Mr. Trombly's Tea
California culture boasts about their roasted beans but tea leaves started the hot beverage craze since ancient times, enjoyed as early as the second century BC during the Han Dynasty. It’s tea time to make a comeback! Though, it isn’t a recent thing. The Brits are the leaf lords of tea, drinking at least one cup each day during a period of the afternoon known for being as intimate as breaking bread. Used to console, bond, and relax, tea time is making strides yet again.
Along the windy road toward Jenner lies a tiny pit stop known as Duncan’s Mills, a town as large as my neighborhood with a handful of shops and eateries on both sides of River Road. With the setting looking like it came straight out of a western, this town holds grit and charm. Tucked in the back of the north side of the road sits a little (in size) but well known tea shop, Mr. Trombly’s. The shop offers you a cornucopia of tea accessories and a wall full of loose leave teas encased in large glass jars. Each flavor and strand has a little box sitting in front of it for you to open and smell. The aromas ranged from earthy and citrus to spicy and rich with a few chocolaty sweet teas. Upon arrival we were offered a sample of the orange cookie tea which tasted just like an orange biscuit.
My favorites were the Immunity Booster and Gin Cha Cha which offered herbal relief and awesome aromas. The Immunity Booster is full of ginger, rosehips, and lemongrass, and steeps into a red tea that has a citrus healing taste. The Gin cha cha is a mellow herbal tea with subtle notes of papaya and mango rounded off with an earthy green finish.
When I finished my purchase, I went across the way to a patio seat of Cape Fear Cafe. There I was able to order lunch and a select Mr. Trombly’s tea. Another way to be enchanted in Duncan’s Mills and tempted to stay forever. I indulged in the Red Chai for a little caffeine boost which helped digest my delicious sea inspired lunch.
On the car ride to or from the ocean, Duncan's Mills is worth a stop. Whether just for the tea or the many other gems within, you will find the rapture delightful. Don’t skip the tea!
Espresso drinker aside, you can find something rich and caffeinated to substitute your coffee kick. Plus, tea is proven to be a much better beverage because, unlike coffee, it contains Theanine, a compound that relaxes you. In combination with the caffeine in the tea, Theanine counteracts all the undesirable traits of coffee like the jitters, antsy feelings, raised heart rate, shakes, etc.
