I'm not a coffee drinker so whenever I go to a coffee place I tend to get chais. Paul always gets coffee from The Common Ground on the Avenue. I tried their chai both hot and iced and it was gross both ways. Instead of liquid they use a powder which never seems to get mixed fully so you get little chunks of powder in your drink. Plus it doesn't taste good. It reminds me of drinking the leftover milk in your bowl after eating a chocolate flavored cereal. Not good.
So I had high hopes for the new place that opened in the Rotunda at the beginning of the year. It's called Ground Control, which is a highly stupid name in my opinion, but that's neither here nor there. We walked up there this afternoon and I got a chai. The flavor was good unlike at Common Ground, but there wasn't enough of it. I don't know if they didn't use enough syrup or if this is really their recipe because it tasted like steamed milk with a hint of chai flavor. It definitely need more syrup or flavor. Perhaps if I can get them to add extra syrup to mine it will be ok if I get one again. But at this point Hampden is still incapable of making a decent chai.
January 22 2008, 15:12:36 UTC 4 years ago
Teavolve is opening a second location in Harbor East this spring. Still not Hampden, of course.
January 25 2008, 18:52:51 UTC 4 years ago
I have not had the chai at Teavolve but I have had other great tea drinks there, so I'd give them a try. I run a cafe too, bluehouse in Fells Point. We use Sattwa chai tea concentrate and mix it half and half with milk/soymilk. I find it to be really spicy which is why I picked it over a powdered version. One day I hope to make our own chai blend and make it in house (one can dream!).
January 25 2008, 23:32:15 UTC 4 years ago
January 26 2008, 17:33:41 UTC 4 years ago
Wait, Artifact/Woodberry Kitchen had good coffee last time I was there, but I don't know if they have chai. WK's site lists the hours for the coffee bar, so it's open independently of the rest of the restaurant.
I figure I can always make it at home, but sometimes you just don't want to, which is frustrating.