Place: Commissary at The Line Hotel, 3515 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010
Tea of Choice: English Breakfast & Rooibos
Giraffe Rating (out of 5 | for tea): 3.78
THIS GIRLY IS GETTING HITCHED!!
Samantha (almost née) Seah nuptials are looming, and quite frankly it's the Christian Challenge event of the season (taking the top spot with Challenge Prom, obviously); however, we did not go to tea to talk "wedding", for she is so much more than that. What I admire most about Sammie is that no matter the task at hand she goes at everything with such a focus, drive and intensity. This woman can put anybody's study habits to shame. I once walked in on her with her head buried in a mound of papers, eyes narrowed with determination, a single bead of sweat rolled down her face from sheer concentration whilst studying for a GE that she was taking Pass/No Pass! The rest of us are out here trying to make sure 1 + 1 still equals 2 (or does it = window?).
Not only is she brilliantly bright, but she also exudes kindness and warmth. Sammie is about half my size but with quadruple the heart. Her smile lights up the room (please see above) and she's not afraid to be goofy as heck. This girl is a Class A Nut Job, but this is the quality I most love about her; she doesn't take herself too seriously. On top of all of this (How can there be more??), Sammie's a straight up fashionista, I'm talking #stylegoals (hopefully I can get an exclusive on who she'll be wearing for the big day, and I know that it'll not disappoint).
Instead of the romantic dinner and a movie, we went for dinner and TEA*. It should be noted that Commissary by itself deserves 4.7575 giraffes, the ambiance and the food were sublime, but the tea itself deserves 3.5 giraffes. Sammie opted for the Rooibos tea, which is colloquially known as "red tea", and I *can you guess* went with the English Breakfast Tea sans milk or sugar. The tea was a little bitter, such is the nature of strong black tea, but this particular leaf grew on me with time. Also, they provided HUGE individual pots of tea, which I am always a fan of. If you're looking for food recommendations I would highly recommend the Avocado Toast, I don't even eat avocado - but this dish is too yummy to miss.
Pros: THEY'VE MADE A GREENHOUSE IN THE MIDDLE OF LA - I'm a stickler for trees and green things since you so rarely see such things in the desert of LA, much green, very happy. (Could be considered a con by some as we're in a drought and plants require water, but I'm willing to overlook this minor detail). This is a great place to sit and people watch, as the different facets of the LA scene sit and rub shoulders.
Cons: $$$ - that's really my only personal con, but the price in itself could be a big enough deterrent. Same warning as previous locations - Commissary, probably even more so than some of the other locations, is the epitome of LA Hipster Scene. Don't like Hipsters? Don't go here. If you want to sit inside the groovy greenhouse you have to sit at a "community table", the only way to obtain a private table is to sit outside; which in my opinion defeats the objective of going to the Commissary.
Thank you for coming to tea with me, Sammie Doodle.
*even better and not cliché
Until next time,
BG