Photo by Richard Maack Glynis Legrand

GLYNIS LEGRAND, owner of Urban Tea Loft in downtown Chandler, is a whirlwind. She runs the combination tea shop/restaurant/bar, is working on her third level of tea certification from the Specialty Tea Institute in New York, and, with husband Eric, raises a young daughter, Zhayer.

In late 2009, she overhauled the staff and came up with new recipes that use tea in sauces, glazes and rubs. She even uses whole tea leaves in scones and started a line of tea- and alcohol-infused ice cream. These moves, in addition to the bar’s fabulous tea-tinis, make this place a must-stop for any tea fiend.

Legrand designed the Urban Tea Loft (a PHOENIX magazine 2008 “Best New Restaurant”) with plenty of input from her husband to ensure it would appeal to both genders. Soothing earth tones with pops of lime green and burnt orange make UTL hipper than your ordinary teahouse, and Legrand’s effervescence and dedication to all things tea make her a convincing tea temptress.

What prompted your passion for tea?
I’m a breast cancer survivor. I asked my oncologist what I could do to not have a recurrence, and he told me to drink more green tea.

When was that?
2002. I was 34 at the time.

Have you had a recurrence?
No. My doctors were extremely careful with me since I was so young when I got it. I just came off the oral chemotherapy they keep you on.

What are some other health benefits of drinking tea?
It helps with healthy bones, heart health – black teas are excellent for that – respiratory issues, asthma, weight control, depression; the list really does go on and on and on. Tea is very cleansing and detoxifying as well.

What are the different ways you can use tea?
A lot of people don’t know you can use tea as a culinary ingredient. Anywhere a recipe calls for water, you can use tea. You can use it as a rub on your foods as well. You can bathe in tea – you fill a sock or [use a] teabag.

Other places use a pre-made alcoholic tea in their tea-tinis. Do you still use fresh-brewed tea in yours?
We use our fresh-brewed teas. We want to have control over the entire process – the flavor, the steeping.… Granted, it is easier to use mixers, but those have a lot of things we don’t want to use, like preservatives and sugar and high-fructose corn syrup. Ours is straight tea.

What is one of the biggest mistakes people make when brewing tea?
There are actually three mistakes. They use too much tea because they think the more tea, the more flavor, the better it will taste. They use incorrect water temperatures. Of the five major forms of tea, each has its own brewing temperature. And they steep the tea way too long.

Glynis Legrand
Owner, Urban Tea Loft
11 W. Boston St., Chandler
480-786-9600
urbantealoft.com