The Leland Tea Co. is such a jeweled find in the outskirts of San Francisco’s Nob Hill/Tenderloin area. It’s open spacious, homey, and clean atmosphere lures you in from the busy street. But don’t expect to get a simple pot of tea. Will and his crew create amazing blends using dried flowers, fruits, spices and of course tea. They’re also nortorious for blending tea with other teas, who would have thought a black tea and a green tea would taste like a creamsicle (orange dream). Lots of the ingredients are organic and fair trade. You can’t beat that.
Will Otero, the owner of Leland Tea, is just as great as the tea blends he creates. Stop in and you’ll most likely see him chatting with whomever may be at the counter, with his boisterous laugh permeating the entire tea shop. There is a loose leaf tea bar where customers are encouraged to open the cans and take a sniff of his unique blended teas. One of the coolest things (and you can tell he loves doing this) is when he ecourages people to take two canisters, open them up and smell them together. Anyone can tell he loves watching people be creative, and making that creativity a reality in a tea pot. Clever! Oh, you’re clever Will, you really are. You inspire me, to get more inventive with chocolate.
He’s also got a tea blend called ‘Kisses’ which has chocolate nibs, Chinese black tea, and organic rosebuds.
The week I meet Will, he invited me to come to Puerto Rican night with all you can eat Puerto Rican food, a live band and dancing. Proceeds from the event I attended, benefited a non-profit organization for At Risk Seniors. I decided to showup with a few dozen Jade Chocolates prototype truffles, all made with Leland Tea. The band played some great Latin jazz, and to my surprise, they were all in high school! I was blown away. ‘Hijo de la Musica Latina isn’t any ordinary high school level band.
Pictured above are the Leland Tea Dancers. The guy in the khaki shorts is Will, enjoying the night as much as his patrons. Stop by his shop and hopefully you’ll be just as fascinated about Leland Teas as I am. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I made an appointment to see Will at his tea shop, Just sell my chocolate bars at his shop? Nooo. Perhaps a collaboration of Jade Chocolates and Leland Tea Truffles are on the chopping board. Stay tuned.
