Where else but a tea parlor like Bosie’s can so much fun, history, and flavor be found?
Tea is the world’s most popular drink next to water. The culture of tea embraces a diversity of history and places: from Buddhist monks to English High Tea, to Indian tea gardens to Chinese scholars, the revered Japanese tea ceremony to the Mad Hatter and the Boston Tea Party to today’s you-know-who, tea has greatly influenced the world.
So it isn’t surprising that Greenwich Village – home to a diversity of styles and culture, boasts a new tea experience.
What is surprising is how little most New Yorkers know about tea.
Bosie Tea Parlor – scheduled to officially open the week of April 11th is sure to bewitch soon-to-be tea enthusiasts with its tea cuisine and ambience.
Located just off Bleeker on Morton, a quiet side street is Bosie.
Furnished in dark wood walls and tables, the copper tea canisters sparkle behind the bar counter like an upscale apothecary, and the glass jewel-like case is adorned with macarons and tea cakes.
The culinary tea awaking is the brainchild of partners Nicky Dawda and tea sprite Kiley Holliday.
Before taking in the cozy yet smart restaurant, Kiley’s engaging and welcoming tea lore has customers swooning with curiosity and delight. There are more than 80 different teas available for tasting and pandering one’s tea-time palate.
Bosie’s confections are made by Damien Herrgott, who hails from Ladurée in Paris and Bouley Bakery, NYC http://www.davidbouley.com/
Chris Silversen, former chef at 21 Club and now Maritime Park http://maritimeparc.com/
creates the savory menu. Nick and Kiley worked with Chris, supplying tea for his operations from their wholesale tea business. He agreed to help out with their Bosie restaurant venture, cooking up the tantalizing tea sandwiches, quiche, salads, and soups and panini.
Tea Master Kiley is an energetic, fascinating mélange of history, culture and new-age health advocate, who met her future business partner, Nicky, when she was his personal yoga instructor.
No stranger to restaurants and culinary art, Nicky owns two Noodle Bar restaurants http://www.noodlebarnyc.com/
in New York City located on the Lower East Side that he opened after a successful career in finance.
A Los Angeles transplant, Kiley moved to New York to study history at NYU. Pulling more than a few late-nighters for exams, she soon switched from imbibing the jitter-inducing coffee to the sublime world of tea.
She never looked back.
A whole new world of history and taste was upon her.
Nicky and Kiley collaborated on a successful tea wholesale and online business -- after he proposed the two delve into a crash course in tea history and cultivating grower resources. It was off to India, China and Japan.
Today, Kiley is the brainy goddess of tea. She has the bona fides. She knows her top shelf organic teas from the green and black and Darjeelings, and can recite the optimal brewing times for any of the teas: estate, or her own custom, signature brews.
Think fairy tale flavor combos like almond cookie rooibos, gingerbread, coconut and strawberry green.
To watch her whisk a green matcha tea with almond milk is not unlike seeing a sorcerer whip a bit of magical alchemy. Performance art!
She also offers a coquettish grin when asked how the name Bosie came about. “Bosie was Oscar Wilde’s main lover.” There is a bit of intriguing lore about that that appeals to her love of history and literature and art. “Wilde is my favorite writer and the name reminds me that some things are overtly good for you -- and tawdry and decadent at the same time,” she adds with a bit of a wink.
According to Nicky, tea is a luxury, and an affordable one. “For not more than $10, guests can enjoy splurging on a treat without breaking the bank.” The partners agreed there is a huge opportunity for cultivating a tea culture clientele in New York.
Already, the duo has supplied custom tea exclusives for the likes of In Style magazine and fashion clients. Boise will also offer customized gift packages at the restaurant.
Take home teas are hand-filled into elegant small black tins with red cover art and hand written labels. Very glamorous.
Customers will discover they can splurge on high tea, giddy while pairing the variety of brews with six triangle sandwiches, two different tea cakes and two scones with clotted cream.
Nearly 80 varieties of L’Age de Thé http://www.lagedethe.com/
from estate teas to Kiley’s custom signature blends prevail.
Prices for a pot of tea rang from $6 to a little more than double that depending on the selection of tea. The high-end matcha Kiley coyly named “Beverly Hills” tea costs upwards of $100 for 1.5 oz! Pastries run from $2 to $19.
Bosie’s Sweet Menu tempts with a selection of 20 flavors of melt-in-your-mouth macarons including vanilla, pistachio, chai and caramel, pb&j, tea cakes (the match with passion fruit is especially fabulous), cookies, Madeleine’s, financiers, and French pastries.
Bosie will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Bosie Tea Parlor
10 Morton Street – off Bleeker Street
212-352-9900
See Examiner.com article: http://tiny.cc/3minm
So good decoration. I love your garnishing style. I enjoy your blog here.
ReplyDeletedean graziosi
Thank you, Dean. I like your style too :) Are a cook? I very much appreciate your comments about the blog. I love writing it for you and those who love and admire good food, gardens, farms, community gardens... This week I will be reviewing David Burke's new restaurant, Kitchen. stay tuned.... Did you get over to Bosie?
ReplyDeleteBosie has beautiful new flatware from India and handmade porcelain plates from Nicky's friend, Kerithe, from Long Island. I will publish some images shortly. Beautiful...
ReplyDelete