Align text outside of table with text inside of table

Question

I have some text outside of a tabular environment, and also some text inside a tabular environment. I would like the text outside the tabular environment to be aligned with the text residing in the first row of the tabular environment.

Currently, the text outside the tabular environment is too low relative to the text inside the tabular environment.

MWE:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[table]{xcolor}
\usepackage{array}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage{multirow}
\usepackage{float}
\usepackage{enumitem}
\usepackage[left=3mm, right=3mm,top=30mm,bottom=5mm,includehead=true,headsep=3pt]{geometry}





\begin{document}
In the context of using the itemize environment...
\begin{itemize}
\item  I would like to have the text outside my table \quad \begin{tabular}{| b{26mm} | b{26mm}|} be in line with &  the text inside  \\ \hline blah blah blah & blah \end{tabular} the table.
\item but the word ``table'' (outside the tabular) is too high relative to the word ``be'' (inside the tabular).  
\item Any thoughts?

\end{itemize}


\end{document}

And a screenshot of my output:

Answer 1

In memorium: Henry Thumpman, king of the one line patch.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[table]{xcolor}
\usepackage{array}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage{multirow}
\usepackage{float}
\usepackage{enumitem}
\usepackage[left=3mm, right=3mm,top=30mm,bottom=5mm,includehead=true,headsep=3pt]{geometry}

\begin{document}
In the context of using the itemize environment...
\begin{itemize}
\item  I would like to have the text outside my table \quad \begin{tabular}[t]{| b{26mm} | b{26mm}|} be in line with &  the text inside  \\ \hline blah blah blah & blah \end{tabular} the table.
\item but the word ``table'' (outside the tabular) is too high relative to the word ``be'' (inside the tabular).  
\item Any thoughts?

\end{itemize}

\end{document}

Answer 2

For information, with {NiceTabular} of nicematrix, you have more options for the vertical alignment of a tabular.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{xcolor}
\usepackage{nicematrix}
\usepackage{geometry}

\begin{document}

\begin{itemize}
\item \verb|[t]|: Aligned with the first row (even with a \verb|\hline| on top)
\begin{NiceTabular}[t]{|c|}
\hline
first row \\
\hline
second row \\
\hline
third row \\
\hline
fourth row \\
\hline
\end{NiceTabular}

\item \verb|[b]|: Aligned with the last row (even with a \verb|\hline| on bottom)
\begin{NiceTabular}[b]{|c|}
\hline
first row \\
\hline
second row \\
\hline
third row \\
\hline
fourth row \\
\hline
\end{NiceTabular}

\item \verb|[baseline=3]|: Aligned with a row given by its number 
\begin{NiceTabular}[baseline=3]{|c|}
\hline
first row \\
\hline
second row \\
\hline
third row \\
\hline 
fourth row \\
\hline
\end{NiceTabular}

\item \verb|[baseline=line-3]|: Aligned with an horizontal rule given by its number
\begin{NiceTabular}[baseline=line-3]{|c|}
\hline
first row \\
\hline
second row \\
\hline
third row \\
\hline 
fourth row \\
\hline
\end{NiceTabular}

\end{itemize}

\end{document}

You need several compilations (because nicematrix uses PGF/Tikz nodes under the hood).