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, and the rare, occasional independent like 1369 Coffee Shop, you now see places like Teavana, Tealuxe, Dado Tea, and Karma Tea (and Yoga Studio).

The tea shops all have one thing in common: they take an Asian/Zen approach to tea. Many of them still offer the "right" kinds of tea for those of us who have a more British sensibility (even if I forgo the milk!). I can only conclude that this retail preference is because when you think of "tea" and "England," what comes to mind is a musty old B&B or tearoom decorated in Laura Ashley floral toile and populated by women reminiscent of Hyacinth Bucket ("boo-KAY") from Keeping Up Appearances. When you think of "tea" and "Asia," what comes to mind? Perhaps it is Buddhism, the Japanese tea ceremony, the endless pots of toasty green tea at sushi restaurants, beautiful flowers in the bottoms of glass teapots... the bottom line is that British style = old and busted (don't tell this to Topshop, though!) and Asian style = the new hotness.

I think that this is why you go in these places like Teavana, Dado, and Karma and see pale sage green or red decor, weighty metal teapots that look slightly squashed, bamboo flooring, and cups without handles. That aesthetic is very calming, and it recalls a very British attitude towards tea- that of a panacea, a calmer in times of trouble, something to relax with a friend or a book or a crossword puzzle over. Tea, whether British or Asian, is a beverage to be savored, not guzzled on the go for a quick shot of energy. When that's what I want, I'll have my tall nonfat vanilla latte, thanks!