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!

1369 Slides

I stopped at 1369 Coffee House (so named because their first location was at 1369 Cambridge St.) on my way home from the public library so I could get one of their frozen slides, which is basically a fruit icee type beverage. They come in coffee and fruit flavors, and they are the perfect sweet refresher during a muggy walk through Cambridge. They are also good for drinking while studying! I had the peach slide a couple of weeks ago, and tried the mango today. I think I prefer the peach; it's not as sickly sweet as the mango, although both actually taste like fruit, not like an artificial chemical mess.

1369 is the kind of neighborhood coffee place that attracts all types, which is fitting for a place located right in the heart of the People's Republic of Cambridge. You see everyone from the preppy, business-casual middle-aged men having some kind of meeting, to the woman working on a macrame cover for a glass bottle (?) to students to people who, while they may not be homeless, sure could use a shower (sometimes this category includes the people behind the counter too... not always, but sometimes). There is something for everyone at 1369- coffee for the coffee lovers, snacks for the hungry, oodles of exotic teas for the tea lovers (this is me), and even free wi-fi for the students and internet junkies. Not many neighborhoods in America have a hub, but I think that if there is a hub of the Central Square neighborhood (aside from the T stop), 1369 just might be it.