The intoxicating aroma wafting down King Street isn't just flowers these days. The Logsdon Commercial Group is pleased to announce the official grand opening of our client, The Spice and Tea Exchange of Old Town! This unique addition to Gatsby's Arcade, which just opened at 320 King Street in Alexandria across from Market Square, is an amazing emporium of exotic gourmet spices, cooking herbs, 60+ hand-mixed signature blends, seasonings from around the globe, and a generous selection of loose teas. You'll be drawn in by the smells and atmosphere as soon as you open the door. Owners Joy Quinn and Taruna Reddy have created a foodie's paradise but with a trading post feel. Veteran chefs will feel at home as will novice cooks.
As the 13th location of the successful Spice and Tea Exchange franchise which originated in Florida, they're also first store to open in the D.C. area... but hopefully not the last (alas, if you live in Tysons or Bethesda, you'll have to take a short trip to scenic Old Town for now). Their slogan is "come in and smell the spices" and they want you to do that without abandon. Open up the hundreds of glass jars -- filled with such gems as Vietnamese cinnamon, freshly ground coriander, whole fenugreek, several kinds of paprika, saffron, Grains of Paradise (seeds from a ginger and cardamom-like plant), numerous curries, all sorts of dried and group peppers, dried shallots -- and just stick your nose in.
I spent no less than an hour milling around sticking my nose into every jar of spices, tea, herbs I'd never heard of, and salts I didn't know existed. Did you know that Hawaii sources red sea salt and Himalaya produces mineral salt? Also useful for the upcoming grilling season is powdered hickory and mesquite.
The staff is extremely helpful in suggesting which spice blends, peppers, sugars, spices, herbs,
and assortment of salts can liven up various dishes. You can even watch them mixing custom blends on site. Some of the blends are really unique and can make whipping up a new family favorite a breeze. I picked up some Gumbo File (pronounced "fee-lay") powder, which consists of ground sassafras leaves mixed with a little ground thyme. They also offer several meat and seafood rubs, ethnic blends, an intriguing popcorn seasoning. For the truly lazy cooks (ahem, me), such go-to options as dried burgundy wine, dried beer, and a nice assortment of dried cheeses are a bonus.
Tea drinkers rejoice! There is an impressive selection of loose teas and tea blends including black tea blends, unique green teas like Kyoto rice tea, Peony white tea, red tea, and herbal varieties. Not usually one to give into fruity concoctions, the California Fields tea -- a delightful marriage of black and green tea blended with California sunflowers, rhubarb, and cactus flowers -- has quickly become my new morning addiction. Plus you can get unique accessories to brew tea and store your spices that are great for your home or idea for hard-to-buy giftees (i.e. everyone on my list). Also of interest are the dried flowers and berries, which are not only fun to experiment with but can also double as room sachets (the lavender is heavenly).
The Spice & Tea Exchange is one of the few retail stores in Old Town that's open until 9:00 PM Thursday through Saturday for after-dinner browsing. Read more about them on their website and be sure to join their Facebook page! Also, give them at 571-312-8505.
As the 13th location of the successful Spice and Tea Exchange franchise which originated in Florida, they're also first store to open in the D.C. area... but hopefully not the last (alas, if you live in Tysons or Bethesda, you'll have to take a short trip to scenic Old Town for now). Their slogan is "come in and smell the spices" and they want you to do that without abandon. Open up the hundreds of glass jars -- filled with such gems as Vietnamese cinnamon, freshly ground coriander, whole fenugreek, several kinds of paprika, saffron, Grains of Paradise (seeds from a ginger and cardamom-like plant), numerous curries, all sorts of dried and group peppers, dried shallots -- and just stick your nose in.I spent no less than an hour milling around sticking my nose into every jar of spices, tea, herbs I'd never heard of, and salts I didn't know existed. Did you know that Hawaii sources red sea salt and Himalaya produces mineral salt? Also useful for the upcoming grilling season is powdered hickory and mesquite.
The staff is extremely helpful in suggesting which spice blends, peppers, sugars, spices, herbs,
and assortment of salts can liven up various dishes. You can even watch them mixing custom blends on site. Some of the blends are really unique and can make whipping up a new family favorite a breeze. I picked up some Gumbo File (pronounced "fee-lay") powder, which consists of ground sassafras leaves mixed with a little ground thyme. They also offer several meat and seafood rubs, ethnic blends, an intriguing popcorn seasoning. For the truly lazy cooks (ahem, me), such go-to options as dried burgundy wine, dried beer, and a nice assortment of dried cheeses are a bonus.Tea drinkers rejoice! There is an impressive selection of loose teas and tea blends including black tea blends, unique green teas like Kyoto rice tea, Peony white tea, red tea, and herbal varieties. Not usually one to give into fruity concoctions, the California Fields tea -- a delightful marriage of black and green tea blended with California sunflowers, rhubarb, and cactus flowers -- has quickly become my new morning addiction. Plus you can get unique accessories to brew tea and store your spices that are great for your home or idea for hard-to-buy giftees (i.e. everyone on my list). Also of interest are the dried flowers and berries, which are not only fun to experiment with but can also double as room sachets (the lavender is heavenly).The Spice & Tea Exchange is one of the few retail stores in Old Town that's open until 9:00 PM Thursday through Saturday for after-dinner browsing. Read more about them on their website and be sure to join their Facebook page! Also, give them at 571-312-8505.
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