Afternoon Tea

Delicious tea and work go hand in hand for me at Dobra Tea

Of all the categories in my hobbit list of meals, afternoon tea is quite possibly the only one that might be a bit more challenging to fulfill.  Portland, Maine, is not the best place in the world to go for cream tea.  When I want that, I hop on a plane and fly to England.  When I want a cup of very good tea in a wonderful atmosphere right here in Portland, I do have a few standout choices, which I'll list below.  

A FEW OF THE MAGPIE'S FAVORITE SPOTS FOR AFTERNOON TEA IN PORTLAND, MAINE

1. Dobra Tea  This is our wintertime hangout.  I can't think of a place in Portland where I get more work done while enjoying a delicious beverage.  And they've just moved to a new location on upper Exchange Street that I will be checking out later this week.  The tea menu at Dobra is presented as a storybook, with full descriptions of the history and characteristics of each tea they serve.  Ordering a pot of tea here is a wonderful event to be savored.  My favorite is the sweetened Touareg, a mix of green tea and Moroccan mint.  It's incredibly smooth and calming, and I truly believe it helps me concentrate.  I often order the oxidized and fermented Chinese pu-er teas for their flavor as well as their health benefits. 
2. Homegrown Tea  This place is well known throughout the region for their creative tea blends.  I  especially love their mood-lifting blends.  If you're headed up to Munjoy Hill, stop in at their shop on Congress Street.  In the summer, their lemon-Squeezer is my go-to choice with its mix of lemon balm, lemon verbena, lemongrass, thyme and dried lemon peel.
3. Arabica  Yes, Arabica is a coffee shop, and yes they roast their own beans, and I do love their coffee, but I also go here quite often just to get a delicious cup of tea, and that's because they carry so many wonderful varieties, including a few from Homegrown Tea, but also Vermont Tea and Trading Co., Turnaround Tea, and Mountain Rose Herbs.  It's nice to go to a coffee shop and find interesting teas made with care, plus the atmosphere at Arabica is classic, old-school coffee house.  AND, the sell toast!  That's right, every day you can order toast made from Standard Baking Company bread.  Toast and tea.  It doesn't get more comforting than this.

Okay, my friends, the last post about favorite food spots in Portland, Maine, will be coming up tomorrow.  I'll include both dinner and supper, and while the list will be enticing, once again, it will NOT be all-inclusive.  It simply can't be.  There are too many incredible places in this city.  

I hope you're enjoying the lists and also finding them helpful.  I've received some really lovely emails and Facebook messages about them.  I've also been told that I am making people very, very hungry.  I have a solution; go to any one of the establishments listed in these posts!  :)