S&D TEA

As a disclaimer…I don’t like iced tea of any sort. I like many different kinds of herbal tea and Indian spiced chai, but know that if I can taste what I can only describe as a “tea flavor” in a tea (yes I realize that sounds rediculous) then I will probably not rate it very highly. If you are an iced tea lover then please keep in mind that my reviews are probably not going to be very helpful to you.

This was just a random tea bag that was given to me and so I thought I would brew it and give it a try as part of my experimentation journey. It had a little bit of the “tea flavor” that I don’t like, but not as much of some of the others I have tried recently, so I went ahead and finished the cup at least without gagging. A little hint of orange peel type flavor (orange pekoe?), but the “tea flavor” prevailed over it so it was doomed to fail overall. Won’t be buying any more of this one.

An ok tea. quite smooth tasting :)

I was served this hot at Ted’s Montana Grill. I loved its smoothness, rich taste, but lack of acidity. I saved the tea bag for a search today for a source. So happy to learn that it is also good as iced tea.

This tea iced and New Orleans Pasta at Cheddars. I am one happy, stuffed, and sloshing guy. The roasting on this black tea kind of reminds me of hojicha.

Today is our 33rd anniversary (applause applause). With the cold rainy weather we changed our plans and just went looking at dogs at the animal shelters. For some reason my wife thinks Spike needs a playmate. My opinion is, it will just eat my pretzels and poop on the floor but what do I know. Luckily – I mean sadly ;) we didn’t find any small house dogs she had to bring home.

In between shelters we went out for lunch at Texas Roadhouse. They have changed their iced tea since our last time there. They are now serving this brand. I am pretty sure it is because Cheddars next door is putting the hurt on them. I love this stuff. For a bagged tea this smooth roasty blend hits the spot. Steak was good too.

The secret to a long marriage? Early on we agreed, the lid goes down. That way no one gets a middle of the night surprise.

Went out of town to get some parts for our broken lawn sweeper. Stopped at Texas Roadhouse for lunch. Cheddars is next door but it was lightly raining and you can’t park anywhere near the door – what architect thought that was a goo idea? Anyway, first time at the Roadhouse since Cheddars opened. Looks like the competition has hurt them some. They were the favorite restaurant in town a couple years ago. This worked as a bonus for me because they upped their game on the iced tea and switched to this one. It really is that recognizably different. If you aren’t a standard iced tea fan you might not care but I much enjoyed the change. Steak was good too. :)

Today was kind of a victory celebration. I turned in the final project for my college course. Yeah! There are a few weeks of class left preparing for the certification test but the class is winding down. So my wife and I did a little Christmas shopping and went to Cheddars for lunch beforehand. The Philly cheese steak was so good. Anyway, even if no one else agrees the iced tea they serve I find to be spectacular. It is brisk as I think any good iced tea should be and it has a roasted flavor similar to that found in a dark oolong.

Oh, and while shopping I found Candy Cane Lane so I grabbed two boxes. They also had an empty spot on the shelf labeled Sleigh Ride – so I’ll be back.

Apparently I am now once again a college student. After getting registered I had a club sandwich a mountain of onion rings and this tea. I think I finally figured out why this appeals to me so – besides it is different than the usual restaurant iced tea. I think if I iced a Yammamotoyamo oolong this is what it would taste like. There is just something roasty/earthy about this stuff that appeals to me as an iced tea.

Late afternoon tea at Cheddars. I love this stuff. My favorite restaurant iced tea. This was my treat for surviving the disability test. My wife said I had no color and my lips turned blue when it was over. Tea makes everything better.

Apparently this is what they serve when you order iced tea at Cheddars. Dopplergaydar was the first to report this is the tea served. It was confirmed by our waitress today. By the lack of information on the S&D website this shouldn’t be any better than Lipton or any other generic tea. It shouldn’t be, but I love this tea. It is very earthy and refreshing. This is my favorite restaurant tea by far. Just don’t order the hot tea there because it IS Lipton :P