Knitting, Tea, Tapas and Ice Cream!

I was pleasantly surprised this morning when my phone rang and the fabulous Kaitlin was on the other end. Unfortunately, I was taking a nice bath at the time, but when I got out and dressed, I gave her a quick call. She and I haven't had much of a chance to hang out other than at Knit Night, so it was awesome when she asked if I wanted to meet for some knitting, tea and a spot of lunch.

We went to a little spot called Urbana City Spa and TeaBar located in the Carmel Village. The place has been open about a year and a half I heard them say. The place has a very clean and modern feel. Black couches which are perfect for curling up and knitting on, a large ottoman/table in the center and some very comfy chairs. The music is very relaxing and trance-y. Not uber new age or anything. It was nice.

If you are in the Charlotte area, I HIGHLY recommend this spot. We had a lovely Peppermint Ginger Tea. Their tea selection is AMAZING! For lunch we shared the Sharp White Cheddar with Tupelo Honeycomb and Grapes and the Roasted Red Pepper Hummus and Pita Chips with Grapes. (Ummm...I love grapes, so that was all awesome!!!). The food was excellent. By splitting two apps we had more than enough for lunch and a variety. The tea was hot and wonderful - we shared a small pot which was served with honey (they asked if we would like some, but the tea was perfect without it, so I didn't actually add any). They also have wine, so there is more than just tea for us drinkers. Total, we spent less than $20 on our 2 dishes and pot of tea, which one may think is a lot, HOWEVER, the apps were $6 each and the tea was $5 I think - I usually spend $8-9 at knit night at our usual place, so it is comparable, the food was fantastic and the atmosphere was amazing. I was really expecting it to be more expensive, so I was shocked when I saw the menu.

We sat there for several hours - knitting and chatting. The staff was friendly, observant, sweet and knowledgeable. They didn't hover, but noticed when K got chilly and brought her a blanket. The fluffy carpet makes you want to take your shoes off and dig your toes in...and I did (come on, you all know I only wear shoes so that I can wear HOT socks!). There is also a massage spa. They don't offer facials or other spa services, but the massage offerings are varied and I saw a lot of couples coming in for couples massages - massage is something I enjoy. A lot. I am thinking there is going to be a hot rocks massage in my near future.

They offer the Dani body products. Let me tell you the Lemongrass Lavender Soy and Shea Body Butter is just heavenly - we wanted a travel size to put in our purses for daily hand use! There was also a lotion bar which I should have noted the name of (bad blogger!!! no pics and no name!!!!). I like lotion bars for my purse as they are great for toting when you knit and you don't have to worry about it leaking or getting weird in the temp changes (because here in the South it can me 95 outside and 60 inside...20 if you are in my office).

One of the men who works there used to work in the yarn industry, so we talked yarn and about the socks I was working on. He loved the Baby Boom I was working with and talked to me about fiber content. He knew it was wool and that there was something else (yes, it is treated to be superwash. nice catch. He gets an A+). The other clients were quiet and respectful. Several commented on the knitting. A crocheter commented on my socks and I invited her to come out - and that we would teach her to knit since she expressed an interest.

Over all, I would totally recommend this place. I loved it and totally plan to go back.

Next, we were bad and hit Marble Slab for ice cream...opps. And more knitting. I don't think I need to talk about the greatness that is Marble Slab. I had Double Dark Chocolate with Raspberries.

Came home and was so relaxed, I took a nap. It was a beautiful afternoon full of good food, good tea, good friend and good atmosphere!