When you get Sara and Lenny Martinelli together in one room, be prepared: These two dynamos will make you feel as if you spend your days standing still. Their daily, diverse, and incredibly active roles include being co-owners and, in Lenny’s case, a chef, at the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse, a Persian-art-themed gift from Boulder’s Tajikistan sister city; partners in Three Leaf Farms, urban-local acres that supply organic produce to the Martinellis’ six—yes, six—area restaurants; parents to three teenagers; and friendly caretakers for assorted goats, chickens, and horses (raised, respectively, for milk, eggs, and nutrient-rich manure).
Sara, also a certified herbalist, heads up the Teahouse’s extensive tea lineup, which includes more than 100 loose-leaf teas flown in fresh from India, China, and Japan. All year long, and especially at the annual Rocky Mountain Tea Festival (held in summer), she educates people about the benefits and nuances of different teas, while Lenny uses his chef’s talent to teach home cooks how to incorporate the leaves into unique dishes. Try these favorites.
