We Need a Mariage Frères in NYC

Some Mariage Frères Earl Grey French Blue tea, recently delivered by Mandy.

When one finds something that makes you so indescribably happy, so content, you deserve to stick with it. For me, teatime with a blend from Parisian tea purveyor Mariage Frères is one of those things. In my mind, this store--around since the 19th century--deals pure French. The blends are incredibly fragrant and delicate. Rather than the smack in the face one gets from a morning cup of British-style Darjeeling or English Breakfast (and don't get me wrong--sometimes I need said slap, and it is much appreciated), these teas are contentment and beauty in a cup, and kind of like drinking the countryside. They make a dreary dull day, a long winter, a rough moment much more tolerable. Forget Zoloft. Get me some Roi des Earl Gray. Bergamot heaven.

I received a tin of Earl Grey Imperial from Jimmy a few years back, and though I've been a lover of tea since my study abroad time in London, these little dried, bergamot-infused leaves changed everything.

As I sip my tea (today it was Casablanca, a blend of green tea and mint), I wish I could be magically (or scientifically) transported to the shop in the Marais. The wall of tea canisters behind the counter...so many possibilities...so little sniffing time. It's a must-go for any Paris adventure, especially as the tea there is reasonably priced, and here in NYC it's stupidly expensive (thank you Dean & DePuca and the other evil overpriced food halls...).

What more can I say. Go there. Buy some tea. You'll say, "Thank you VendrediFriday!"