By Cami Beiter ~~~~~ When I get a hankerin’ for something tasty, I’ll often go to great lengths to get it. I’ll squeeze in an “errand” 15 miles out of the way to taste the best sub in town, bribe a kid or friend to accompany me to satisfy my disgusting coffee addiction or chicken burrito fetish. I’ve perfected the art of scheduled to-do’s around my favorite geographical must-have-foodies.
Here’s my newest “addiction:”
On Mother’s Day, my family and I enjoyed an early dinner on Farmington Ave. in West Hartford. It was a beautiful day; people walking about, sun was shining, shaded outdoor dining. After our meal, I stumbled upon my latest must-stop-when-in-West-Hartford-food-pitstop. It’s a small shop called, Tea Break, a well lit, clean, modern place located at 944 Farmington Ave.
This is not your ordinary tea house. It serves the trendy new Taiwanese “Bubble Tea.” Curious to try it out, I ordered a Strawberry Ice Blended with Lychee (clear tropical fruit tastes like a gummy bear) De CoCo. I had them add some bubble balls, marble-sized pearls of chewy tapioca, for good measure. What the hell, balls through a straw is something I’ve yet to try.
I poked the thumb-sized straw through the top, swished it around a bit and took a tiny sip. Holy smokes! Took a BIG sip, then a BIGGER sip. The lychee and balls passed through with no effort…brilliant. It was delicious, sweet, light, slushy, chewy…yes, chewy. My taste buds were invigorated! When walking out, I told anyone who’d listen how heavenly and refreshing my beverage was…enough to embarrass my daughter. I live for moments such as these.
I’ve been to Tea Break a handful of times. Like clockwork, I salivate and breach all West Hartford parking etiquette before even approaching the front door. Like an impatient toddler waiting for a sippy-cup, my eyes pop and fingers quickly dance before being given my hoarded strawberry treasure. Thank God the largest size is 20 ounces, enough to fill the stomach of a small elephant and keep me satisfied for a bit.
Like any junky, I do have a fear. What if I can no longer enjoy the sweet slushy taste of strawberries? The chewy consistency of lychee and the slimy texture of those tasty tapioca balls? The joy of slurping it all through a thumb-sized straw? What if Tea Break doesn’t make it? Businesses in West Hartford are hit-n-miss. Are people willing to have cold beverages in the winter? Enough to sustain the high rent area of Farmington Ave?
So in order to feed my food fetish, I will bribe friends and family, shamelessly plug Tea Break on this website and embarrass my daughter telling anyone and everyone about my new favorite place in the hope those tasty balls in West Hartford will stay put.