Best chai in town? Surprise -- it's at Borders

By Cynthia Schnitzler

October 31, 2007 | I've always been a big fan of chai. I love the way it tastes, the way it smells, the way it always reminds me of Christmas even when it's ridiculously hot outside. I generally make my own chai at home, because then I can make it just the way I like it -- the perfect amount of honey, and just enough milk to make it creamy without drowning out all the spices. A traditional cup of chai can have upwards of a half-dozen spices in it. Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cardamom -- all of them bring a distinct flavor to the finished drink. But it's a pain to spend the better part of an hour next to the stove to brew it all up.

My problem with chai in coffeehouses is the fact that they generally take a powdered or syrup mix or a tea bag that's supposed to taste like chai and mix something up and call it chai. Regardless of how they make it, though, if they do it right it can still taste pretty good. So in hopes of saving myself a couple of extra hours this winter season, I decided to hit a few of the local coffeehouses and try out their chai tea.

I hit Caffe Ibis first, because it's been one of my favorite coffee places for a long time. The Ibis is laid-back and relaxed, the people are friendly, the service leaves nothing to be desired and the biggest problem I have with their coffee is the fact that they have so many choices that it takes me forever to decide what I want. They also support many different organizations, including a few local ones, and they pretty much always have a local artist's work on display throughout the establishment.

The cup of chai I ordered was good, but it lacked the spicy-tea flavor that I really enjoy about chai. It seemed that it was mostly fluff, honestly, in the sense that most of it was milk and cream. It could be that they just accidentally put a little too much in it while they were making it, and because I love this place so much I'll be giving their chai another shot eventually.

I hit the Citrus and Sage next. I had heard about this place a while back, but never went because I am a creature of habit. I finally went a few weeks ago for the first time with a friend of mine for Helicon West, an open-mic night for authors to read their poetry and literature (held every second and fourth Thursday of every month). After that first visit, I knew I liked the European coffeehouse-style ambiance and the people there -- and I knew they made a great latte.

Turns out their chai is pretty good, too. It was a little sweeter than I generally make mine, but it still had the creaminess and the spicy flavor that I always love. They also serve it in a real mug, if you stay to drink it, and it was wonderful to take my steaming mug of cinnamon-sprinkled tea and sit in a big, overstuffed chair. It seemed much more like a friend's home that just a regular coffee place. No paper cups with cardboard java-jackets here.

The last spot I hit was the cafe in Borders. I was a little disappointed at first that I had to resort to a place that wasn't actually a "coffee shop" to get a third option, but to be honest, I was glad I did. I think of all my options, the chai that I had at Borders was the best. This surprised me, honestly, and I kind of feel bad about the fact that it did. Just because a café isn't a real coffee place doesn't mean that it can't have good drinks. It was lacking the mood and feel that both Caffe Ibis and Citrus and Sage have, to a great extent, but if I were to go at the right time, it has live music just like its counterparts. They also don't mind if you take your purchases into the rest of the store, as long as you're careful about it, and since I'm a movie fanatic and I love to read, this makes up for any other lack the store might have. I can also always bring my own book and some headphones if I'm feeling picky.

I've always loved brewing my own chai, and I'm sure I'll continue to do so, but there are stretches during the semester where I just don't have time to spend an hour stirring brewing tea. It's nice to know that when crunch-time rolls around, I know of a few places in town where I can go to satisfy my chai-craving.

NW
MS