Thursday, May 20, 2010

Have you seen a blue turtle in Westerville?

We've been blessed with another fantastic place to eat in Westerville -- the Blue Turtle Tea and Spice Company, 2 S. State St. (diagonally across the State Street/College Avenue intersection from Grater's Ice Cream.) Originally opened as a quaint and quirky shop offering organic tea and spice products, it as evolved into a wonderful place to grab lunch and dinner (or attend special Sunday events such as murder mystery dinners and Mothers/Fathers Day seatings.) You can also stop in anytime for a cup of hot tea or a glass of iced tea, and some friendly conversation.
A group of friends gathered there last night to gab, and devour some delicious food, prepared by owner Amanda's brother, a chef recently profiled on Table Talk, by Columbus Dining Guide.com. We started with iced tea, brewed individually for each of us (I had Thai Pear; I also heard raves about the Georgia Peach). Some of the organic creations sampled by our group included a crab cake sandwich, apricot curried chicken salad and jerk chicken quesadillas, each served with a side of zesty pasta salad. Their soup of the day was cream of spinach, just right for a crisp spring evening. Amanda advises the menu changes weekly, but I was happy to hear she loves crab cakes more than life itself, giving me hope for more this summer.
Of course we succumbed to the lure of the dessert menu, which features creations by Sugardaddys. Amanda commented that she'd never seen a group of such close friends be so quiet -- we were swooning with every bite of Tahitian (or mint) brownies and amber walnut cheesecake with brownie crust, and there just didn't seem any need for words.
The location holds a special place in my heart -- it was for many many years Brinkman's Pharmacy, one of those great old corner drugstores where I worked during college. It has a whole new vibe, but I was glad to be there again.
After indulging, there was time for a little shopping. I can't wait to try the Sweet Onion organic sugar I brought home -- recommended for sprinkling on asparagus, or on shrimp before grilling. They probably have about 200 more products calling my name -- I'll be back for food, tea and spices!

2 comments:

  1. Oh my gosh I gotta go! This is the first I've heard of it. Be lookin' for me, Aunt Bea!

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  2. I went back for lunch on Friday with my better half. He devoured the crab cake sandwich, calling it one of the best he's ever eaten (and he's sampled them up and down the Eastern seabord, believe me!)and I had the lemon dill shrimp salad. Lots of perfectly cooked cold shrimp tossed with a lemony dill dressing, served on organic greens with a side of their homemade/home-bottled? balsamic viniagrette dressing. We shared a Sugardaddy's brownie, and tasted with Georgia Peach red tea. I had to buy a bottle of the balsamic dressing and a take-home container of their homemade chive hummus for snacking over the weekend. I'm so glad we can walk there -- I don't feel so bad about 2 desserts in one week!

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