I met a friend one night in early spring to really warm up at Sympathy for the Kettle, which is located on St. Marks Place and is a true departure from the punk and grungy atmosphere usually found on this street (I'm talking about places and people). The café is below the sidewalk, and once inside the teeny, tiny, pink-walled establishment, Sympathy for the Kettle is a veritable storage room for teas from all over the world, from China to Argentina to Wisconsin. There's also a wonderfully rich assortment of antique teapots and kettles, china serveware, and strainers. The place barely seats twenty, but offers private tea parties for bridal showers, book signings, etc.\r
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I decided to sample a beverage called Honey Tea Latte which was kind of chai-like: very smooth and creamy, but made with soy milk and chamomile--I immediately felt my nerves relax from the very first sip. I then decided to splurge a bit (the place doesn't offer entrées) and picked out a little sumthin-sumthin from the dessert tray: a slice of pistachio-rose bread, which was as delicately delicious as it was fragrant. Heaven!
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