Diatribe

I've a bit of a diatribe welling in me. Last night my hubby and I went out for a lovely dinner. After eating, the waiter offered us coffee, cappuccino, etc. and I ordered a hot tea.

Honey got a lovely cup of cappuccino, with a side tray filled with shaved chocolate, cinnamon sticks & whipped cream that could be used enhance his coffee drinking experience. They brought me a tea pot and a selection of bagged teas... all of which were either flavored black tea, flavored green tea or herbal!

This is far from the first time this has happened, and it got me thinking. Restaurant owners would never DREAM of only offering flavored coffee. They just wouldn't. So why do they think it's acceptable to only offer flavored tea?

I'm not asking for much here. While I'm a bit of a tea snob at home, I don't expect that type of quality when I go out. Hell, I would settle for a bag of Lipton. Many times the only black tea they offer is Earl Grey, which they seem to think is not flavored for some reason. Well, it is and I cannot stand the taste of bergamont.

And I have to say I've noticed this phenomenon far more in upscale restaurants. They even have special humidors to display their pricey tea bags that are full of fruit & herbs. I'm sure this is really impressive to those who are drinking tea on a lark, but to serious tea drinkers this is really depressing. I mean I can go into any coney island or fast food joint, order a hot tea and get a black tea bag, no fuss. They may ask if I want decaff, but that's it.

Also, people who are going to drink their tea with their meal don't want some fruity concoction messing with the taste of their food. They are not like wine which, when paired correctly, can take your entree to new heights. These teas aren't designed to enhance the meal, they are meant as after-dinner, on their own kind of drinks.

Is it really too much to ask for the restaurant owners of the world to stock 1 plain black and/or green tea? Really?

end diatribe. :)