Note: Our 42nd Spot was supposed to start offering afternoon tea in January, but they’re not quite up + running yet. Hopefully sometime in May. We’re keeping their spot number the same, which is why this one is our 43rd.
ONLY on Tuesdays. ONLY from 12 to 2. I was intrigued.
I mean, aren’t you now too?! Afternoon Tea served during such a small window. What’s it all about?? I wanna see!!
Tho they had been serving tea years before the pandemic, they only started serving again about a year ago. This Tea Spot was another last minute entry I dug up, and I squeezed ‘er in before the end of our Tour. I tell you, sometimes I surprise myself with how I find about these spots cuz there’s not a lot of promo or press or anything about this one. As booked as I was, I thankfully found one good ole Tuesday I could make before this Leg closed. Thank you to my date for joining me!
Doesn’t look like much outside. An old building you wouldn’t take a second look at if you were driving by. Tho once we got up those steps and inside the front door- immediate vibe change! We were directed by Reception to go to the 2nd floor, and I don’t know why but I asked if I could take pictures. She asked “Personal?”, and when I mentioned for a website, it was a no. I paused for a second to understand what that meant, and then I was relieved. No fussing with my DSLR today! Sure, I could have used my phone to take pics for myself and not post it. But I thought it was so freeing to be “camera-less” for the day AND to do our very first ~ No Photo Review ~ ! So that’s what this’ll be.
But let me tell you- you are gonna wanna come here. I’m not even going to attempt with words on what it looked like inside. Just know, I couldn’t get enough!! I think I’m actually doing you a favor for not posting any pics. Because you’re gonna wanna see this in real life for the first time in-person. I’m telling youuuu.
Off the bat, the service = immaculate.
We must’ve been in a green tea state of mind…because I ordered their Jasmine Flower and my date ordered the Dragonwell. “Good, no sugar, no cream. Not offered,” my date says, noticing no tea condiments left on the table. I’ve taught them well! Tea was great, good quality for sure.
They offered a Plain Biscuit AND a Scone. After having both at the Claremont, I’m now loving it when a place offers both! Butter was offered for the biscuit and cream + preserves for the scone. That biscuit had the most picture-worthy golden brown toast on it. Crispiest outside and fluffiest insides, a little salty. I called it ‘cloudy!’ Their scone wins for Crunchiest Edges!! Oh and I couldn’t get enough of their preserves. The highest quality I’ve had.
They had so many savories, I was so happy! SIX!! Always bonus points in my book when a tea service has plenty of salty options (than sweet).
Cucumber on Wheat – Thin slices are my favorite. It had a spicy spread that hit you in the back and was a nice surprise.
Egg Salad on White – This was my favorite from the service for sure. It was almost mousse-like and they packed a good amount of it! Thick slices of airy bread made for perfectly portioned bites. And it was seasoned beautifully.
Smoked Salmon on Sourdough – When I see capers, I’m happy!
Pesto, Mozzarella + Tomato – I’m allergic to pesto but my date said this was a good one. I wanted so badly to try it! That mozzarella looked so fresh, it was almost dripping!? I did take a nibble and I was right- excellent.
Prosciutto + Fig Butter on Croissant – Love. I’m a big fig butter fan.
Chicken Salad – I don’t know what sweet/fruity spread they added to this one, but it was delicious! My date’s favorite.
They offered 4 classic sweets. A Chocolate-Covered Strawberry, Chocolate or Lemon Macaron, a Lemon Bar, and (so cute) a nice sized Donut Hole. All were very good, and rounded out the meal gorgeously. And i love chocolate strawberries, don’t you? Anytime they’re served is a yay for me.
The tea was good. But, it was the exclusivity of it and the venue that made you feel so cool to be there. I can’t say enough about the customer service here. Our guy was lovely!! Definitely made for a better experience that he was so kind. I did want to walk around the building for a bit (I saw a stunning library when I went to the bathroom), but by the time we were done some doors were closed. Right before we walked out tho, I did get a peek of what looked like a banquet or event room. SO pretty! I wanna have a party there for no reason!! I’ve already made plans to go back with my sister hehe. I hope you guys make it too! And if you do, please share your experience with us!
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Last time we were here was October 2015. All I remember was that we had to wait a while to get in (for the reservation) and that it was something I definitely had to experience again. I didn’t think I’d wait so long, but it was mos def worth the wait! (gosh, how many times do I have to say wait?) Since their banquet room only holds 12 and since I voted this Spot ‘Best Experience’, I made sure to fill my guest list. I’m so happy we had the big group we did, because it made for an even sweeter time!
This would also be the first Tea since my shift (read all about that here), so I might’ve been a little anxious or apprehensive about how I was going to handle the “work” part of this visit. Again, since it was all about the whole experience- I made sure my first priority was to be present. Enjoy my girls and the Tour [of the home].
As it was 8 years ago, the house was exquisite. So many little pieces to look at and details that made you ooh and ahh. And just like last time, I’m not including any of those shots on here cuz I want you to come see it for yourself! In real life! I loved seeing my girl’s faces after every new corner we turned. It made me so happy that they were so happy to be there! For me, just seeing the wallpaper alone was enough!! (okay, I’m covering my mouth now…I won’t say anymore) After the house tour, our dear docent guided us to their adorable banquet room. Ugh (sigh), breathtaking. (not in the Seinfeld way tho k)
The amount of labor, love, attention, and meticulous detail that is put into this tea service is priceless. Let me mention here that from placing the reservation, I was speaking to a live person each time. These volunteers are here because they want to be and have an organic passion for this home. It’s brilliant and I was/we were privileged to be a recipient of their care.
First things first, they come around with the only tea option of their proprietary English Breakfast blend. They should be so proud of themselves cuz I’m not even an english breakfast tea girl like that but MAN, that stuff is soo good!! Of course they won’t say what the blend is, but I was getting some citrus or bergamot and some lavender notes… Either way, keep it coming please!
They start you off with their beautiful Tea Sandwiches. (see, I told you) Flawless presentation. I didn’t take pics of each of the items like I usually do…I was in the moment mmkay. But, I did take notes of my thoughts on each.
Cucumber – I can’t ever have enough green crunchy veggies, so I loved the mountain of cucumbers. And they do theirs with like an herb cream cheese. Different, but welcome.
Smoked Salmon – Light cheese, nice dill sprig, yay capers!
Egg Salad – First I was like ‘ew, this is too green oniony’. Then I was like ‘I think I like this’. Hahah! Yall know I hate green onions. But for some reason, the amount and crunch this one had…made me love it. (covering eyes) I know, I know, who am I??
Chicken Salad – There was something sweet and/or curryish in this one. And so cute that it had a profiterole “bun”! I know there were a lot of girls at the table who enjoyed this tea sandwich a lot!
Cheese Crisp – Didn’t expect it to be cold, but I liked that. It had a little spice (which I liked too) and a good texture to it.
Then they served us fresh, warm Savories!
Artichoke – We were all trying to figure out what was in this one…? Despite saying it was a bit “too pickley” for me, as my friend who sat next to me pointed out- I still ate the whole thing. Haha! It was like olivey or had pimento in it or something. And of course, crunchy phyllo is not something you leave on the table. It’s a lot of work, that phyllo!
Mushroom – This one was thee Crowd-Pleaser. It’s like they made tiny slices of bread and toasted them perfectly, then packed that cup with creamy mushroom filling. It was SO GOOD, I am salivating right now just thinking about it again. For me, all those textures made it so fun to eat. I would have a dozen for dinner.
Next course were the Scones! Cranberry Orange today. Don’t you just love warm fresh scones?! These were soo chewy. Great flavor, THAT CREAM, crispy edges. I think the cream made it. I was trying to be modest…but I woulda licked the serving dish clean if I could.
And now, the Sweets! They did a good job too, of coming around sporadically (Tai: Yeah, I hope not sporadically.) refilling teacups of that delicious English Breakfast! At this point in the tea service however, I only had room for a bite each of these. (of course I finished them when I got home!)
Apricot Bar – nice texture, not too fruity
Lemon Tart – pastry is really good + crumbly, my favorite of the bunch
Maple Pecan – buttery chewy maple flavor, Table Favorite!
Pecan Sandies – perfect, so much powdered sugar I love
Double Chocolate Cookie – good chocolate but not too much
Macadamia Shortbread – bland, which was nice (not competing with other sweets)
So yes, this place lived up to its chosen superlative as Best Experience. This was our biggest party of this Leg of the Tour, so it was nice to have a lot of the girls who had already been on tour with me. We did have 2 Firsties (yayyy!), so it was a pleasure having their first afternoon tea be with us! Again, hosting (from reservations to docent to servers) was immaculate. The Pardee Home Staff took such good care of us and showed us a good time, thank you!! I heard a lot of the girls making plans to come back with their families or other girlfriends, and that made me so happy. Such a fun afternoon touring the home and then enjoying a stunning tea party. I was in the moment, present…with a little bit of work. (exhale)
We’re finishing our 3rd Leg strong! (arm flex emoji) Leave your email with us below, so you’ll be notified of all our last Spots. Thank you to all who have/who will donate. This keeps our Tour going! I’ll be back in a week or so about this next Spot… All Love, Oly.
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At first I was like mad + annoyed at having to write this review…and now (after looking through all those old pics), I’m just sad.
Continuing the last bits of this Leg of the Tour and going to old adored Spots… OF COURSE, Tyme for Tea would be included. It’s where I hosted my first tea party, it was number 1 on my raTEAngs list for years (before I met Muir’s, but still remained a close 2nd), and a go-to spot not just because it’s so close to me but also cuz it was good. I was looking forward to it, it was like a no-brainer. This place would be as it’s always been: good tea, good food, good ambiance. It was also the first time we were going to have a ‘Couples Tea’ on the Tour! My husband + I invited new friends; she had been on the Tour already and her husband was a first-timer (to afternoon tea too yay!). Recipe for a great afternoon!
Then…
I went inside.
It was so gloomy in there. Almost gray. It was only minutes away from our seating time, and all I saw were bare pink tables. I thought- they better hurry up with all their doilies + flowers cuz we ready! But they weren’t. They weren’t setting ANYTHING up. They put some cups on the table and called it a day yall. Look.
Not long after we were seated, they just started bringing stuff. I hadn’t even had the chance to tell my friend’s husband he gets to pick his own pot of tea…and here came 2 teapots. Apparently, they have set tea now on the weekends. Their House Blend (which has always been this kiwi strawberry) and a Raspberry. They did say we could request decaf and (maybe because they saw the disbelief in my face) offered to make another tea if we desired. But we couldn’t even refuse these (if we didn’t want em), cuz they were already here!? We had em, and they were alright. I actually was pleasantly surprised about the Raspberry.
The other thing they brought was a plate with their scone and a tiny spoonful of each fixing. It was Lemon Blueberry today and so much THINNER than usual. There was no slicing it open, cuz it wasn’t wide enough for 2 slices! I didn’t even use my knife to spread any cream or preserves, because there wouldn’t be much leftover for the rest of my bites!? I just kinda dipped my joint in there haha. Yall think I’m playin, look!
I legit wanted to cry when the tier came out. “Step right up, hurry hurry, before the show begins… My friends… There’s got to be no sadder show to see!” (paraphrasing “Sideshow” by Blue Magic) Not even a freakin rose!! (excuse my language)
I did take individual shots of each item like I usually do, but I didn’t want to make this post sadder than it had to be. I’m just including a shot of all of em at once.
Cucumber – dry, tho I always like the radish they put in there
Chicken Pecan – much thinner, and DRIER!? Like they didn’t use enough mayo or put liver in it or something
Cheese Crostini – same, but drier
Pinwheel Pastry – good salty cheddar, like a cheez-it; asked the name again cuz I forgot, and the dood told me it was spinach!? I didn’t taste anything spinach about it or see anything green in there, ohhkaay…
Mushroom Tart – this one was good, very crispy phyllo, but like one mushroom only
I wasn’t happy with not allowing my guests to try teas that they WANTED, so I requested new pots. They chose a Cinnamon Orange and I picked Jackfruit Honey (that one sounded so different). The first was all cinnamon + heavily steeped, and the latter tasted like honey Halls (you know, the cough drop). The only good thing about that was those were my Daddy’s jam back in the day when he was sick, so I got a little nostalgia from it.
I knew the sweets were coming, but I almost didn’t even want to look at them. The travesty I was anticipating was real.
Cheesecake – tasted like it was made with cheap artificial vanilla extract
Petit Fours – cake was dry, outside coating tasted like plastic
Shortbread – very crunchy, that one was okay
If anything, at least the customer service was still good. Except the smell of Windex while finishing our meal wasn’t ideal. The Huz said “Did they always rush their patrons? At 2:45, are we cutting into your time?” (we had a 1:30p seating) They went downhill yall. I just kept saying how sad I was, like I was so disappointed. Thankfully my husband had lots to say, cuz I couldn’t form sentences. He was saying he gets it, you want to keep the same price point…but not to the detriment of your business model. And that it was so boring. One dimensional, no character. You return to something expecting to be wowed, but nothing is there.
Later he asked me what the saddest part for me was. I would have to say the scones. This was the first place I had scones the proper way: warmed and with all the fixings. On my podcast interview with Talk Tea To Me, I said they had the Best Scone of the entire Tour!! I’m now giving that award to Claremont.
It was really hard for me to write this review. I didn’t want to do it. I kept procrastinating on it. There’s so much history there!! I’ve hosted a good two-handfuls of tea parties here. When I had my old tea company, they hosted a Meet & Greet for our brand (since they wanted to start serving our teas there). They used to sell our teas as a matter of fact. But to my loyal Readers, what does this tell you? YOU WILL ALWAYS GET THE 100 REAL DEAL FROM ME. Even if I have to share some bad news about a place I loved. And if you know me well, you’ll know I love me a good receipt. I went through my archives and pulled some shots to show you what they used to be about…so you know I’m not just sayin stuff. I always come prepared with backup.
Exhibit A: warm atmosphere
Exhibit B: well decorated tablescape
Exhibit C: FULL helpings of scone fixings
Exhibit D: beautiful tier with FAT Chicken Pecan tea sandwich
Exhibit E + F: Our very successful Meet & Greet hosted by Tyme for Tea, we sold out!
Exhibit G: Low stock of our teas being sold at Tyme for Tea
I probably won’t be coming back to Tyme for Tea again. Unless I’m invited to a loved one’s bridal or baby shower or something. But even then, if I have to pay- I won’t be coming. And this is the first time in parTEA with me History that I will me moving a Spot down on my raTEAng. (I won’t say where, you’ll have to wait and see…but it’s bad, jus sayin) I am shattered about this. But I will always give you my brutal honesty. And I wouldn’t want you paying afternoon tea prices (which are not cheap) for less than mediocre tea + food. To our sweet guests + new friends, our sincerest apologies! My husband even told them that Tyme for Tea was my afternoon tea standard and what I base my reviews off of… We need a do-over yall!! We’ll do Tea again with you two soon enough. We still had an amazing time with you guys, laughing it up all afternoon and finding so many similarities! Readers/Followers/Donators- Thank you for appreciating my candor + transparency. I don’t want you to spend money on bad tea!! I really am a Nice Girl. (wink)
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Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a one-time donation! Thank you in advance!
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Okay so- when we first came on the Tour, that was in April 2015. And in my Dartealing post, I ended it with and I quote: “I would come back for the sandwiches alone.” That’s exactly what we did. I had been back a few times before today, but this time was on official Tour business! 😉 I have been to Tea Spots where they had one really good standout tea sandwich…but this place, ohh this place. EVERY SINGLE ONE of their tea sandwiches is a banger!! (and I don’t even use that kind of today’s language) I’m just running out of descriptive words for something so inexplicably, ridiculously GOOD. (or at least, appealing to the modern generation hehe)
Another reason I love to come here is for their decor. I’ve mentioned it a couple times since my podcast interview with Talk Tea To Me Podcast, that one of the main reasons I fell in love with afternoon tea is because of my interest in interior design. When I visit new Tea Spots, I am also taking in all the little details in every corner of their tea room. I love the ones that are set in a home (like: the White Hart Tea Room, the Pardee Home, and Muir’s of course). And even tho they’ve closed, super eclectic like Satori and super shabby chic like the English Rose (ugh, that one still hurts). So when I step into Dartealing, I appreciate all the little stories in each seating area. Major vibes!! (I don’t know what’s happening to me in this blog post!? Another current day word)
It’s really nice, this time around we didn’t have to pre-order. They have a set menu now, and then you can add on some specials. But first, tea!
There were 4 of us- oh! I didn’t even tell you who I brought with me!? I had the OG’s in our party today. Gorgeous drive into the City together. It was like cloudy up high, but so so clear down low…like you could see all the bridges. It was strange, a little eerie, and beautiful all at the same time. I seriously wish I had gotten a picture, but I was being present and knew by the time I fumbled with my camera it would all be over. Anyway, here are the 4 choices we picked:
Mr. Carson’s Secret Stash (toffee notes, vanilla, subtle fruit notes, full body, organic blend) – Perfect choice for me! Needs a good deep steep, and then it’s like coffee’ish!
Cherry Blossom Bliss (Japanese sencha, morning rose petals, notes of cherries, bright finish) – Already smelled like spa! I love it.
Cabana Boy (strawberry, papaya, sweet fruit notes, fragrant medium body finish) – My girl said “love this one, ooh something hit me at the end… You could taste the green tea, and then the mango at the end…” It smelled so tropical, but then also a little spicy. The strawberry is unexpected in a tropical blend, but was nice.
#tajmahal (bergamot, cardamom, spices, organic, limited edition blend) – This was my 2nd choice, so I’m glad someone picked it. You can really taste the cardamom, which I love!
I love my OG’s cuz they been in this game with me since Day One. They know the drill, it’s comfy, it’s safe, it’s easy, it’s funny, it’s love, it’s crying (someone always cries)! Girlfriend was leaned over all the way to the right, whilst my hip was pretty much resting on her shoulder so I could get these shots of this tier without disturbing the party next to us and getting them in my shot!! (yall know I’m exaggerating)
Cucumber, Arugula & Shaved Radish – It’s always fun when they do something a little different with the cucumber. And they already had me at ‘arugula’. But this was sweeter!? Not usual in your typical cucumber tea sandwich. I danced.
Brie, Quince Jelly & Apple – So this one usually has sweet pepper jelly instead, but they ran out. We were sad, but the quince was still good! And you could tell this was a really good quality brie, YUM.
Ham, Gouda & Spicy Garlicky Aioli – My notes said ‘This tastes like I’m at a party!’ You know when you go to a party and they serve you some bomb-dot-com food!? Yeah, that’s what I felt like. I really danced!! And the spicy wasn’t too much. My girl said it was an “explosion of flavors!”
Because I’m a self-proclaimed certified Fat Girl (we’re honest here right??) (No disrespect to anyone, including myself- this is a legit term of endearment in my house!! Get on board and no need to “school” me on PC ways to write, we are BODY POSITIVE around here and I am allowed to call myself what I want), I wanted to order BOTH Tea Sandwich Specials!! LOL. And thankfully, my girls wanted in too. I mean, we came here for the sandwiches right?!
Salmon Dill Honey Mustard – It’s really hard to come up with words to explain these sandwiches, because they are really just so good- there aren’t any English words to explain these flavors!? For such little bites (I think it takes 3 for me), there are entire FULL experiences!! You just have to come here and try. I’m serious. The mustard in this one was soooo gooooood!! (I’m whining)
Fish n’ Chips – This is the precise sandwich I came back for. It wasn’t here for our initial visit, but I had had it when I came back one of the other times. And- I wanna cry. When you order it, it comes freshly made + warm and in 4 servings. I LEGIT wanted to order another 4 just for myself!! Haha, mad greedy huh!? The flavors are incredible, and there’s a crunch from the ‘chip’ part. (SIGH) If anything, come to Dartealing Lounge just for this sandwich okay?? Did you hear me?!
Savory Tea Hors D’oeuvre (Black Bean Empanada) – The girls loved this one! The pastry was well done, the beans were not dry, and the toppings complimented it stunningly.
English-Style Pork Sausage Roll – You could taste each individual ingredient + spice these were made with. So good.
Strawberry Rose Scone – “I wanna sing!” my girl exclaimed, as she was enjoying her scone. Crispy edges (check), fluffy insides (check). The cream + preserves made it so decadent. And the rose was just slight, didn’t taste like perfume. Yum, just yum.
Assortment of Petit Tea Sweets (Raspberry Streusel) – A nice good chunky chewy bite!
Assortment of Petit Tea Sweets (Cheesecake) – A lot of “MMMM” and whining and dancing for one little bite of cheesecake. I could have had a whole tin to myself. (see, F– Girl!)
Seasonal Shortbread Cookie (Red Velvet) – Good sturdy cookie, not too sweet at all.
So what made this visit really special… Aside from the spectacular sandwiches, the amazing decor, and my comfy girlfriends… The owner came out to meet with us. In conversation I had mentioned to our sweet server that we were part of the Tour, and shortly after the gorgeous genius of this all came out herself! It was so kind of her to allow us to have a peek inside her head, on the inspo to her tea house. This was mid-meal. But AFTER the meal, she came back again. That’s when you know a genuine connection was made. And for my girls, that was really special to them. Doing this for as long as I have + as often as I get to, I have had the opportunity to meet some awesome human beings behind operations of some brilliant tea rooms + restaurants. So I was grateful that the girls got to experience that part too. Customer service here is top notch as well. My lovely Readers + Followers, if you haven’t already- treat yourself to a fantastic tea service at Dartealing. Tell them I sent you! (kissy face emojis) Maybe you’ll see me there…behind the pile of fish + chip sandwiches!! Hahah!
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Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a one-time donation! Thank you in advance!
Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a monthly donation! Thank you in advance!
Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a yearly donation! Thank you in advance!
With the exception of Muir’s last spring, the end of our 3rd Leg is full of Revisits to Tea Spots from the start of the Tour almost 10 years ago!! I’ve given them their own Superlatives too, so be in expectation of Best Sandwiches, Best Everything, Best Experience, and Best Venue coming very soon! But for now, let’s focus on Best Tea…
Different trim, different sign, and a few new galvanized tub planters in the front… Still the cutest random building along the highway! We often passed by Lovey’s on the way to our beach for Beach Days, and every single time- I would point to it and say aloud in the car ‘See YOU later!’, like the cool mom that I am. (shrugs) Hahah!
The inside looks a lot different than before. Right when you walk in, there’s a gorgeous curio cabinet filled with all the cup + saucer sets you could ever want…their teas, and different trinkets + jewelry to shop. To the left, maybe like 4 tables for guests. And then the right side is their like office space. Uuuultra intimate!! And we LOVED it. We had the place all to ourselves for a bit.
I took 2 of my darling friends. When my family moved to our new city 2 years ago, we quickly connected. Which we all kind of laugh at, cuz we don’t just do that with people. But as I always say, “Real recognize Real.” So, we felt that familial bond early in. They are fleshly sisters and are both caregivers as well. Hardworking + giving women. *Shout Out* to all the Caregivers out there!! And to all the ones accepting the caretaking too, I see you.
I loved this table. I was trying to measure it with my eyes, cuz we are on the market for a new dining table at home hehe. It was the perfect size, and we had so much space for just the 3 of us.
LOTS of teas to choose from…hold on. [I counted] 50 teas PLUS like 4 or 5 featured teas of the month. Now usually, that would overwhelm me. But since I came to this place especially for the tea- I was game! I’m just gonna list all the ones I was interested in ordering cuuuz I want to!!
Black Vanilla w/ Lavender
Black Vanilla
Black Currant
CHESTNUT
Chocolate Raspberry
White Peach
Lychee Rose Green
Vanilla Rooibos
Vanilla Rooibos Chai
Pacifica Blue
Now you know what you can look forward to when you come!
Okay so, we didn’t get those. HAHA. 2 of us ordered from their Specials, and 1 of us ordered a different one on the menu.
Earl’s Chocolate Cream (special) – This was explained as a ‘chocolate earl grey’. You all know I love me a creamy earl grey…but, I’ve never had a chocolate one. So intriguing right?! So glad my friend chose this one, cuz I wanted to try it too! Her first sip, she said “MMM!” It really was the creamiest.
Chocolate Cherry Bliss (special) – This one was my choice. Not usually a chocolate tea-lover, not usually a cherry tea-lover either. But these two together?? Bring it on sister! You could tell right away it was chocolate AND cherry, no question about it. Choc up front then cherry in the back, and ooh it was good!
Chocolate Truffle (regular menu) – She said you didn’t need anything with it. And that my friends, is how you can tell a good quality cuppa. When there’s no need for sugar or cream or honey or lemon to “doctor up” your cup, that is high quality tea. What was fascinating about this one- it didn’t smell like my chocolate [tea]. It smelled like a legit truffle!! There was a noticeable difference and this one was indeed Chocolate TRUFFLE tea.
Adorable wallpapered background for this tier shot!
Cucumber with Dill Cream Cheese – These were thicker cuts of cucumber we were dealing with here, and I liked it!! Nice crunch, and the dill was faint.
Coronation (Curried) Chicken Salad – The curry in this chicken salad was the perfect amount. My favorite sandwich from the bunch!
Ham with Marionberry Jam & Market Greens – I didn’t even know how to describe this one…!? It was complex, but a good complex. And the bread was so soft!
By this time, we were all gulping our teas. “I’m gulping!” my girl says.
Sliced Green Apple with Cheddar and Pub Mustard – This one had really fun textures together.
My friend wanted to try another tea. I love when tea rooms allow this! I mean, when you offer so many, you can’t fault your guests for wanting to try more than the one pot that comes with their tea service. This is a TEA party right? So for me, it speaks volumes when a Spot allows you to switch out or try more than one. Big points!
Peach Bellini – She said “I like this, I like this, I like this!” That it kept tasting different after every sip. I thought it smelled so delightful, I wanted a perfume of it!! Hehe. She loved it so much, she even bought some!
They let you choose your scones here! It was either Honey Pecan or Lemon Ginger today. Two of us got the pecan, and my other friend is a ginger-girl so that was a no-brainer choice for her.
Honey Pecan – It was so fluffy, almost cake like. Loved the crunchy pecans.
Lemon Ginger – My girl “Loved” hers! Her sister even liked it better than ours. They bought some of those too!
Crumpet – Aren’t those tiny butter hearts just the cutest!? Are you gonna say it with me this time? All together now: “I love when they serve crumpets!!” These were the chewiest. And they really like the lemon curd!
At the end of your tea service, they come around with their Sweets Tray! Today’s had: 2 different types of petit fours, a big cookie, and 2 different types of truffles. You get to pick one. (But I really wish we could have chosen TWO hehe!)
Tiramisu Truffle – I chose this one cuz it was the most different aand cuz it’s my husband’s favorite. (smiley face) I knew I would only take a bite and take the rest of it home to him. Creamy texture, yum!
I didn’t notice this the last time… But, they have the sweetest outdoor set up!
I’m so happy we got to revisit Lovey’s. Even tho we pass it often, I haven’t been back to have tea since February 2016!! (I didn’t realize I had scheduled this visit in the same month!? How neat) What I had written about in my initial review still stands true- beautiful customer service. I wish I could go into detail for exactly how they accommodated our party, but I’ll leave that between us. (wink) Just know that they took GOOD CARE of our Caregivers, and my girls loved this place! “Superb” pick, is what one of them told me. Always makes me feel good to know that I chose a good spot for my tea-loving friends too!
If you are looking for an afternoon tea with really high quality tea, this is your place.
A bonus for me is it’s by the water. I grew up fishing with my Daddy at Pacifica Pier, so making the walk down to the ocean is my biggest treat after having tea there. The waves were feisty and we got a good fix of some Salt Water Therapy!! Ugh, I could have stood there all day…
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Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a one-time donation! Thank you in advance!
Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a monthly donation! Thank you in advance!
Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a yearly donation! Thank you in advance!
It was cute cuz I got a few tags + messages about this place…but I already had reservations! I’m a Detective, I’m tellin you! Doesn’t look like much outside, but when you go inside- (open mouth emoji) you really can’t tell a book by its cover. It was busy tho, so I took a few pics at the end of our visit when people started clearing out… You’ll see those at the end.
I’ve never had a “Persian” Tea before. I always get excited to try new themes of tea. We do have a Persian friend who used to love to cook for us, and his food was always good! So if it was anything like that, we were in for a really good meal!
Another treat to this Tea was that we had a visitor all the way from England able to come!! So we got to listen to that sweet accent the whole afternoon hehe. Also a first: a co-ed Tea! Here’s how that went… Since this was a squeezed in Spot (they just starting serving Afternoon Tea this past September) (and you know we do our best to get in as soon as possible), I hadn’t the faintest idea who to take with me and who would be interested in Persian Tea. I put a question sticker on my IG Stories, asking who liked Persian food. One of my friends responded, so I thought of taking her + her bestie (also a friend of mine). When I told the Huz I was going to try a Persian Tea, he said he was interested in going to that one! Ay-yay-yay! Fine, let’s all go!! The girls happen to have their friend from England visiting at the time, so it was an honor to have her join the Tour! Our original girlfriend ended up not being able to make it (missed you babe)…so it was just Mrs. Mamoa, England love, the Huz and me!
[Disclaimer: These photos coming up will not do this place and their food any justice. There was a beautiful ambiance and breathtaking environment. However, the yellowy spotlight directly over my head, created a terrible shadow of my growing baby hairs over each shot. So, I had to take my photos so far so as to not highlight my hair growth, lol. I also decided too late to just use my iPhone instead of fuss with my DSLR settings, so I’ll throw the few of those I took in there too.]
I’m usually not a fan of small amount of tea options. BUT- they have such amazing choices for the 6 that they offer, there was no complaint from me at all! Since there were 4 of us, we each chose a different one so we could try lots.
Persian Tea (An elegant rich blend of Earl Grey, Ceylon, and oil of Bergamot) – So glad my girl chose this one, cuz (well first, how do you go to a Persian Tea without ordering their Persian tea??) this one ended up being my favorite from the table. A really delicious earl grey.
Flora Green (Luxury flowering infusion of Premium Green Tea, Jasmine, and Rose) – My choice. If I can remember back (gosh, from over 40 Teas!), I wanna say this is the first we’ve been served a flowering tea!? So pretty! This one was faint in flavor, but still good.
Saffron Tea (Organically grown Saffron, Rose bud, Jasmin blossoms and Osmanthus) – The most intriguing of the batch for sure. My notes said “light, beautiful, so good.”
Holiday Basket (Black tea with Rose buds, Peppermint, Safflower, dried orange, and cranberries) – This one smelled so minty! It was minty but also creamy. I love me a creamy tea! Made me think of sweet mint gum…in a good way.
So, a tier came out… And I was so happy (a little confused, but mostly happy), that there was more than one each per person!!?! That was so fun to see!! Wasn’t quite 2 for each of us, but at least you can have more than 1 of an item. I loved that. We made sure we all had at least one each to try, then divvied up the rest. (Again, this is the best pic I got. So imagine what the others looked like!? I have better video of this tier…make sure you’re following us on Instagram!)
Smoked Salmon Bites – These weren’t like your traditional smoked salmon you get at usual afternoon tea spots. It was like a ‘moussed’ salmon! ”Very dilly”, says England love. The carrot was super crunchy (P.S. I love heirloom carrots.) and bread was chewy.
[iPhone shot]
Kalbas (Mortadella lavash rolls with petite Persian pickles and tomato aioli) – Didn’t realize why I loved this one so much til just now, typing the description from their menu. I love Mortadella!! (my Italian roots are clapping!) But this one was a bit different. I knew there was some sort of cold cut or sliced meat, but couldn’t put my finger on which exactly. But the picklessss (I’m whining) MADE this for me. There was also a little heat in the back, which I appreciated. The flavors + textures just all worked so well together in this one. I wasn’t shy about saying I wanted a 2nd piece!! Hehe.
2nd course!! (three clapping emojis)
[iPhone shot]
Spinach Filo (Filo pastry filled with spinach and feta cheese served with cucumber yogurt) – How cute is it that we got a 2nd course of Savories!? This pastry was soo comforting!! Warm + crispy. Who doesn’t love spinach filling? And that yogurt sauce, completed this so nicely.
Our 3rd course! This is so so fun.
Raspberry Scone (served with apricot and cherry jams) – My famous saying: “I could drink that stuff with a straw!!” Their cherry preserves mannn! You’ll see. You’ll see…in the background…I’ll have my own 2nd helping of it, while I’m taking pictures of other stuff haha! But wait- the scone was a GOOD scone too, tho. Sliced nicely, so all their gorgeous jams could sit on top no prob. Ugh, I LOVED this course!!
What happened next was something that doesn’t happen at ALL Afternoon Tea’s, but what I appreciate So. Much. . . . They gave us new plates yall. (about to cry emoji) I looooved that they did this!!! It’s an extra step, sure. But, it makes all the difference in the world! In my opinion anyway. I had a nice clean (and stunning too, might I add) plate for the next sweets. ESPECIALLY, for a (air quotes) Content Creator like myself. The next items had a beautiful background for their photo shoot, tada!
2nd tier/4th course.
[iPhone shot]
House Made Persian Love Cake (Cake Yazdi) – Never had a Love Cake before…but I’m so happy I did. Cardamom rose yall, car-da-mom ROSE! A classic combination. Soo soo good, I wish I had one in front of me right now!!
Noon Chai (Fluffy and lightly sweet roll with chocolate, and fresh strawberries) – This little sandwich was so refreshing! I could’ve eaten about 10 of those!
Mini Apple (not marzipan! Lol) – I’m still including my picture of the cutest, tiniest apple because it had its full dedicated photo shoot!! Haha. Kind of an inside joke, but at one point we thought it was a marzipan apple!! Hahah…
Here were the Huz’s remarks: “…desserts were not decadent, I liked that. It was a simply laid out Tea. Reflected the cuisine of the culture well. Not complicated at all. Simplicity and quality. Well done.”
And finally, here are some shots of the interior…
Absolutely attractive right!? I was already thinking of what kind of intimate party I can have back there and who I’m inviting!! I loved so much that there was a dedicated section of the restaurant for their Afternoon Tea. It made it so special! The interior is something out of a storybook, and I admired every little detail- down to the vases they served our water in! And every table got a different vessel.
This is a family owned business and Tea is the mastermind of their Aunt! She did an amazing job selecting every piece to this very special tea service. I will let her tell you all about it when you come in! The customer service here was unmatched. I think that’s a good part of why we can’t wait to come back so much. Food was extraordinary for sure. But the treatment we got was so good, it made it hard to leave. That’s another thing- IT WAS A FULL TEA EXPERIENCE. I can’t remember the last time I had a service that was 3 hours long!!?! And that used to be my favorite part!! It was a slow and steady process of enjoying each item presented to you. That’s the reason I got to know Mrs. Mamoa and England love better! We were given TIME!!! Some of these Afternoon Tea Spots (i.e. here) will start kicking you out after an hour and a half these days! I loved the leisure Chelokababi gifted us. It was a welcome time away from our day-to-day and we enjoyed every single minute. Thank you, Chelokababi, thank you!! (Btw- I already placed you on my raTEAng, and yall are pretty high up on that list already. Wink wink!)
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Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a one-time donation! Thank you in advance!
Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a monthly donation! Thank you in advance!
Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a yearly donation! Thank you in advance!
Have you ever been driving around the East Bay and notice this big beautiful white building in the hills?! Being from Richmond, we would see it all the time. I would hear about it all the time too. My bio mom worked for this really generous boss and she would get sent on weekend retreats there for spa treatments. She would come back telling us all about the food and the glamour of being there. So, I always viewed it as this ‘untouchable’ place that I would never have any business stepping foot in.
Well, that place is the Claremont. And, I had business to tend to in there!
Check out this view, too!
Yes, this was a new Spot I squished in on the Tour again! Tho the Claremont has been serving afternoon tea for decades, this is the first since the Pandemic that they’ve opened their doors for their seasonal offering. I booked the soonest day we had available. Because we were so starstruck just being INSIDE, we wanted to make sure we looked like we knew what we were doing and were important enough to have a reason to be there!! LOL. We passed by an area we thought Tea would be at, but there was a sign on an easel in the front that said “PRIVATE EVENT”. Yeah, that’s not us! So we kept on walking…
Still walking…and nothing. I approached the Concierge to ask where Afternoon Tea was being held, and she directed us to where that sign was. I reiterated- where it says Private Event?? She responds, “You are the Private Event!” (about to cry emoji) THE SWEETEST!!
Just look-
So luxurious right?! Are you excited?? I’m excited to tell you!
Organic Bella Coola Punch (A warming sip for cold winter nights with notes of creamy orange & pineapple) – Very tart, with a slight cream undertone…a punch for sure!
Ontario Icewine (Smooth and silky with light Riesling and berry notes) – I’ve had an icewine before that I really liked. But what caught my attention was the Riesling part! I used to love me some Riesling. My favorites were Pacific Rim and Chateau Ste Michelle… Anyway, I chose good!
There were too many good shots of this tier, I couldn’t choose just one! So enjoy all three!
Our server beautifully explained each carefully prepared piece. Everything was made in-house. From the bread, to that amazing honey. From the looks alone, you could tell attention to detail was important to them. The bottom tier of sweets had desserts themed from all over the world! I loved that part.
Sweet Potato Cheddar Biscuit (Apple Spiced Butter, Claremont Gold Honey) – I’m not really a fan of cheddar, but I had an open mind when trying this one. I put it all together with its designated fixings. Man oh man!! That thing was incredible! The combination was so complex, I didn’t even know how to describe it!? It became my favorite, fast. And I think it was all because of that honey!!
Cranberry Orange Scone (Blood Orange Preserve, Devonshire Cream) – Ugh, the crispiest edges! Again with the complex. The texture was on point sure, but the flavors were so so good together.
Truffled Egg Salad (Chive, Pain au Lait) – Speechless. I’m learning I really like egg and truffle together!
Honeynut Squash Tartine (Whipped Burrata, Toasted Hazelnuts, Smoked Honey) – There was quite a bite to the squash that was unexpected…thought it was gonna be more mushy, but I welcomed it! The herby flavor gave it much depth.
Smoked Mary’s Chicken Salad (Blistered Grapes, Compressed Celery, Croissant) – That meat was so tender!! Love the grapes, and lots of celery yay! It’s kinda like the chicken salad I make for the kids at home, but a much elevated version of course haha. Just saying that I loved the simplicity of it…especially because it’s like the version I like! Didn’t realize til I was typing it out now, that that was croissant bread!? Um, yum! When I got to the crust part of it, I was so happy about the bread! It’s a good bread.
Lobster Roll (Fermented Chili, Shaved Fennel, Brioche) – Loooved the crunch of that fennel so much! There was a little tiny aftertaste of spice from the lobster, that was nice. It was a little too much bread for me. I would’ve liked more lobster filling for a better ratio.
Shaved Prime Rib (Horseradish Aioli, Mizuna, Chive Parker House Roll) – With all that green poking out, I already knew I was gonna like this one. Didn’t know it was mizuna, but it so closely resembled arugula and the arugula-lover that I am appreciated that so much! The rib was so thinly sliced, rare, and buttery. Made for an easy bite, score points.
There was so much to try in this tea service, and everything was so hearty! It was a nice + welcome change from some services that have the tiniest mouthfuls of things. I took another bite or two of my sandwiches before I moved on to the sweets.
Citrus Cheesecake – Subtle cheese flavor, nice crust, the rind was fun to chew.
Matcha Cake – Very moist cake. That jello center was and interesting surprise. The matcha flavor was really mild.
Chocolate Hazelnut Financier – Sooo chewy! For the bottom and corners of this, think of brownie texture. I loved that part of this sweet so much. And it wasn’t rich at all.
Vanilla Panna Cotta – Since panna cotta is my all-time favorite kind of dessert, I always get excited when I see it on a menu. I wish I would’ve gotten to this sooner, cuz it was melty by the time I had it. Still good flavor, and the raspberry made it better.
Macarons – Our server didn’t know what flavors these were… My best guess would be pistachio and birthday cake. Either way, they were very good! I said I coulda had the whole bottom tier just be these macarons and woulda been fine with that!
The service here was very noteworthy. Everyone treated us with so much kindness. Our server had been in the hospitality industry for some time and you could tell. He was informative about the building and history of the hotel and had a nice conversation with us at the end of our meal. That alone will change my whole tone of my review. If you serve me a step above mediocre food BUT THEN show me some genuine personal interest on top of that, you just raised my experience.
I’m so glad we got to have tea here. Being able to say I went inside the Claremont was worth it alone! The amount of food they present is definitely the value for what you’re paying. As high class of an establishment, no one makes you feel like you don’t belong there. At the end of our party, we were met with the most STUNNING Bay Area sunset. I kinda went crazy with my shots between my DSLR and iPhone! Here’s just a couple… Enjoy!
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Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a one-time donation! Thank you in advance!
Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a monthly donation! Thank you in advance!
Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a yearly donation! Thank you in advance!
If this tea room’s name looks familiar, it’s cuz we’ve visited them before…but in the City! Crown & Crumpet has been around for a long time!! Their first location was in Ghirardelli, that’s when my love affair with them started. Who remembers the story about the facebook pictures and my bedridden pregnancy!? Ahh, huh, ah-ha! So, our very first Spot on the Tour in 2014 was their next location (btw the Ghirardelli one closed) in Japantown. That’s when I met their cheeky owner, love her. Read about that visit here. When I opened the Tour again and started our 3rd Leg, she invited us to visit their Ross location. Of course we would!
Now it’s got its own Spot Number and Review, because they’re different! Just like Lovey’s is different from Lovejoy’s…
I didn’t get too much of the interior (1) cuz there were people eating in there, and (2) cuz I was already busy talking with the owner when we got there! But here’s a pic or two…
We had a bit of a drive to get there…a little over an hour. And it was such a rainy day. But we were still thrilled to have this adventure scheduled! In April of this year, I was so honored to be invited to a friend’s first time to C&C’s place in San Francisco. She had always wanted to go, and I had the privilege of attending with her. Since C&C was her JAM, I invited her to this tea party too! We took another cutie friend, and the 2 coolest gramma’s you will ever meet!! (too young to be my gramma’s, but happy to have them as friends!) I felt so flattered that they agreed to spend the afternoon with me. Just the ride over was already fantastic! Nothing like passing San Quentin and being in Pac’s hometown of Marin hehe. So. Many. Inside jokes… Such a cute little town, Ross is. We woulda loved to spend more time perusing the boutique shops around their main street feel!
When she walked us to the back to our table and it was OUTSIDE- (the ‘I can’t handle this’ emoji) let’s all say it together: “I love eating outside!!!” Since I don’t look at social media or websites too much before visits, I either didn’t know or had forgotten that they had an outdoor option. Even their tents were so cute with window details! They helped us feel so comfy back there. We had cozy blankets, heaters on (that later we even turned off), and even (guys) purse holders were offered! This elevated the experience for me already.
After we got settled in, we all took turns selecting our teas. Here’s what we ordered at our table: Alice Drink Me Tea (raspberry, white peach, strawberry black), Pretty in Pink (strawberry vanilla herbal), Earl Grey (bergamot black), Swamp Water (tropical rooibos), and my pick Lychee Congou (special reserve black). Everyone absolutely loved their choices! Especially my friend who ordered their Alice blend, she even purchased some on our way out. My Lychee was soo good (yall know I love me a lychee tea), it was like lychee but also creamy!? Happy they were happy!!
We’re sitting there enjoying our teas and the rain really starts pouring. Ugh, it was BEAUTUFUL. Hearing the pitter-patter of each of those chunky raindrops hit the canopy we were under… While sipping our hot drinks… I could’ve stayed under there forever. I JUST LOVED IT!!
I’m always saying this but I never do it… I need to record them when they’re explaining what’s on the tiers, especially when each item isn’t listed in detail on their menus! I legit got quiet when they were sharing with the table next to us, and told all my friends to ear hustle so we could get the deats again! Haha! I have some official names aand some I made up…hehe.
I always go for my Crumpet first. And they bring it out warm, so come on! Theirs is perfect, lemme just say that right here. It might not look like much in the picture…but I can assure you, each of those crannies are filled with buttery goodness. The edges are crispy, the middle is chewy. And their fixings aren’t pictured here, but they lovingly gave us EACH our own to use and (ugh I wanna cry) their clotted cream and house-made lemon curd + jam = gold standard, period.
Cucumber Sandwich – Okay so, their cucumber is a bit soggy. Yes, I admit. However. I love me some chewy soggy bread thooo!! This one almost melts in your mouth AND they put something a little different in theirs!? Like, I kinda tasted dill…but…it could be something different, I don’t know. It’s one of those tastes that make you go hmm.
Egg Salad on Croissant – You can see it in there, I know you can. There’s a big chunck of GREEN ONION. Right there! There! (whiny emoji) If you’re a longtime reader of this blog (thanks for still being here, love ya for that), you’ll know I hate me some green onions. (green nauseated emoji) Can’t stand em, won’t eat em, can’t do em. When I’m watching a cooking show with the Huz and they add that scallion business on anything, I have to obnoxiously + verbally take my stand on my hatred. BUT. I don’t know if I was feeling brave or didn’t wanna bother with the removal project… (takes a deep breath) I just freely took my bites out that sandwich. And you know what. I loved it. There, I said it.
Coronation Chicken Sandwich (lightly curried chicken with apricots, almonds, green onions & mango chutney) – Their menu says “lightly” but that didn’t taste ‘lightly’ to me. That joint was FULL of curry flavor. I’ve had a number of curry chicken sandwiches on this Tour in the last almost 10 years, and my friends, that is one SLAMMIN chicken curry sandwich!! (three clapping emojis) I couldn’t get enough. I woulda eaten a whole loaf mmkay, of those things!
Sausage Savory – This may not look like much (I know I said that already about something else huh), but don’t let this tiny bite fool you. It packs a smoky punch boyy!
Brie Tart – That’s a sturdy pastry!! Made this savory so much more fun, that crumbly crunch. The brie and jelly were a match made for each other! So yum.
Chocolate Dipped Strawberry – Always a happy-maker. I could eat these all day!
Cinnamon Cake – Dense bread, subtle spice.
Lavendar Rosemary Shortbread – Crispy cookie, light flavor, the sugar crystals gave exciting texture!
Apricot Bar – I wanted a whole 9 by 13 of this!! I savored every morsel. Not too sweet, great textures (with the crunchy bottom, gooey center + crumbly topping). Absolutely delicious!
Cranberry (I think) Scone – And last but not least! Just a really good standard scone. Fluffy, nice flavor. Couldn’t say anything bad about it if I tried!
Honestly, I breezed through my pictures + notes! Even forgot to post on Threads for my ‘Real Time Thoughts’ hahah. (I mean, I did post…but not as well as I could’ve) I was just thoroughly enjoying myself with my guests, I wanted to join in on all that laughter that was being had!! The owner of C&C (as I’m sure I’ve mentioned in previous blog posts + social media) is just such a riot, she always hosts us to such a good time. And as I told her verbatim, “I could never say anything bad about this place.” They know what they’re doing with tea and they do an exceptional job with it all. We browsed around their shop next door, met their sweet Shop Girl! Used the bathroom one last time before our long drive home, and took photos with their Queen cut-out on the wall hehe. Can’t wait to come back here! If yall find yourselves out that way, please stop by and have some Tea at the Crown & Crumpet. You won’t be sorry you did!
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Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a one-time donation! Thank you in advance!
Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a monthly donation! Thank you in advance!
Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a yearly donation! Thank you in advance!
(clears throat) Okay, let me explain about the out of order numbers again… The Tea Spot that was scheduled to be visited in October was actually visited in August (Jade Chocolates) becauuuse I didn’t want to miss their Hawaiian-themed tea service (and they change themes often). Then, I was supposed to take a month off in October just to have a breather…which turned out to be timely, since my Mom passed away end of Sept. HOWeverr, this Spot just started offering Afternoon Tea AND I like to try it out as early as possible for you guys sooo- here we are! Squeezed this one in on the Tour before our 38th to-be-visited Spot scheduled for November, which is WHY it’s our 39th. (exhale)
If I can go back to my roots for a moment and be extremely Bay Area– it was HELLA loud in there. This was our first time in that bakery. It had been bookmarked in my Yelp to try, just never made it yet. So I was excited to kill two birds with one stone, and check this off while trying their tea service. But yeah, the sheer level of volume initially turned me off. Tho, I remained optimistic!
So- they offer loose AND bag. One pot to share, and they brought it to us not ready yet. (rolling eyes emoji) We chose their Jardin Bleu. No descriptions on the menu, they just told us “vanilla”. Ohhkaay… Thankfully, of the minimal choices on their menu, we both were interested in that one. We like a dark steep, so we let a good amount of time go before our first pours. But even then, it was still light. The vanilla was there, and maybe a berry aftertaste…? In the middle of our service, anticipating that it was gonna be better (having over-steeped by now), it was still just okay. And you are not allowed to change your tea blend.
Our tier came and as he was explaining everything, I already off the bat didn’t like that there’s not 2 of everything and you have to share some tiny items.
Plain Scones with jam and clotted cream – nice flavor but too crispy for me, more like a biscuit, you cut it and it crumbles; menu says “clotted cream” but I don’t know what that was
Egg Sandwich – it was good, could use salt, I like the soft boil, almost like a cold wet scramble
Prosciutto Sandwich – grill is nice, not every bite has prosciutto, I don’t know what else to say; the Huz said “it’s a decent grilled cheese”
Lemon Mint Pot de Creme – the mint made it taste dirty, “earthy”, very very faint lemon flavor, I do like the custard consistency a lot; thankfully my date was who I married, cuz we were forced to share this pot if we both wanted to try it
Chocolate Pot de Creme – this one taste worse, not creamy, almost eggy, curdled! I changed my mind! (when I saw there were one each of the pots, I said he could have the lemon cuz I’m not a lemon dessert person); he says “…and don’t serve it to me in plastic!” Hahah! Said it had a jell-o shot feel
Mini Madeleine dipped in Chocolate – honestly forgot to make a note… these were so cute + little, but nothing special, they are as big as your kid’s pinky finger and YES we cut each in half so we could both try
Matcha Tiramisu – tastes like shampoo
Matcha Truffle – I got a big dose of powder to tongue! I had made a sour face just as our server came to check on us!
Dark Chocolate Truffle – very nice, but nothing fantastic about it, reminded me of Trader Joe’s one (in that square red box)
Strawberry Pistachio Choux – here’s how our conversation went about this one…
Me: “What does that taste like, DIRT?”
Him: “Yeah.”
“Like they didn’t clean the pistachio.”
(3 crying laughing emjois)
It was way too much filling, tho I liked the pastry a lot
Rose Mousse – how do you eat it, you can’t pick it up, I had to bite down on the paper it was sitting on and scrape it off with my teeth, not cute, I thought that clear disc was hard candy but it was like chicken cartilage!!
Special Tart – I’m sure there was an official name for this one, but I didn’t hear him. I know for sure it was lilikoi. After setting down our tier and saying there was something else he was bringing out for us “to share”… After seeing all those sweets, I was hoping it was gonna be like a huge ham sandwich!! I usually like passion fruit stuff, but I didn’t like this. Didn’t like the coconut, and I don’t know why it reminded me of baby food.
Listen, the staff was very nice. Good service, sure. But this WASN’T IT for me guys!! I didn’t like that it was 500 sweet things to only TWO savories. The atmosphere wasn’t tea party vibes! The Huz goes: “I’m still trying to understand the aesthetic of how this fits into afternoon tea.” He was saying it would have been nice for a Bakery to put out more baked goods; “use your storefront to catapult this,” he says. And I agree! I think the focus was too much on the shock factor and what it looked like…as opposed to taste and flavor. We left there HUNGRY. Didn’t take the leftovers either. No joke- we stopped by McDonald’s on the way home and enjoyed some double-double’s!! And I wouldn’t normally nitpick on this, but there was just too much not to say something- if you want us to take you seriously as an Afternoon Tea Spot, REPRINT YOUR MENUS. I counted way too many typos. It’s not “darjeenling” for goodness sake!
You know how people say “Not everyone needs to have a podcast”? Well, not everyone needs to offer Afternoon Tea.
This was the first of 5 Tea things we have coming in the next 4 weeks!! EXCITING! So if you’re not already, please take a moment to enter your email below to subscribe so you can get all Blog Posts we share. Follow us on Threads too, cuz we post real time thoughts from all our Tea Adventures! We appreciate any donations that you are moved to contribute as well. See you here soon!
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Yearly
Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a one-time donation! Thank you in advance!
Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a monthly donation! Thank you in advance!
Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a yearly donation! Thank you in advance!
The 3rd Leg of our Tour was already fully booked: 8 new Spots and 6 Revisits. Would take us a little over a year to finish, if we visited one a month like usual. With the addition of iChina and the surprise of Four Seasons, we had/have a lot of Afternoon Tea!
Then.
What’s this?
What do we have here??
Tea…but ON A TRAIN!!?!
You better believe I was going. And you better believe I called my OG’s. And you better believe they were in. And you better believe we booked on that day!! Hehe. So for 3 long months, we waited patiently, until it was our turn to experience the:
The little over an hour drive it took us to get out there was not bad at all (especially if you’re spending it with your girls you haven’t hung out with in a while, lots of catching up). When you arrive, there’s this huge waiting room. Lots + lots of seating with cute patterned upholstery, some pub tables, a little bar (the girls had mimosas), a picture taking area, aaand (my favorite) a gift shop! We checked in, then only had to wait a little over half an hour before boarding. We perused the store, took some selfies, attempted a TikTok video for our girl (Mariposa’s hand!), and used the bathroom. Talked about how we felt overdressed cuz we weren’t seeing anyone else in dresses (oh yeah, I wore a DRESS you guys!!), then started seeing some dresses then felt better, then started seeing some SPECTACULAR ensembles then felt underdressed and like we weren’t representing our true-selves in these floral dresses (where are my Tims?!)…HAHAHA! We funny huh. Finally heard our letter being called and excitedly exited toward the train!
There’s a short wait where we stand amongst dozens of decorated locks. Just like they do in Paris, visitors bring love locks and attach them to the fence. An adorable sight! And right before you get to the train, there’s a professional photographer who will take your party’s photo like they do for you on cruises. Okay, now to the track!!
Before I left, my husband asked me what I was most looking forward to on this Day Trip. I took a moment to think before I answered, then replied “the decor!” Just like I answered when the girls from Talk Tea To Me Podcast asked why I fell in love with afternoon tea on the episode where they interviewed me. My love for art and interior design makes me anticipate + appreciate my surroundings when I’m at Tea. And really, I would do a disservice trying to explain with words what a stunning environment we got to be in!
At our setting, we are greeted with a Chandon Garden Spritz. After all, this tea service is in collaboration with Chandon!
[taken by Kika]
The tea comes on a little cart, like they do in airplanes! We had 4 choices: Yunnan Black, Earl Grey, Chamomile, and Rooibos. And they came around with their cart quite a few times during our trip to refresh our cups and try new flavors. I tried all but their cham (didn’t wanna get sleepy). They weren’t bad teas. I think they kept the bags in those thermoses cuz they were heavily steeped. But I wasn’t complaining cuz I like a dark brew anyhow.
I added another shot that I took on my phone. We were having so much fun taking pics of everything! And I love how you can see the vibration ring in my cup!! (like in Jurassic Park!) Oh about that- I was a bit concerned at how bumpy the ride was going to be. It had been over 20 years since I’ve been on a train. Last time was during my honeymoon, when we took a train to Reno, NV! But it was not bad at all!! Almost kind of therapeutic, I think. It was a slow enough pace where you can enjoy the outside scenery. And we all got a kick of how sweet passersby were waving at us! (feeling loved emoji)
After teas, they set us up with Chef’s Seasonally Inspired Soup. Today’s choice was a tomato. Had a nice tang, really fun texture, and I felt like it had a touch of nutmeg or cinnamon in the back there. Of the handful of shots I took, this was the best one that came out! I forgot to use the ‘sport’ setting on my camera, and the shake of the ride took away from some of my captures.
After that, an Heirloom Beet Salad (local goat cheese, frisée, pistachios, citrus vinaigrette) was presented. My mouth just watered, typing all that out. Oh the table loved this one! It was lightly dressed, the beets were PERFECTLY roasted (and I looove heirloom things, don’t you!?), and the goat cheese was gorgeous. P.S. I am a beet freak, so I was like making out with this salad!! I finished every leaf. And I don’t usually do that at tea services…jus sayin.
Here came the tier! Yay! (I’m cracking up cuz we were in kind of tight quarters AND I was in the inside part of the booth, so there wasn’t really much room for me to get up to get the right angle for the tower shot. I don’t like putting my friends’ faces in my posts, so my sweet girls turned their backs aaand this one was actually the best of it I got! Haha. They’re so cute huh?!)
I didn’t have time to think about a strategy on how to eat my savories (I usually go cucumber first) cuz I was just so in the moment (and a bit distracted), so I went from the top down. And it went well!
Lobster Vol-au-Vent – …aaand thenn I had thissss. I wish I would’ve saved it for last. That thing stayed in my hand the whole time. No putting it down on my plate to get a sip of tea… I had all 3 bites, consecutively. Ohmygosh it was so good!! Lemony, crispy fluffy pastry, good ratio of filling to bread, had a nice welcome peppery aftertaste. I can remember the spongey stringy lobster goodness as I write this!
Radish & Creme Fraiche – Bouncy pastry, light airy cream, nice radish crunch, pleasant tang, salty. That was a lot of cream. And even tho it sorta melted in your mouth, that was a lot of cream! I felt like we all at some point had cream mustaches, cuz (you guessed it) that was a lot of cream. I have to say tho, the salty taste afterwards- even tho you were like ‘what is this, why’, it made you go back for more to try + understand it again! Well played Wine Train, well played.
Cucumber & Dill – Oh there you are cucumber! I don’t know, the cream in this was frothy…!? Remember Monica and Mockolate? “Just waiting for it to stop bubbling!” That’s what that cream or cheese made me think of. I didn’t care for it. The cucumber was a little soggy, and the bread was like mushy. I still finished it, but like, begrudgingly.
Roast Beef, Horseradish, White Cheddar – I didn’t like this one that much either!? It had nice thick pieces of beef. But not a huge fan of the cheese.
Smoke Salmon & Fine Herb Cream Cheese – Nice amount of cheese to salmon. Didn’t like the caviar. I felt like there was something in their cheese other than dill…but I couldn’t make it out. Like a celery seed or fennel or something, I don’t know. I asked my girl (Rizitos who is a great cook) if she could figure it out, and she said she just tasted the dill…
I was so ready for dessert! (clapping hands) Five yummy sweet things, a nice variety + selection. There was also a fruit + cheese tier, but I didn’t get a picture of it.
Lemon Tart (there weren’t official names to the treats, so these are my generic labels for them) – Again, I didn’t know it then but I figured it out after, I ate the best thing first! MMM! WOW. Crunchiest pastry, resemblant of cheesecake crust. Light lemon, not overpowering, so smooth + delicate. And it had a fun aftertaste. I took bites of everything else after I tried this one…then went back to it, and demolished it. (and I never usually finish my sweets)
Pumpkin Scone – This was so light! It was soft inside, but the glaze was crunchy. As a pumpkin-lover, this was nice to see on the menu.
Almond Cake – Bland for me. Light cake. Only had a bite.
Chocolate Chip Cookie – This wasn’t just any chocolate chip cookie. This was like thee perfect chocolate chip cookie. Big chunks of chocolate, nice dense bite, chewiest chew, flakey salt. (drooling)
We had a spectacular time. The service was AMAZING. We fortunately were sat right by the service station, so it was convenient if we needed anything. Our Server was so kind and so efficient. She even made me a makeshift cover for the rest of my tomato soup I wanted to take home. The ride was lovely. Comfortable. Clean. Even the bathroom was really cute! Oh and the music was poppin! All those songs that are your jam, that you haven’t heard in forever…yeah, they played them. Happy I went. Happy my OG Girls were with me. The price was the most I’ve paid for Afternoon Tea (well you’re not just getting the tea, but a whole experience too), and it was well worth it. I would definitely do this again. I would take the Huz, I would take the kids. I would pay just to have those lobster things + lemons tarts only!! We made sure to pick up our cruise photo, so we had a souvenir for this beautiful day. I think they’re still offering this Afternoon Tea for the month of October…but I would def keep checking back in to see when they’re gonna do this again cuz you have to go!
Here are a few really cool shots from our friend Kika, who was hot on the phone pics! (a-ok emoji) I just love the one she did of the tower with our friend Mariposa in the background!
A DEDICATION
So like I mentioned, this trip was booked 3 months in advance. What I didn’t know when I booked it, was that my Mom was going to lose her 8+ year battle with cancer just 4 days before our scheduled departure. I was so broken, numb, confused, lost. But I felt like I had to keep it together until our Day Trip. Those 4 days following her death, I behaved as normal as possible. I went about my days of homeschooling and laundry. Even when I went to go spend time with my brothers, I didn’t cry. I stayed away from my phone. Didn’t reply to messages, didn’t get on social media. I had to work! Then after work, I could crumble. That was my mentality. Strange I know, but like they say: people deal with grief in different ways.
I met with my girls that day. Spent the ride over, the train ride, and the ride back just enjoying their company and my tea time. I didn’t say a word about Mom. No one knew that as soon as I took that last photo + typed out my last note and declared “Okay I’m finished with work!” that my shoulders suddenly felt so heavy. That the whole drive home I was continuing to swallow that hard lump in your throat that serves as a signal from your body that you need to cry. And the Academy Award goes to… I hate liars. But I had to put my best face on, otherwise I would lose it and never come out of it. And I didn’t want the day to be about that. So I kept my cool.
The following day some good friends of ours took the kids, and my husband took me out. I requested Barnes & Noble. I could peruse those aisles + shelves all day long. I love reading Memoirs (I just started “Spare”), so I browsed for more to add to my TBR pile. I used to collect magazines, so I love looking at those too. After that, we got some comfort food at the Hofbrau. Turkey dinner, of course. I love their sticky stuffing, with lots + LOTS of their brown gravy. Cranberry, a must. For something sweet, he took me to Happy Donuts. A 24-hour donut shop we’ve never tried before. We were moaning, it was so good. Then he said he knew exactly where to take me. My 2nd favorite store: HomeGoods!! (my 1st is World Market) We had fun shopping for miscellaneous items, like a pasta container and new salt + pepper pots cuz one of the lids broke on ours. It was nice to forget for a little bit…
To forget the aching pain that the closest person to me was now gone. We talked every day. She was the only mother I knew.
When I was born, I was abused by my biological mother. Unfortunately, I even have home videos to prove it. I became a rape victim by the time I was 5. This continued for 8 more years. When I got up the courage to tell my bio mom, she didn’t listen. I was sexually assaulted 2 more times by 2 other different people, one when I was 19 and one in the spring of 2019. So this is my trauma, this is the baggage I carry. I didn’t find out that I was being abused by a narcissistic mother until I was 37-years-old. I subsequently entered trauma recovery in September 2018. That was also the last time I had contact with her.
Sometime in 2007 – I met Veronica. She moved from Oakland to our area, with her husband and two boys (my brothers). I was always fond of her, she just intrigued me. We both worked for school districts, and she would often ask me for advice on some things.
November 2011 – My first hosted Tea Party, she was invited.
April 2015 – She was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma.
October 2017 – She wrote me a card. I decided to write her back, since I wasn’t seeing her much anymore (because she was having chemo treatments). We became pen pals. We would write back + forth, snail mail. Sometimes her boys or the Huz would be our messengers. We continued writing each other and I filled a 2-inch 3-ring binder full of letters from her. We eventually went to email, during Pandemic I think.
August 2018 – She joined the Tea House Tour and attended Sip Tea Room with us.
Sometime later – She adopted me and became Mommie. To my kids, she became GrandMommie.
She was there for everything. I could ask her for advice. She mothered me when I needed mothering. She had so much wisdom and carried herself with such integrity to God. She was my biggest supporter. NO MATTER WHAT I was doing, she would be the first in line, the front row seat. When I made + sold art- she didn’t just buy one, she bought many. When I published my book- even tho she already had a pre-released copy, she still bought an official hard copy. When I made + sold tea- she didn’t just buy a box, she’d spend $200 at a time. And then make little packages and send them out to friends + relatives.
She loved my kids. The best Grandmother any child could ever ask for. The only one they’d really ever known. When she did Grandmother things for them, they were confused. I had to explain that that’s what a grandmother did or that that’s how a grandmother loved. Like when she would give them money every time they saw her. They didn’t get that that’s the kinda thing grandparents just do. They never had positive experiences with their biological grandmothers…
She called my husband for every need around the house. He was always there. Happily helping out with odd jobs, building furniture, doing handyman things. He has a small handyman company, and she was his biggest client! Soon, our son would join and they were building stuff for her together. She claimed the nickname Chatty Cathy, and would call me when my husband left her house to apologize that she’d kept him there for some time. He loved listening to her stories. It never bothered either of us, the time he spent there with her. He appreciated her Momma-lovin too!
I feel like I had to describe my childhood real quick first, so you could understand the depth of what this woman did for me. For our kids. For our family. She filled a void I never even knew I was looking for. I was so happy just having someone to ask me about my day, to listen about hers. The simplest + silliest thing- when I was over and she was opening something, I was THEE HAPPIEST girl taking the trash from her and throwing it out for her. Like, I felt so good to have a mom to do that for. Trash, yall. TRASH!! I would talk about her at every opportunity. People who know me, know this well.
One of her absolute favorite things to do was buy us things. Now, I was always shy and at first didn’t accept. But I soon realized what a joy this was for her, then started allowing it. She loved to buy my daughter + I dresses. So every time I would wear one she got, I always ALWAYS had to share that it was from her. “Oh thank you, Mommie got it for me!” She’s bought us cute flats + blazers/cardigans to wear for the complete outfit too. One time, she bought her + I matching dresses. We were so happy to wear them together. She’s bought all 4 of us winter coats. For our anniversary, she bought my husband + I each our own preferred-style comforters. She has even bought me underwear, she’s so cute.
Another thing she absolutely loved to do was keep photos. She had like over a thousand stored in her phone! I included her in every aspect of my life. So when a photo was taken, you better believe I sent it to her. Then she would send random ones back to me, at random times. Like- photos of my kids, then tell me what a good mother I was. Photos of my grandmother, to remind me that we had a solid relationship. She also sent me baby photos of her boys and other loved ones. When you went to her house, photos I sent her were printed out and framed!! (oh she was just the cutest for this!)
What I appreciated most about her was how loyal she was and how down for me she was. I had to fight on my own all my life. It felt good to have someone on my side, protecting me. I have never known how not to grieve alone. I never even knew I was like this until she passed. I had a theme with all the people I have lost. I guess since I was never allowed to feel when I was younger, I felt like big feelings had to be done alone. I am learning how to lean on others in her absence. My husband + kids are taking good care of me. These new friends that I have made in the past year have prayed for me, called, sent messages, sent flowers, sent cards, offered support, took the kids. And these are not just what I call “Hallmark responses” like just Aww or I’m sorry for your loss… But actual genuine sentiments!! I am in awe and am overwhelmed by the love + support shown to me and my family. THANK YOU.
In the meantime, I will continue to work on grieving. I haven’t let it out yet. And I don’t know when it will come. My body is certainly feeling it. But my heart hasn’t caught up yet.
One-Time
Monthly
Yearly
Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a one-time donation! Thank you in advance!
Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a monthly donation! Thank you in advance!
Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a yearly donation! Thank you in advance!
parTEA with me 