(tas)tea

My friend, Betsy, and I met for dinner last Saturday night, and as we were leaving the restaurant with full tummies - but not so full that there wasn't room for a little more - we decided to stop by Argo Tea that was right up the street. Neither of us really knew what we wanted, but when we got to the counter we saw samples of the newest flavor creation - the Pumpkin Chai Tea - and after just one sip we both said, "I'll take one!"

This is my new favorite drink, and I haven't stopped thinking - or talking - about it all week, and so I was very happy to be reminded this morning that there is an Argo Tea right there on the first floor at the Merchandise Mart and I could get myself another of those yummy drinks. Now I am happily sipping my tea as I type.

I'd never had chai tea before... and I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I actually thought it was a coffee drink. (Even though I am aware that it says nothing of coffee in the name, I still thought it was coffee. Probably because of all that other coffee lingo that non-coffee drinkers never learn - lattes, macchiatos, frappuccinos - I just figured this was another one.) So, anyway, now I'm happily hooked on (non-coffee!) chai.

But let me get back to the pumpkin-y goodness that is the Pumpkin Chai. Warm and spicy and with a nice pumpkin flavor - it's almost like eating a slice of pumpkin pie but without the calories. (Actually, I don't know that, because lord knows I've seen the calorie counts on a few of those other drinks posing as harmless. To tell the truth, I don't even want to know what's in this... I'd rather enjoy it blissfully ignorant of what's inside. Although I do order skim milk just to be on the safe side.)

So, I don't know if Argo's are everywhere or if they're just a Chicago thing, but if you get a chance to stop by, be sure to try the Pumpkin Chai Tea. It's the perfect fall drink.

(Can I just say how annoying it is to type chai again and again? Especially when I repeatedly mistype it as chair. Thank goodness for spellcheck!)