Sometimes I drink tea.

Don't get me wrong, (I) cannot live without those 1-2 cups of coffee first thing in the am, but over the last few years, yours truly went from ugh to actually enjoying some chamomile or even the occassional detox brew. For reals. And one of the best places in my book - in terms of tons of menu options and zen cool atmosphere - has gotta be Schastea, Pawtuxet Village.

But wait, because if you're confused, Schastea basically (If Judge Judy were here, she'd be screeching about how basically is a filler word, but whatevs. She needs to take a chill pill.) = The Elephant Room on Broad St. Since expanding to a 2nd location on Broadway in PVD, there's the new name. With all that in mind, here a few menu *secrets* for your next breakfast, lunch or snack break at their original (and my fav) location in The Village:

1. Most Photogenic Tea: Order their Halo (or "Blooming") Tea. It combines a Chinese white, fruity blend, with a ring of flowers that bloom right before your eyes as everything steeps.

*Definitely a drink tailor made for the Boomerang app and social media, but I personally have yet to see a lot of posts attempting to capture. Kind of a shocker.

2. Most Goop-y Tea (In other words, I think GP herself would approve.): It's a tie between their Cleanse (under Ayurveda blends), which is fantastic if you've over-indulged in too many and too much (Highly recommending! I am a fan.), or a pot of their Endurance, which has a whole host of restorative benefits for any body. They also used to have a secret iced tea that wasn't listed anywhere, but ppl in the neighborhood were in the know about. It was a blend of the Endurance and another anti-inflammatory tea that the regulars absolutely adored. Might be worth asking about.

*It also helps if you turn off the ringer on your phone and stop reading texts from ppl asking you to pick up their dog from doggie daycare or pick them up from work downtown during peak rush hour.

3. Closest To Coffee: If you're a newbie to the tea house-ish scene, then ease into it with a Brewed Awakening which combines an intense tea blend mixed back to (You guessed it!) coffee beans. It's got a lot more of kick than any of the others we've chatted about. Since we're on the subject of #coffee tho, I must admit that their French press is also truly outstanding, if and when you find yourself needing to continue to ramp up the java after all. 

*If you want something sweet with your coffee, tea or cocktail (Yassss, they do have tea-infused ones!), consider the crepe in the pic above - a Nutella and banana combo. It's yummy.

Photo Credits: All photos above by Stacey Doyle Photography