Yummy + Tummy | Best Chai in the Twin Cities

Yes, I am starting yet another series on the blog. I have a great passion for  finding little hole in the wall places to eat & drink.  I want to share with you a peek of my favorite lil’ places. So, Yummy + Tummy will feature a restaurant, cafe or bar. Also, if you have any favorites send them my way, we are always looking at new places to try. Leave a comment with the details, I would love to hear from you!

First up on the list | Indigo Tea Co.

Now I have to give you a little background on my obsession with Chai. Around 2 years ago after a long fall run,  I stumbled upon a place called Nina’s in St. Paul. I was with my good friend Mitch and we ordered a chai to warm up. What I tasted was absolutely amazing, I fell in love instantly. Nina’s serves Big Train Chai it is a powdered mix that is pretty great. From that fall day on, I never bought another chai from Caribou/Starbucks/Dunn Brothers. It just wasn’t the same. I found myself asking every coffee shop what type of chai they carried and if it wasn’t Big Train I would pass. I became a self-proclaimed Chai Snob. 🙂 I would purposely drive through St. Paul to make a stop at Nina’s, met with clients there, anything just to have people taste this amazing chai. Nina’s also has great organic fresh food. Yum!

Anyways, a friend mentioned Indigo to me and I brushed it off. Nothing could be better than Big Train I thought, I had searched 2 years and nothing could beat it. What got me through the door was that I found out they sold packets of Big Train and so I stopped in. I grabbed my 5 little packets and went up to the cash register and order a Chai. I kindly mentioned (Chai Snob kicked in here)  that I specifically wanted their Big Train chai and the girl behind the counter looked at me like I was crazy. She quickly explained that Big Train was just an instant mix, and that Indigo served fresh Chai daily from the tea leaves. I was skeptical at first, again thinking nothing could beat my favorite chai in the world. But, just look at this yummy stuff.

The Masala Chai at Indigo is AMAZING, UNBELIEVABLE! It knocks Big Train chai right out of the park. If I could start my day every morning with one large chai + indigo’s cranberry scones I would be in heaven. This drink has blown me away, and I have been going to get one as often as I can. Often meaning.. like they know my order and will start it as they see me walk in the door often.

The owners Neal & Annie really have put a lot of work into making this place cute and relaxing. You can also sit on tatami rice mats (or on chairs at tables ) and sip your tea.

I also love that they have decorative pillows on their benches. It’s makes the experience feel like home.  Also, they have all of their teas for sale and you can smell each of them in the sample area. I have never had such fresh tea. It is fabulous. They also serve the famous Bubble Tea.

So take a stop in and try out a tea at Indigo. Check out their website for hrs & directions. I promise you will not be disappointed.