When I went to NYC this time around, I was determined to find the best teas in the city. A city like that should have amazing tea houses, right? I searched online and everyone talked about this place, so off I went, down to SoHo for my first time. SoHo I adored, McNulty’s? Not so much.
There were two Asian gentlemen in the store behind the counter. One was an older gentleman who glared at me the entire time I was in the store, making me feel entirely unwelcome. The other man welcomed me then proceeded to completely ignore me.
Not giving up, I started wandering and looking at all the teas, loving how many they had and occasionally stopping to smell. They do have a great variety, and I finally settled on a couple greens and a couple herbals. One they had on their price listing online but none blended, so when I approached the counter, the younger man volunteered to blend some on the spot for me. From this point on he was attentive and polite, clearly happy that he had a sale. I was buying some coffees as gifts as well, so I was spending a pretty penny. As I left he wished me a good day and invited me back to the store with a smile. The older man just grunted.
Fast forward to me back in Canada, eager to try my new teas. Reader, all of them were disappointments. If they weren’t stale, they were bitter and over powering, even the herbals. I bought one called Very Berry, and I swear it is like drinking pure hibiscus, despite it looking like blueberries. I’m told the coffee was absolutely delightful, but their teas were abysmal, as was their service overall. I’m sure I can find a better coffee store to give as gifts next time, and there is no way in h*#l there isn’t a better tea store for me to find in NYC. Maybe next time I’ll try the one owned by Moby.