Our 28th Spot:

Muir’s Tea Room

330 South Main Street  Sebastopol, CA 95472

http://www.muirstearoom.com

You guys-  I couldn’t wait to get home to blog this place!!  What is that saying…  “There was history in the making today.”

After visiting + reviewing Filoli in June, I got the tea bug back!!  I quickly researched if there were any new spots or spots that I had missed…  Yes I know, there are some (more like, few) really familiar or popular Bay Area spots that we have not visited; and I’ll just say it’s for good reason.  If it’s more of a café or not Afternoon/Victorian tea, I’m not taking my girls there.  (For those of you curious as to why those aren’t on our list…just putting that out there)

Aaanyway, I was happy to have stumbled upon this Spot!  I’m not very familiar with Sebastopol.  So much so, that I don’t even know how to pronounce the word!?  HAHA.  Ask my friends, they will tell you how funny I sound saying it.  I knew enough about it being a cute little town, and since I’m a fan of cute little towns OF COURSE I was excited to go there.

Okay okay, it’s not quite “Bay Area”…that’s why the blog is called: California Tea House Tour, but it was close enough for us to visit!  So, I picked my most comfy girlfriends and we spent the 2-hour drive admiring God’s gorgeous creation on the way!

[By the way, didn’t feel like lugging my serious camera on this day trip…so enjoy these iPhone 6 quick shots!]

Look at howwww cuuuuuute!!?!  (in my whiniest voice ever)

We got the most warmest welcome on record from this Tour!  They were genuinely happy to see us + seat us!  And HOW COOL-  we got to sit outside!!  I love eating outside!  This was a first on the Tour.  We were behind yummy foliage, and felt like we were tucked in this adorable cove.

They have 6 levels of tea service, so there’s something for every appetite.  And let me tell you how even more exciting:  they are a PLANT-BASED tea room!!!!!  (P.S.  I never use 5 exclamation points.)  I had no idea when I picked this place, that they were plant-based!?  And even more special, one of my sweetest B.F.F.’s that I had invited to join eats plant-based!!  So do I (majority of the time), but I was mostly excited for her!

We went for the mid-range tea, and they were also having a themed tea event that day.  My other dear friend chose that one.  Ugh, oh, and the TEAS we chose!!  They already just sounded delicious, but definitely delivered in taste as well!  (insert 3 a-ok emojis here)

That’s my rooibos-based Chocolate Orange Creamsicle!  Yall ALREADY know, I love me a rooibos. However, I am NOT crazy about chocolate teas.  The only reason I chose this one is cuz it is paired with orange!!  When we had our tea line, we DID a chocolate orange!  I KNOW that combo is killer, and plus this one had vanilla in it too…my favorite.  I chose right, and this tea was soooo gooooood!  Very creamy, and you can make out each of the flavor profiles.  They worked together wonderfully.

Another tea at the table was their green-based Maple Walnut.  UM, I love a good tea with nuts!  And, you can never go wrong with maple.  (am I right?!)  I’m so glad she chose this one, cuz I wanted to try it too!  Ugh, delicious.  The maple was up front, then you got this intriguing amazing walnut aftertaste.  And-  green tea??  I would have ne-ver matched these flavors with that base; but it just worked.

A green-based Plum Mango was the last tea chosen.  (sigh)  I don’t even like fruity teas.  However (sigh again), this one was beauuuuutiful!!  Light, and just mixed so well.  I do love me a plum tea, so I would have chosen this one too…  I told you I picked the best girls to share this time with.  😉

So-  as part of the tea service I chose, they serve an option of soup or salad.  Today’s soup was Tomato Basil.  Yum, right?  But because of various health issues, I couldn’t do the soup OR the salad.  (wah wah sad trombone sound)  I didn’t want to be THAT customer, but I spoke up anyway.  They right away offered Potato Salad, and I right away said ‘yes’!  So gracious of them!  (head looking down, taking a deep breath)  You guys, don’t tell my Huz (cuz he makes a mean potato salad), but-  this.  Was.  The.  BEST.  Potato.  Salad.  I’ve.  EVER.  Had.  In.  My.  Liiiiife!!  Like-  just typing about it right now makes me wanna cry!  Those potatoes were the creamiest texture everrr!  They were cooked to perfection, forreals.  It had dill, CAPERS, chives…all my favorites.  I coulda eaten that stuff all day and been fine.

I took pictures of each item, but it just didn’t do em justice.

I know scones aren’t etiquette’ly the first course, but that’s how I like to eat em.  They’re warm…and ready…  Why not have em first!?  I think these ones were Lemon Poppy Seed Scones.  SO crispy guys!  It had the nicest crunch, and was bready inside.  Not an overpowering lemon flavor, which I liked.  And, poppy seed anything!?  Yes please!

That little Cucumber Tea Sandwich was the most decadent I’ve ever had!  And it’s plant-based!!?!  I don’t know HOW they made that cream or mayo or whatever it was, but boy did they do it RIGHT.  You don’t usually get such a thick slice of cucumber, but with that (ugh) chewy bread-   it just worked.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve written about my hopeless love of chewy bread on this blog…  This had the best (sorry I couldn’t think of a better word here) chewiness.

Their “Egg” Salad Sandwich…  (SIGH) (sorry, a lot of sighing in this blog cuz-  I love them!!!) was ridiculously flavorful.  I don’t know how they got that yolky texture, but they delivered big time!  I have to admit: I was not looking forward to the egg.  I haven’t eaten eggs in months, and it just wasn’t an appealing thought at the moment.  That being said, I was BLOWN AWAY by the tang that greeted you!  They must’ve put sweet relish or something, cuz it was this explosive taste that just made you look for more.

Okay, mushroom.  You’re already knowin, I’m a mushroom freak.  Of course, I was looking forward to their Mushroom Tea Sandwich which is why I saved it for last.  It was meaty, it was juicy, it was creamy.  And the nuts, oh the nuts…I don’t even like nuts in my bread!?  It was so much fun in your mouth.  That is all.

By this time of the meal, I’m my usual self, with a half a scone to the side…my 2nd mushroom waiting, and 2 tastes of my friend’s themed tea dessert in line!  (my SIL cracks up about this every time!)  SO, I was pleased to see just a nice piece of shortbread and what I believed to be a Mexican Wedding Cookie.  That Shortbread was the crispiest crunchiest tastiest shortbread I’ve ever had.  And, I’ve had my fair share since that’s the Huz’s favorite.  I tried reeeeally hard to save him majority of it.  The cookie, was a REAL GOOD cookie.  I used to make those things all the time with my mom when I was younger.  I’ve had some from other bakeries…  This one was special.  I can’t tell you how or why, but they made it spectacular.

Guys-  I’m not proud of this blog post.  I don’t think I could have found all the words + adjectives to accurately describe just HOW MUCH I loved this place.  I can tell you tho, that history I was talking about at the beginning of this blog…  Yes, we still have 2 more Spots to visit.  But-  this place moved to my NUMBER ONE yall!!!  They’ve surpassed my expectations on all levels: service, food, and tea!  And you guys know I am very critical + my standards are ultra high!!  Please go and visit them!

 

 

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