On Saturday, I had the great opportunity to enjoy my 9 mile run with Dori and Melissa. I had never met Melissa before but by the time we hit the 1 mile mark the three of us were all laughing and finding common topics. It was a very successful “blind date run” if I do say so myself. We ran 5 miles from Dori’s apartment towards the park and then around the park before entering for the NYRR Race for Haiti. Unfortunately, we had about 15 minutes standing around before the race started. But, we used this opportunity to stretch a bit, pretend we were 7 minute milers, and check out some awesome running peers. At one point I was standing next to a woman who had completed an Ironman Triathalon and a guy about 6’5 who was wearing a backpack and sporting badges from multiple continents. He definitely looked like an adventure runner! The four miles in the park went pretty well though I’ve found that I will never PR if I talk during the run. I’m too new at talking while running to also keep a challenging pace. Therefore, our pace during the first three miles was around a 10:15 vs the normal 9:45 i’d try to keep in races. However, talking did ensure that any hills went by VERY easily. I think the hills are getting easier since i’ve done them every weekend for the past month. The final mile was tough for me as I got a horrible side stitch/cramp. I don’t know why this happened but it meant that my final mile was not a sprint but a bit of a hobble. I finished strong and never gave into walking though which made me proud! I’ve decided that i’m definitely doing the NYRR Coogan’s 5k on March 7th in hopes of setting a PR. I’ve been building speedwork into my weekly training plan along with the hills so it will be great to see what my legs can do. I’d love to break 28:30!

After the race Dori had to hurry off to her fabulous behind the scenes tour of the Lite Choice with LilVeggiePatch. (Bo has already told me that he wants a tour of Lite Choice as he has always wondered how they make the flavors. Hopefully it’s in our future!) While Melissa and I didn’t have any awesome plans like that, we decided that 9 miles and a new friendship definitely deserved a delicious brunch.  Melissa quickly named multiple places in the area but as soon as I heard Alice’s Tea Cup I was sold! Two weeks ago, after the blogger brunch Meghann and I stopped in here to pick up some delicious tea to go. I’d never heard of this divine, cozy, restaurant until last weekend and had been craving it ever since! We were within three blocks of Alice’s Tea Cup Chapter II which is located at 156 East 64th street.

Alice’s Tea Cup was a dream come true for its two founders. After a lifetime of enjoying afternoon tea, they finally started their own cafe where patrons could enjoy delicious teas and healthy fare. Each item on the menu is made to order and each tea is given at least 3 minutes so it brews to perfection. Entering Alice’s Tea Cup makes one come alive with the whimsical and light hearted colors and paintings around the space recreating the images of Alice in Wonderland. However, this is not a place only for the young but also the young at heart! They serve breakfast, lunch, and such from 8am until 8pm Monday through Friday and brunch on Saturday and Sunday until 3pm. In addition, they serve great drinks like Mar “tea” nis during brunch and their happy hour! I definitely think there needs to be a blogger meet up there soon for a happy hour!

After a 20 minute wait Melissa and I were seated upstairs surrounded by other runners. We were overwhelmed by the amazing menu which is more than FOUR PAGES long! We started by choosing two teas to share, Alice’s Tea and Chai Tea. Alice’s Tea is their most popular tea and was filled with rich spice flavors. The chai tea was served with skim milk already added so it was like a wonderful latte! These teas were the wonderful warmth we needed after the chilly run. Their brunch selection is amazing and is sure to please any patron whether they want a cheeseburger with sauteed onions or divine french toast. Dori suggested their french toast which is mini bites of french toast infused with brandy baked bread pudding style. WOW! After a long debate we decided that their Mad Hatter for Two was the perfect brunch option for two girls who wanted to sample everything. We were able to share two sandwiches (Albacore Tuna and lapsong smoked chicken/herbed goat cheese/apple), three scones (pumpkin, chocolate, and cheese/ham), tea, and cookies. We were only able to enjoy the sandwiches, tea, and 1/2 the pumpkin and chocolate scones before our fullness stopped us from sampling more. Melissa and I thoroughly enjoyed everything and never stopped chatting once during the hour and a half brunch. There was so much to talk about since we’d only met a few hours earlier! I look forward to another running date and hopefully a double date with she and her boyfriend soon.

They happily boxed the leftovers for me so Bo could enjoy them later for lunch. Everything was absolutely delicious including the leftovers. Bo said the ham and cheese scone was a delightful savory mixture that reminded him of everything that he loved about the South’s bacon and biscuits. He devoured it for lunch as soon as I walked through the door!

Thank you Alice’s Tea Room for an amazing post run brunch. I can’t wait to return!

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