Sanctuary T

The first outpost of this local company helps tea sheds its grannyish rep. A hip crowd gathers at the dark-wood bar to savor more than 50 brews, infused cocktails and Kevin Stanton’s (Bouley) tea-based food menu. Although cubes of barley jelly in an appetizer of crab, olives and matcha tea reminded us of agar, our entrées were winners, especially plump pillows of caramelized gnocchi luxuriating in a jasmine-tea–accented brown-butter sauce dotted with dried cranberries and baby squash. With fare like this, having a cuppa may become a dining ritual.