I’m here to “spill the tea” on a place I recently checked out: Tea Bar & Fusion Café (aka, TBar). Their original location opened in Chico in 2004, but the business has since spread their tea leaves to Redding, Sacramento, and now Rocklin. “It’s not your grandma’s cup of tea,” according to TBar, and they’re spot on. I went with the Chocolate Chai Frost—blended black tea and spiced chai topped with chocolate and cinnamon—and it was tea-licious! (Sorry, couldn’t help myself.) It was like dessert in a cup. My daughter sipped on the Green Tea & Coconut, and her friend ordered the Pomegranate Lemonade. (I tried them both too, and they were great!) Other beverage options include sparkling tea infusions, “tea on tap,” boozy craft tea cocktails, and loose-leaf teas. There are so many varie-teas to choose from! And sip, sip, hooray—they have food, too, like the build-your-own Fusion Bowl. Fresh, flavorful, and filling, you first pick a topping (brisket-style London broil, sweet chili chicken, grilled ginger tofu, hoisin BBQ salmon, or fire-roasted veggies, to name a few), then a grain or salad (white or brown rice, quinoa, couscous, baby greens, etc.), and lastly a dressing (creamy teriyaki, chipotle ranch, wasabi ginger, miso, or honey mustard). All bowls are topped with creamy avocado, crunchy carrots, edamame, sesame seeds, and daikon sprouts. You can also get the bowl in wrap form. Smaller bites include hummus with freshly baked naan, loaded avocado toast, and miso soup with grilled tofu and couscous. Unique drinks and food, a relaxing atmosphere, and helpful employees? TBar is a must—morning, noon, or night!
— by JULIE RYAN  |  photo by TAYLOR ALLRED

— by Bella Nolen
Whether you like them sweet, savory, or packed with protein, you’re bound to love these local hot spots serving up super bowls!

Fishology
2784 East Bidwell, Suite 400, Folsom, 916-587-1899, fishologypokebar.com
MUST-TRY: Regular Poke Bowl (salmon, tuna, wakame salad, crab salad, yellow daikon, ginger, cucumbers, jalapeños, onions, edamame, sesame seeds, and furikake)

 

Garden of Eat’n
1228 Galleria Boulevard, Suite 130, Roseville, 916-771-0630, gardenofeatn.com
MUST-TRY: Caribbean Shrimp Bowl (basmati rice, corn, black beans, green onions, mango-peach salsa, wild-caught shrimp, chili-lime drizzle, and fresh lime)

 

The Healthy Habit
799 Lincoln Way, Auburn, 530-823-6422, thehealthyhabit.org
MUST-TRY: Matcha Energy (matcha, mangos, bananas, pineapple, spinach, honey, plant-based milk, and seasonal fruit)

 

Mario’s Early Toast
8425 Sierra College Boulevard, Roseville, 916-771-2173;  1950 Douglas Boulevard, Suite 7A, Roseville, 916-347-7741; 4460 Rocklin Road, Rocklin, 916-259-1616; 6693 Folsom-Auburn Road, Folsom, 916-510-2430, mariosearlytoast.com
MUST-TRY: Acai Bowl (frozen acai, blueberries, bananas, strawberries, organic granola, and coconut)

 

Vibe Health Bar
2770 East Bidwell, Suite 500, Folsom, 916-990-5367, vibehealthbar.com
MUSTY-TRY: Dragon Bowl (pitaya sorbet, bananas, strawberries, house-made granola, coconut flakes, honey)

 

Wow Wow Hawaiian Lemonade
3373 Bass Lake Road, El Dorado Hills, 916-293-8062, wowwowhawaiianlemonade.com
MUST-TRY: Island Berry Grain Bowl (mixed greens, romaine, blueberries, strawberries, coconut chips, hummus, red and white quinoa, hemp seeds, and blueberry pomegranate vinaigrette)