At Mendocino Farms, our house-made iced teas are a big seller. We love ‘em and our customers do too.  For a minute, we thought they couldn’t get any better, but thanks to our new vendor, they did!

We are happy to announce that this spring we have introduced new tea blends from our wonderful friends at Sugarbird Sweets and Teas, the Los Angeles based producer of artisan teas and sweets.   Kei Okumura, the owner and head creator of Sugarbird, is truly a tea artist, and all of her teas are organic and made from the highest quality ingredients, which are qualities we value so much at Mendo. Each variety is so thoughtfully crafted and unique; they really can’t be beat.

Working with Sugarbird has also made us feel extra special – aww – because Kei has been busy custom blending our very own Mendo-fied varieties, just for us.  We now have three types of organic ice teas for us to make iced brews from, and they are all becoming huge hits..  So far in our rotation, we have offered Verbena Green, a unique blend of green tea, citrus peels, lemongrass, and matcha; Black Tropical, a classic black tropical tea with passionfruit and cherry notes; and Rooibos Red, an organic caffeine free rooibos tea with hibiscus, rosehip, and calendula flower  Stop by, try a sample and see for yourself. We guarantee you’ll want the whole glass.

Outside of our locations, Sugarbird Sweets teas can be found online at SugarbirdSweets.com and at the Farmers Markets (Larchmont on Sundays, South Pasadena on Thursdays). The exclusive line include the likes of Zoe (did we mention that they all have such cute names too!?), a green tea with peppermint, cacao nibs and vanilla; Fiona, a red rooibos with hibiscus, rosehips and raspberry; and Karina, an earl gray with vanilla, plus many more.  And, like the name Sugarbird Sweets suggests, our friends also make extraordinary pastries and fancy marshmallows.  We highly recommended ALL of them.  Kei knows her confections!!

Dolce Forno Bakery, the newest addition to Celestino Drago’s group of restaurants and catering operations, is exactly one of these vendors. And, lucky for us, even though Dolce Forno’s initial plan was to a have a retail location only, their bread was in such high demand by Los Angeles’ food service industry, they’ve expanded their service to restaurants and hotels.

At Mendo, we use Dolce Forno’s breads for our sandwiches. We’re crazy about their Ciabatta, Buckwheat and Rustic White – all of which are a collaboration from kitchen geniuses, our very own Chef Judy and Dolce’s Chef Gavin. The breads are designed to be crusty on the outside and spongy and soft on the inside. Just the way we like it! You’ll seriously be blown away by the difference good bread makes – you’ll be compelled to drive straight to their bakery in Culver City.

In addition to the breads, we also offer their baked goods, like the chocolate tarts and mini Italian cookies, which are always on our Dessert Platter. And we’re head over heels in love with the cookies and the brownies. Actually, these items are made from Chef Judy’s special recipes, all of which are semi-secret. Our favorites are the chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, oatmeal chocolate chip and white chocolate chip with macadamia nuts and dried cranberries. We sell the cookies every day, so come over ASAP to treat yourself!

All of Dolce Forno’s products are available at the bakery in Culver City and at the retail counter at Enoteca Drago in Beverly Hills. Just a note: the Culver City spot is more like a production place. So, while the notion of chic, sexy bakery is appealing, this visit will definitely fall more under the category of “fun adventure.” Enjoy!

Dolce Forno
3828 Willat Avenue
Culver City, CA 90232
310.280.6004
www.dolcefornobakery.com

Enoteca Drago
410 North Canon Drive
Beverly Hills, CA
310.786.8236
www.celestinodrago.com