Tea for two and cheese for three

A few weeks ago I posted about seven things to do to take the chill out of  a Des Moines winter. On Wednesday, I checked two little local adventures off the list!

Joe and I started the morning at Gong Fu Tea with a traditional Gong Fu style ceremony. It was fun to go on a sunrise date, with the sky pink on the east side of the city.

I don’t really recommend trying to squeeze in a whole ceremonial tea service before work, because it’s really not the thing to do in a rush, but I was on deadline. It was still lovely. Tea has been prepared this way in China since the 1300s, and it’s a great almost meditative way to relax because you’re doing multiple steepings in a tiny clay teapot. The service is for two people, and $8 each. It’s available at limited times because it takes the staff about 15 minutes to explain, so they can’t be super busy.

After work, I met up with my friends Chelsea and Holly for fondue night at The Cheese Shop. Check their Facebook for specific fondue nights, and be prepared to wait for a table! The place was bustling right after work. It’s $30 to share a pot of bubbling, delicious cheese and unlimited bread and pickles. We also ordered some roasted veggies for dipping and my lady friends got glasses of white wine while I paired with Ginger Ale. Charcuterie is also a great pairing.

Chelsea lived in Switzerland for a time, so she was like our culinary tour guide, explaining some of their traditions there, like the “nun’s cap” in the bottom of the pot, which is basically a disc of crusty fried cheese that you scrape off the bottom and divvy up to eat. It was so fun to go out with two ladies who I see a lot, but don’t spend much one-on-one time with. Wednesday was definitely a little warmer because of these mini adventures!