[I’m still calling this one Spot 22, because I still intend to visit Spot 21!]

Our 22nd Spot:

37501 Niles Boulevard  Fremont, CA 94536

http://www.tymefortea.com

It was hard for me to remember to take photos of this Spot, because I was so familiar.  So, my apologies that I don’t have many from inside.  I saved this Spot for last, because not only was it special to me (being my FIRST tea house experience) but it also pulled rank for me when it came to Bay Area Tea Houses.  Every single Tea Spot we’ve been to, I based my review off of my experiences here.  Needless to say, this place is G-O-O-D.

Since this Tea House is center of the Niles District in Fremont, CA, it is surrounded by antique everything!  It’s not too decorated in there, but it has enough to make you feel special when you walk in.  They have their signature pink table covers, (my favorite) mismatched chairs, and only because of the Halloween season are the napkins black this time of year.  Tons of cute vintage china and silverware on the tabletops, and lots to look at!

I have to say-  I am a bit NERVOUS to review a place I’ve fallen in love with since the first time stepping foot into it almost 5 years ago!?  I will do my very best to put in words, what has brought me so much joy in recent years…

Where do I start?!  Okay (deep breath)-  making reservations was always painless here.  You call, they take your party number, they ask of the occasion, thoroughly explain what to expect for your tea service, give you a price, and you’re all done!  2 weeks before your reservation, they’ll call you to confirm your headcount.  Something new they’ve implemented, is serving ONLY their house tea (which is very good, I might add) for big parties.  As an always busy tea house, they simply can’t steep 10 different pots of tea for every reserved table.  Understandable.  They will steep a pot of decaf for your party, upon request.  I did speak with the owner’s mother prior to our visit, and asked if my party agreed on 1 or 2 additional non-decaf pots if that would be okay.  She graciously accepted our request!  And, don’t get me started on our server that day…who, I told my girlfriends would get tired of me using his name (Hehe.), but calmly + collectedly granted each favor with a willing spirit!!  Loved him.

[Again, please forgive me as the lighting in there isn’t the best for photography.  It is a building that is over 100-years-old.  That, and I’m very amateur!  I’ve been practicing shots without flash…  But, the ones I got from today aren’t that great.  The shots WITH flash will be my best bet to use!  😉  ]

For our table of 10, we shared a pot of their House Tea which is a black tea with strawberry + kiwi.  Then, I ordered the table a Ginger Peach Decaf and a Lemon Chiffon Cake tea.  They do offer quite a selection, and if I’m not mistaken aside from their house tea, most if not all of the teas they offer is from the Republic of Tea brand.  Best grocery store tea brand, in my opinion.  And, I gathered this as they sell Republic of Tea canisters in their shop.

Their House Tea is delightful.  Equal amounts of both flavor profiles, and not too strong.

The Ginger Peach Decaf is an icon for them, I think.  When I first visited, this was the tea I chose to try.  Even now, when I steep my RoT’s ginger peach daily green at home-  I’m ALWAYS reminded of fond times at Tyme for Tea!!  Every time!  It’s a refreshing catch-you-off-guard in a good way tea.

Since having Couples Tea with my husband + our beer fam (we do craft beer tasting once a month) some years back, every single time I come here never fail-  I HAVE to HAVE their Lemon Chiffon Cake tea.  The funny thing is, I would have never chosen that in a million years!!  Haha.  This was my husband’s choice, and I fell head-over-heels in love with it (like I did him!).  It’s the most creamiest, comfortingest, luxurious tea all in one.  Here’s how you know it’s good: we had 3 refills of it in the few hours we were there!?  Go get some.

Their scones have always been good here.  Let me tell you a funny story…  I hated scones.  When I saw them at a bakery or at your local Starbucks, I couldn’t grasp WHY people wanted to put that dry crumbly stuff in their mouths!?  Then-  I had one at Tyme for Tea.  It was warm, with crispy edges and chewy insides!  I had cream and lemon curd and strawberry preserves with it!  I never knew the “real” way to eat scones, until I came here!!  What had happened was: my first experience with one was NOT warmed + DRY!  So, thank you to Tyme for Tea for introducing me to the real scone experience!  (high five)  Today’s flavor was Blueberry Lemon.  Just as delicious as the first time I had one there.  (P.S.  Hopefully you come on a day when they’re doing their apricot ones!!  Ughhh!  To die.)

They do their Cucumber tea sandwich with butter.  It adds this richness, different from the usual cream cheese.  I’ve always liked the sneaky piece of radish in the middle that they add.  It gives this refreshing pop of flavor that you don’t get with most general tea house cucumber sandwiches.  Then, the dusting of dill on top coats your mouth with a cool herb hint.

Their savories ALWAYS knock it out of the park.  Little Mushroom Turnovers that pack a punch!  The crust is perfect, and a filling even non-mushroom-lovers will love.

This Spinach Pinwheel was everything you could ask for + more!  That pastry-  oh!!  The filling-  yum!  I was actually MOANING (yes, moaning) whilst eating this.  Writing this, the memories are just killing me!  Give me morrrrre!!

They have not changed their tea sandwich menu OR recipes since I first went to visit them 5 years ago.  And, I applaud them for that.  One of my favorite mottos that I truly believe is: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.  You can expect to have these quality tea sandwiches every time you visit there.  This is their Chicken Salad on Wheat.  Look.  At.  All.  That.  FILLING!!?!  Forreal, it’s pretty much a full sandwich.  I almost never finish this one!  Complimentary flavors, and the nuts on top give it wonderful texture.

This Cheddar Jalapeno Toast I can’t ever have.  Lactose intolerant, and can’t take too much spicy.  BUT-  I have tried it, and it is magnificent!  In the past, I have scraped off what I can and have just eaten to toast.  Not cute, I know.  But the bread is crazy good!  I usually take mine home to the Huz, and he loves it.

No, I didn’t have all 3 of those petit fours!  Hehe.  They are just so pretty, I had to include all in the photo shoot!  These desserts have only changed once, since 5 years ago.  They used to serve Biscoff Lotus biscuits which were a nostalgic plus in my book!  But, these signature sweets are not bad at all.  Of course, after all that luscious cake tea and savories, I could only manage a bite of each (you know how I do!).  Just to say I had it all!  Ha!  The Shortbread Cookie is a homemade recipe; chewy + good.  The Petit Fours all have different flavors per each color (there’s also a white + brown one).  All equally exquisite; soft cake and creamy layers.  And that Peanut Butter baklava-esque truffle…  Ohhh, signature treat of theirs for sure.  After my bite, that one goes straight into my peanut butter-loving husband’s belly!

The service is always 5-star when I come here.  I’ve never had a bad time, and that’s what contributes to this place being my Number 1!  I believe it’s family owned (which I value), and they treat you MORE than such.  They are there to give you thee BEST tea house experience of your life!!  And, every time I’ve come in, I can expect no less.  Thank you Tyme for Tea!  I’m so happy we ended with you.

What a great afternoon!!  Most of my “regulars” came and we just enjoyed the last moments of this beyond words Tea House Tour!

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I guess a scheduled Tea Spot this month, isn’t enough for me!?  Hehe.

I had a date with one of my sweetest friends the other day.  After a much needed massage appointment, we had tea at this cute little bakery.  Now, I can’t remember if I looked at this place or not when I scheduled the spots for the Tour…but, it does kinda sound familiar.  It is, however, not your usual Victorian tea place; so maybe that’s why I didn’t include it.  Whichever way it is-  I am SO GLAD we went that day.

I wasn’t going to mention my visit here, because I was having such a lovely time I didn’t wanna ruin it by being in ‘review mode’.  BUT, this place was sooo gooood I have to say something!!  So, here’s another unofficial review:

Tal’s Patisserie

304 Sycamore Valley Road  Danville, CA 94526

www.talspatisserie.com

Aside from their general baked goods with an Israeli flare, they offer 3 levels of tea service.  One with 3 tea sandwiches, scones + pastries, a lighter option of just scones + fruit, then a junior version.  I don’t usually talk about price in my blog posts…but I wanted to emphasize how worth it your 20-dollars will be for these 3 sandwiches!! The tea selection could be better.  There were 8 generic flavor choices, and I think they’re all from Harney & Sons (which is not a bad tea at all!).  I’m telling you tho-  I know this blog is about tea…but, you WILL NOT be thinking about the hot flavored water you are having between bites while smackin on these I-don’t-even-know-how-to-describe-them-because-I-wouldn’t-be-doing-em-ANY-justice tea sandwiches!!

Again, I didn’t have my professional camera and I only took 2 pics…  Sorry guys!

I chose their Dragon Pearl Jasmine.  Not a usual choice for me to pick a green tea, but it’s what I was feeling at the moment and I liked it!  I mean, Harney & Sons makes really good tea.  I have 2 tins of theirs at home right now!  They let us pick our own pots of tea, so that’s always a plus.

They served us quarters of Cranberry Scones, with butter and a HOMEMADE PLUM PRESERVES!!  The scones were good.  More crunchy + crumbly than I like, but still a nice scone.  I wasn’t complaining.  I’m not a butter-for-my-scones person, but that butter was churned so good it was like a cream anyway!  Those preserves tho.  You can taste the attention to care + love that was put in that little container of homemade goodness.  I asked for some to-go too, with my last piece of scone.

Okay, the highlight of this place-  these sandwiches!!!  Maybe I’m biased cuz I’m such a BREAD person, but who isn’t!?  They served Fig Butter, Goat Cheese + Apple, Tomato + Cheese, and Ham + Cheese.  But the bread…oh, the bread.  It was the crunchiest, rustic-est (yes, I said “rustic-est”), chewiest bread you could ever have in your whole existence of living!  SO NOT USUAL for a tea sandwich, but who cares!!??  It’s bread!  And, it’s good!!  The sweets were just as delicious.  A Pumpkin Spice French Macaron and a biscuit of some sort filled with chocolate.  All very rustic + homemade and just good.  Period.

The server/cashier/cook(?) was very nice.  We were the only ones in the intimate little bakery, so she was attentive + delightful.  I just kept saying “thank you” the whole time, cuz I was just so HAPPY with all that bread in my mouth!  🙂  Please visit this place readers; I wanna take everyone I know there!!

See you again in a few days!  We have our Last Spot on Saturday…

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I know, I know…of all the tea house visits I’ve been to, the Huz + I have never been together!!?!  It was on our to-do list, we promise.  But as busy parents, homeschoolers + business owners, a Tea Date seemed impossible!?

We had a little bit of time this past Saturday before we had to pick up our kids, after doing our volunteer assignment in the morning.  So, the Huz said he wanted to take me out.  We love to surprise each other, so I didn’t know where we were going until the very last minute.  When he mentioned taking me to Tea, all I could think of was “AWWWW!” and then “Fiiiiinallyyyyy!!”

The place he chose was a Not-On-The-Tour Tea Spot.  I’ve heard/seen a lot about this particular spot, but didn’t include it in our Tea House Tour.  It appeared to be more of a “café” to me, than a tea house…and when we got there, I was right.

I kept having to remind myself “I’m not working, I’m not working,” which is HARD for a workaholic to do!  I also wanted to respect my time with my husband, especially since we don’t get a lot of it.  He did inquire if I was going to review the place, and I did take mental notes of what I observed.  I obviously didn’t have my professional camera with me, so these few shots I took (for IN CASE I was going to review) are from my iPhone 6.  Not too shabby tho, I think!

Why did I decide to review…  Not because this place was spectacular, but because I felt a sense of responsibility to our readers + followers!!  You guys are just SO KIND to us, and have been here loyally.  I felt it was the least I could do.  Okay, so here goes…my unofficial review-

Leland Tea Company

1223 Donnelly Avenue  Burlingame, CA 94010

lelandtea.com

Sorry, no photo of outside the place.  It is tucked behind a salon, so a photo would have been helpful.

Please don’t expect ANY cutesy tea party décor of any kind.  As previously mentioned, the environment is more of a café.  Like-  they had a pastry display!?  So we walk in, and nobody says anything to us for awhile.  I go ahead + start smelling teas.  They have tins right in front of the cashier counter.  We’re finally seated.  I believe he was the owner (along with his mom who is the “cook”), shows us to our table by the window.  He says a few quick things to us, then hustles back to other customers.  Since this was my husband’s deal, I respectfully wait for whatever he had planned.  SO…we’re sitting there forrreverrr.  I was trying not to look, but it was hard not to-  when you are staring at spider webS behind the curtains of our window!  The dood finally comes back around, and casually asks if we ordered are sandwiches yet.  I believe his exact words to my husband “Did you order yet fool?!”  Now, I’m all for being chummy with customers.  I think it shows an instant closeness between strangers.  I get it; I’m for it.  BUT.  DO NOT.  Call us names!!??  That’s not cool!  He then explains further, that if they think you are a ‘Regular’ they will not bother you.  Ohh…kayyy.

We choose their Tea For Two tea service.  It comes with a choice of 2 tea sandwiches, house salad, 2 scones, 2 madeleines, 2 shortbread cookies, and only 1 pot of tea.  Now, they offer a refill, BUT of the same tea.  So, we had to compromise on what to order.  I didn’t see a tea menu or list of any sort, so I believe you are to order tea by smelling those tins they had by the counter.  And again, nobody told us that.  We just had to guess.  It’s a good thing we got to smelling as soon as we got there, otherwise we’d be lost.  😉

I was interested in their Jamaican Bang rooibos tea.  Not knowing what was in any of them, because there was no list (yall know how that’s my favorite) (can you hear the sarcasm?) (insert red mad emoji here), we decided to settle for that one.

It was very tart.  I didn’t expect that.  Later, only just before we left (ugh, rolling my eyes), did we find out what was in it.  A lot of floral and fruit flavor profiles, but all we could taste was the berry.  Pretty tea!  I’ll give them that.  It kinda grew on me…But only cuz I needed something hot to drink to wash the food down.  😐

We picked their Chicken Salad and Salmon Salad (yup, I said salmon salad) tea sandwiches.

I tell you , I was so sad when this tier came.  It just wreaked of I’m-paying-too-much for this meal!!  But, I put on my brave face for my man, and really did give them a fighting chance.  Plus, I was having so much fun with him + he did so good in picking Tea to take me out.  It didn’t matter if I was feeding myself gravel, I was so happy to be on a date!

I went for the salmon first.  Sure, why not.  The salmon is usually my fave at other tea places, I’ll like this…  Dood!!  It was CANNED SALMON!!?!  I don’t think I’ve ever had that before in my life!?  And if I did, I couldn’t have possibly liked it.  “Why would they serve this to people,” is what I was thinking as I continued to feed myself this artificial excuse for a tea sandwich.  I’ll admit, it wasn’t THAT bad.  However, how can you charge someone 30 dollars for canned food??  It’s just not right.

I would be kidding myself if I thought the chicken would be any better.  Again, it wasn’t a bad sandwich.  It’s just-  it tasted EXACTLY like a gramma just whipped up something real quick for you for your afterschool snack.  Don’t get me wrong, there are very FEW things in life that are like gramma’s cooking.  But this wasn’t that.  That‘s = slaving over the stove for hourrrrs, gramma’s cooking.  This = let me put something together so you can get out my face, gramma’s cooking.  Seriously, I could a made a sandwich better than these…in my house…for 3 dollars…not 30.

The salad was okay.  Again, something just whipped up.  No warmth, no love added.  Just a couple of shredded pieces of lettuce, a few nuts here + there, and a light dressing.  It was a nice filler to the 2 bites each of sandwich.

The Scones made me want to cry.  They came cold, dry, and crumbly.  I think it was a quarter of Chocolate Chip + Plain for each of us.  They threw 2 butter packets (packets, yes PACKETS!!) (and, don’t even get me started on serving scones with BUTTER) on the top tier supposedly for your scones.  Then, they had a small container of like-  2 sneezes (I’m sorry!!) of some sort of diluted preserves.  Surely not enough for one respectable sized scones.  Ugh.  I don’t have to say these had no flavor.

Here are the remaining sweets: a Chocolate-Dipped Madeline and Shortbread Cookie.  Again, both dry + cold.  Nothing left to write about that…

Our server himself said the service sucked there.  Good, so I didn’t have to say it for him.  He admitted that, then followed with “but hopefully the food is good.”  Sorry to say man, no points for either.  I have NO IDEA how this place has the awards or mentions it does.  I’m gonna go out on a limb here, and say MAYBE it has better tea.  Cuz for me, it striked out on all three…bad tea, bad food, bad service.

All-in-all, I’m glad we came.  Number 1) what an awesome time spent with my dream guy.  Number 2) I’m relieved I got to go to be able to tell you guys about it!  Hopefully this review helps with your travels next time you’re touring the San Francisco Bay Area or the next time you want some tea!  I stay true to ya.  😉  Special shout out to my wonderful Huz for making this awful Tea Spot a much better experience because I got to stare at yo mug the whole time!!  Love you Baby.

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Our 20th Spot:

Fairmont Hotel

950 Mason Street  San Francisco, CA 94108

www.fairmont.com

[FYI-  most of my photos for this post, will be smartphone photos from me or my girlfriend.  The lighting in there wasn’t favorable for my DSLR setting, and I wasn’t in the mood to fiddle with it.  I wanted to eat!]

Making reservations here was painless, and ordering was easy-breezy!  They have a set menu for one level of tea service, so all you really have to think about is your tea selection.  We love it when tea houses make it stress-free for us!

There were 4 of us at today’s tea party (the same 4 that attended the Spot in Hayward).  We were excited at the chance of a re-do, since the last place we were all together at was NOT a good experience.  We decided to order different teas for each of us, so we can sample 4 from their offerings.  And yay, I tried all of em!

Jasmine Butterfly #1 (green tea with floral) – My choice.  I had this amazing jasmine green from a hole-in-the-wall dumpling house, and have been trying to find its twin.  So of course, this tea appealed to me.  At first pour, it’s as if the aroma filled the entire restaurant!?  It was verrrry fragrant…to say the least.  Although it smelled wonderful, I admit I got terrified as I (and my allergies) am ultra sensitive to scents.  I thought I was gonna hate it, but it was sooo good!  The floral bouquet wasn’t heavily translated in the tea itself.  However, the longer it steeped, the stronger it became.

Kyoto Cherry Rose (green tea, cherry, rose) – This was my 2nd choice, so I was very happy that my girlfriend decided to try this one.  My favorite at the table!  It smelled like a gift shop candle.  A light tea, but so flavorful!  It carried an equal amount of rose + cherry, and the aftertaste was remarkable.  Not only that, but it was a GORGEOUS looking tea!!  Here’s a shot of it with some cream…

Willow Stream Spa Blend – My SIL was deciding between this one + another, and I encouraged her to choose this as she is a CMT!  Hehe.  Good thing she did, because it was lovely.  At first sniff + sip, I’d say it was a red.  Since the menu doesn’t quite specify what kind of flavors to expect but says that it’s “unique” and “decaffeinated”-  I believe it is, as rooibos is the only really caffeine free tea.  It smelled citrusy and creamy.  Wasn’t sure how else to describe this one (which is maybe why the menu doesn’t say much about it!?), but it was a good tea.

Egyptian Chamomile (apple-like + soothing aroma) – When I think of chamomile, I think of flat tea and rest.  So, it’s not necessarily something I look for on tea house menus.  However, my girlfriend said she was on a chamomile-kick, and I’m so glad she was because this one is a must-try!  NOT your everyday chamomile.  It had so much depth to it, and was very comforting.  I was pleased to have tried it.

The tiers pack so much food on such petite presentation!  However, it didn’t look cluttered.  Each piece was small, but had diverse ingredients.  I took my photos quickly, so I could dive in!

English Cucumber, Local Chevre, Lychee, Raspberries, Taro bread – Quite a mouthful of goat cheese!  The lychee is weird but fun.  The taro bread was delicious!!  You know I love me a crunchy cucumber.  The raspberry I thought, was unnecessary.

Deviled Egg Salad, Watermelon Radish, Pickled Cucumber, White Bread – I thought there was nothing fantastic about the egg sandwich.  But I think THAT’S what was profound about it.  It wasn’t an egg sandwich with bells + whistles…it was just an egg sandwich.  BUT-  a really good, done well, egg sandwich.  And that white bread was ridiculously perfect.

Smoked Salmon Pinwheel, Caper Boursin Cheese, Shaved Coconut, Pumpernickel – Salmon and coconut, really??  These flavors complimented each other so well, though!  Nice saltiness.  Coulda had more.

Dungeness Crab & Mango Salad, Chives, San Francisco Sourdough – That craaaaab was sooooo good.  It was so juicy and lemony and chewy, and there was so much of it!!  They did this one so right.  I’d come back for that crab alone.

Chicken & Black Bean Salad, Spiced Plum Coulis, Micro Greens, Green Tea & Red Bean Bread – That chicken was so smooth!  The complexity of those flavors together definitely resembled something from an Asian Deli, which is not a bad thing.  The mixture tasted like it had a bit of curry in it, always a winner.  Oh that bread!  Green tea & red bean anything = yes!

We were offered 2 types of scones today: Aged Cheddar & Chive and Cinnamon & Raisin.  If you’re a long time reader of this blog, you’ll already know I can’t have certain dairy.  Uuuusually when I hear “cheddar”, I steer clear away.  BUT-  I love me some chive.  Sooo, I had to taste that one.  And of course, hearing my girls rave about them just made me want to have some even more.  No one wants FOMO!  (fear of missing out)  These scones were so fluffy inside!!  Very unique texture than what I’m used to, and I liked it!  My girlfriend said, “They said ‘cheddar and chive’, but all I taste was delicious!”  The cinnamon & raisin didn’t have strong flavors at all.  And, I enjoyed them that way.  They used golden raisins, which just made them look prettier.  What do they say-  half of how you eat is with your eyes!?  (thumbs up)  I almost forgot to mention, they offer a Spiced Pear Compote as opposed to strawberry preserves.  Waaay different, but okay.  I’m always down to try new things!  All I got to say is “TRY IT.”

The desserts for today were Peach Panna Cotta, Apple Date Fruitcake, Vanilla & Chocolate French Macarons, Caramel Coconut Banana Tart, and a Passion Fruit Merengue Tart.  To tell you the truth, I barely had a bite of each I was so stuffed!!  I went for the panna cotta first, becaaaause that’s my all-time favorite dessert!  I know my panna cottas, and…that one was just okay for me.  I thought it was much to melty or runny.  The other desserts weren’t bad at all.  Maybe I’ll leave that as an element of surprise for yall!?  😉

All-in-all, it was a wonderful visit.  The hotel alone is a classic building to step foot into.  I didn’t include photos from inside, as I’d want you to see for yourselves.  I wouldn’t do it justice in trying to explain the luxuriousness of it, and plus, my camera didn’t like me that day (remember?).  The staff was pleasant.  They got their job done, and with smiles on their faces.  But, it wasn’t anything to write home about.  Which, I didn’t necessarily expect from this place.  In your family-owned tea houses, we get so much love!  In these big-o hotels, to them-  it’s business.  HOWEVER, that won’t stop me from coming back!!  I want to do it again already tomorrow!

Thank you my followers, for continuing to read about our journey.  I see your daily hits by the hundreds, and can’t express enough how much it means to me/us that you appreciate what we’re doing.  To think-  it started with a story almost 2 years ago…and now we’re a full-fledged business with a TEA LINE!!?!  Whaaaa??  I know you’ve taken a look at our teas right?!  What, not yet?!  www.parTEAwithme.com  You’re welcome!!  It started with you all, and we’ll continue to share what we can.  🙂

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Our 19th Spot:

The White Hart Tea Room

649 Lighthouse Avenue  Pacific Grove, CA 93950

http://www.thewhitehartpg.com

I was toooootally looking forward to this Spot!!  Who wouldn’t wanna come here!?  It’s a gorgeous home AND you get to have tea inside it!  (clapping hands)  It IS almost 2-hours away from my home…but look it!!

We got to try 5 of the fifteen teas they offer.  And, can you see how cute!?  Tall, white teapots, tied with dainty ribbon to tell which is which!  Our table choices were: Earl Grey, Apple Cinnamon Tisane, Ann’s Favorite Blend, Ginger Orange Peach, and #1 Ladies’ Red Bush Tea.

Earl Grey – Surprise surprise, this was ordered!  Hehe.  Actually, it took some time for my Earl Grey Gal to order this one because it had cornflower in it, which isn’t usual.  She says it was “shockingly good” however!

Apple Cinnamon Tisane – I thought this one smelled a lot like body butter!  SIL says it reminded her of apple cinnamon oatmeal.

Ginger Orange Peach – Ugh, this one reeked (in a good way!) of Burke Williams!  A very light tea that resembled the spa!

#1 Ladies’ Red Bush Tea – Since I’ve been addicted to my red tea at home, this one was my first choice.  I’m happy my girlfriend ordered it!  Even though it smelled cough syrupy, it was still a good choice!  It was caramelly + creamy, and the gf says vanilla-esque.

Ann’s Favorite Blend – If I remember correctly, Ann is the homeowner’s mother-in-law.  Her favorite color was gold, which is why that was the ribbon choice for my teapot marker.  (Tear, I know!)  This one was sooo Michaels Craft Store at Christmastime!  It’s a black tea with orange rind + spices.  It smelled and tasted like cinnamon, and was just such a cozy tea!  It was my second choice to order, but ended up being my favorite at the table!  Yay!

The gorgeous tier of goodies came in no time!  The husband of the homeowner duo is their executive chef!!  You can tell each piece that was served was made with attention to detail and-  LOVE!  There is only 1 tea service offered, and it came with everything!  And, for a good price too.

What a great idea creating their English Cucumber Tea Sandwich around the shape of a cucumber slice!?  It was the cutest little thing, even the tiny chive knot on top.  Only the CRUNCHIEST cucumbers were chosen for these!  There was only slice of radish thrown in the mix, which made for a nice pop of color.  It had a shallot + chive spread, which I usually love both but somehow tasted like green onion (which I loathe).  Brilliant sandwich, though.

I grabbed the White Cheddar with Roasted Pepper & Jalapeno Crostini next.  Since I’m lactose intolerant, I could only have 1 bite.  But, the bite I had was magnificent!  Very crispy crostini (not soggy at all), and the flavors were on point.  Nice sharp taste!

Their Smoked Wild Salmon with Pickled Ginger & Wasabi Aioli was just WONDERFUL!!  Isn’t it pretty??  (Photographed my gf’s next to me, ’cause hers was darling!)  There was a nice amount of salmon in there.  And, the flavors just meshed so well together.  The ginger reminded us of sushi, and I just love wasabi on everything.  You couldn’t eat this one cutily though…messy.  😉

Oh that curry!  They had a Coronation Chicken Tea Sandwich with Mango Chutney, Curry & Almond.  A really good combination of flavors, but that bread-  oh that bread!!  And, the parsley created this nice texture + crunch!  (I had 2 of those!)

Nice Scone.  They had blueberry and currant today.  It was very doughy.  I would have liked mine to stay in the oven a bit longer, but that’s just MY preference.  It was good enough that I had more than one!  (big cheesy face emoji here)  What MADE these scones were their signature fixings.  They make their own Clotted Cream!!?!  Their Lemon Curd and Strawberry Preserves are also made in house!  This is the ONLY tea house from the Tour that has served real clotted cream, and it was D-I-V-I-N-E.

Each of the Sweets were heavenly.  The Hand-Dipped Chocolate Strawberry (that adorably looked like it was wearing a corset!!) was perfect.  As simple as that thing was, it was done RIGHT.  The Lemon Tart with Meringue just melted in your mouth!  The Apple & Spice Miniature Bundt Cake was the CUTEST everrr!!  And, it tasted lovely.  A nice light cake, a bit chewy too.  But, that Coffee Opera Petit Fours.  Every layer was more exquisite than the next!  It’s rare that I make it with enough room to eat my sweets during tea, but theirs were just so amazing I couldn’t stop stuffing my mouth!!

I didn’t take too many photos of this Spot.  I was just enjoying myself and my girls too much!  (I had one doll drive 2-and-a-half hours to be with us!!)  I did take a few shots of the inside, but my photos just don’t do the place justice.  You’d definitely have to come see for yourself.  The staff…oh the staff.  They were just darling + lovely.  They really made you feel welcome, and were so attentive + warm.  They don’t just do this to do it, but really go out of their way to make you at home-  in THEIR home!  I can’t wait to go back.

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Our 18th Spot:

Lovey’s Tea Shoppe

4430 Coast Highway  Pacifica, CA 94044

http://www.loveysteashoppe.com

I was looking forward to coming to this Spot.  Who wouldn’t want to stop by the coast!?  We pass this place all the time, so naturally it would be part of the Tour.  I like to create anticipation for myself (always), so I scheduled it closer to the end…which was perfect, cuz after that last Spot, we needed something good.  I will have to say tho-  I wasn’t excited that this tea house was connected to Lovejoy’s (insert rolling eyes emoji here).  I cringe whenever “Lovejoy’s” (said in sarcastic tone) is brought up in the same conversations as ‘good tea houses’.  [Visit our November 2014 Archive for our experience on Lovejoy’s.]  I didn’t form any expectations (because I’m fair!!), and I was really hopeful.

I enjoyed the intimacy + brightness of this tea house.  You could probably fit 25 people in there.  Lots and LOTS of lace, which I looove!  There are tea sets + things to shop for (always nice).  Reservations were easy to make.  I spoke with the owner both times I called in, and she was just such a pleasure.  Even their voicemail was nice!

***Here is my Disclaimer, before I move on with my review: Anything less than positive I have to say about this Spot is only because I always promise our followers + readers my honest truth.  However, it makes it very hard to say aaaanything negative about a Spot when the service is so WONDERFUL!  Any critique is nothing compared to how great we were treated.  Please refer back to this note, if/when I have to say something not-so-nice.  (awkward sorry face).***

We were seated right away, and offered a glass of water or to get any pots of tea started.  This was just a preface to the remainder of our visit.  They offer 8 levels of tea service, plenty tea sandwich choices, and at least 40 different teas to choose from.  Lots to read, but not overwhelming.  Our server graciously showed us around the menu, and was just fantastic from beginning to end.

These are the pots of teas that were ordered at our table of 6, and here’s what my girls had to say about them…

Black Vanilla with Lavender – I ordered this one.  I believe it’s a specialty from this Spot.  The Black Vanilla from their sister shoppe is my all-time favorite from the Tour.  I wanted to stick to something close to that, and remembered reading something about this one.  I’m not even going to trrryyyyy to explain what this tasted like, because I would be doing it a disservice!  I’ll tell you this, it’s a MUST TRY in your life and I didn’t taste any other teas (even tho I wanted to + should have)…this tea is that good.  There’s nothing like it!  And, I’m kicking myself for not buying any!!  :*(

Decaf Lady Grey – My girlfriend described this one as “sweet and floral”, she said she had 2 pots and didn’t share!

Chocolate Truffle – I really wanted to try this one!  My girl says it was “very chocolatey” and that it was great with milk.

Decaf Earl Grey – This Spot has 3 different grey’s, so it was cute to see my Earl Grey Gal actually look at the tea menu!  Hehe.  She called this one a “happy earl grey!”  She says the Ceylon was a bit heavy, but didn’t over power the bergamot the way others normally do.

Genmai Cha – Girlfriend didn’t like this one.  She said it “tasted like the kind you get at a sushi restaurant, and felt cheated out of the tea house ambiance drinking it.”  She didn’t think that flavor belonged on the menu.  Says they DID however describe it on the menu perfectly, stating it was a Japanese tradition, so it’s not like she was lied to.  She was attempting to break from the norm, so she guessed she was lying to herself!  She loved the rest of our teas tho, so she was grateful we all like to share!

Forest Berries and Rose Hips – My gf said this one was just like it says: flowers and berries.  She said it wasn’t that bad, but that it did taste like Robitussin…

We all ordered the Queen’s Tea (highest level of tea service offered).  It comes with two tea sandwich flavors of your choice, coleslaw AND salad, warm scone with fixings, fresh crumpet, fruit, a petit four, and shortbread.  Lots, huh!?  I always order the most anyway, so I can review as much as I can for you guys!  😉  Even tho I’m a salad lover, I wasn’t thrilled with all the greens, but it wasn’t a big deal.  There were 6 of us, and each pair got tea service for 2…so it was nice to try our partner’s sandwich choices too!

Thankfully, the gf I was sharing with ordered the Cucumber & Cream Cheese, cuz I like to always try that one…but didn’t wanna give up one of my sandwich choices!  Haha.  Their cucumber was pretty good.  Better than average.  Something about that cream cheese tho-  like, it was so creamy!?  There was a lot of it.

Of course, OF COURSE, I chose the Chicken & Asparagus.  As much as I raved about the one I had at their sister shoppe…  I don’t know what they do with that asparagus, but they do it RIGHT.  Loved that one so much, even tho I was full at the end of my meal-  I still had oooone laaaast asparagus sandwich for good measure!

Their Chicken-Apple-Walnut Salad was okay.  I liked the consistency…nice chunks of apple in there…but it was just okay for me.

Anytime I see horseradish on a tea menu, I’ve gotta have it!  Roast Beef & Horseradish it is.  This was my 2nd sandwich choice.  Ugh, really yummy!  There was a good amount of horseradish in there, so if you like it this sandwich is for you.  The only thing I didn’t like, was the whole piece of beef being pulled out with your first bite.  I don’t know that there’s a way to fix that…maybe I need stronger teeth, I don’t know…but, I would have liked to savor my piece instead of forcing the whole thing in my mouth!  Hehe.

I’m so grateful for my girls that ordered Lovey’s “Daily” Special (LOVE you guys) which was a Chicken Curry with Carrots & Raisins.  Doesn’t that just sound divine!?  My ears perked up when I heard that, but just couldn’t opt out of my 2!  And, I love them even more for sharing with me!!  Best sandwich I had at this Spot (yes, even more than the asparagus).  I coulda had these the whole time + woulda been fine.  With.  That!

I love when tea houses bring you their scones and/or crumpets warm + fresh!  I can’t remember off the top of my head if any other tea spots did this…but, I DO really like that this place brought our scones + crumpets to table when they were ready.  Nice nice thing.

All my girls ADORED their scones.  I heard: “buttery and delectable”…”Best.  Scone.  Ever.”…”fabulous”…and, “divine.”  I thought they were okay.  Too soft + crumby for me.  I like them more crispy + stiff, but that’s just me!!  Still good flavor tho.  I think these were currant.  (And, how cute is that plate??)

Love love loooooooooove when tea houses offer crumpets!  I will ALWAYS order the crumpet if you have it on your menu.  These were good.  They got soggy + chewy after being buttered tho.  I like me a crispier crumpet.

At the end of your meal, they come around with a dessert stand of petit fours, French macarons, and truffles.  How pretty!  And lavish, huh!?  (Wish I got a picture…)  What’s sad is:  you only get one!!  Waahhh!  So hard to choose, cuz they all look spectacular and sound wonderful!  I chose the Pink Champagne Truffle…  I’m not much for sweets these days, so I only took a bite.  I couldn’t really taste the champagne flavor, but my other girlfriend that chose it said hers tasted plenty like champagne.

We had the privilege of being served by the owner’s daughter.  She was perfect.  VERY attentive to our table, and she had others in the tea house.  She knew exactly how to handle making sure we had a good time.  At one point, my girlfriend even invited her to pull up a chair next to us!  She even offered to take photos of us, and even volunteered to take the same photo from different mobile phones.  I don’t want to compare (even tho I was in my head the whole time!) and have been very careful with this review to not bring up their sister shoppe Lovejoy’s so much, but-  I have to say…Lovey’s is 100% the opposite of that other place!!  And, thank goodness for that!  Go ahead, read what we had to say about them…  Thank you Lovey’s for showing us a good time.  The owner even came out and was very gracious, just as she was when I spoke with her on the phone.  Just an all around WONDERFUL TEA TIME!!  Thank you!

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Our 17th Spot:

Tea Time

542 Ramona Street  Palo Alto, CA 94301

http://www.tea-time.com

I was already kind of in an attitude before I walked in.  I had phone calls between the staff from this spot, back + forth, over a month prior.  First off, they originally booked my party on the month before when I requested.  Then called me frantically, looking for us on that day.  I called back, notifying them it was THIS month we reserved.  After that confusion, I had calls + emails from the Manager there, that I felt were excessive.  Confirming the number of our party…having to preorder…  It was just a lot of communication that I think was unnecessary.  Get what you need from me, and MOVE.  ON.

When we walked in on time, our table wasn’t even ready.  We had to awkwardly stand around for at least 5-minutes while they hurriedly prepared for our meal.  NOT something someone with OCD wants to see.  ‘Uh, did you even wipe our table down good?’

It’s a small place.  More of a café, than a Tea House.  This spot was recommended to me, which is how it ended up on our Tour.  25 people tops, would fit in there.  And, that would be quite a squeeze.  It had a few tea cups + saucers in curios and along the walls, some for sale.  But, don’t expect ANY type of shabby chic or antique feel in this place.  A fireplace + a few books…some art on the wall, and that’s about all the décor they had.  My girls were pretty disappointed that our cups were all blue…  No mismatched cutesy vintage floral.

After we were seated, it took them FIFTEEN MINUTES before anyone paid attention to us.  Yes, I was counting.  Our server finally brought out some little plates of loose leaf tea, to tell us about the ONLY 3 types of tea our party of 6 was allowed to order.  That was nice.

Of the “130+ fine teas” their website says they have, we were only allowed to try 3.  Three.  If we wanted to try more, we were charged.  CHARGED!!?!  We chose their Wild Berry Tisane, Earl Grey Finest, and Vanilla Black Tea.  All smelled amazing!  Taste, different story…  The Vanilla Black was wonderfully fragrant; but when you drank it, was sooo blaaaand!!  We thought maybe it wasn’t steeped long enough, but no.  My Mom called that one “Lipton.”  Earl Grey smelled like a spa and tasted like a spa!  That one was my favorite.  And I had to confess to my Earl Grey GF, that of all the Spots we’ve been to, this was the first that I tried the earl grey.  (Well!  There were only 3 to try from!?  And mine blew!)  Again, since there weren’t many tea flavors to try, I did make an effort to try em all.  I had the Berry one last.  I’m not a fruity tea drinker, but this one wasn’t half bad.

(Notice the giant hole in the doily they used on our table?  Smh.)

On their menu, they call this their Garden Salad.  You pay an extra 3 dollars for this.  What it really is, is a box of spring mix with a few slices of apple on top and what they think is salad dressing but what I’m calling is: snot.  This was horrible.  My 8yo son could’ve made a better “salad” (sure) than this.  My SIL told one of our other girlfriends, “The trick is to see if you can keep all your lettuce on the plate.”  Omg, who does this??

After they set the 3-Tier down, they walked away.  No plates or anything.  I had to get up + ask for them!?  Like we could fit anything on these rinky-dink salad plates anyway.  I didn’t get a good shot of the tier…not that I necessarily wanted to.  (See, I told you.  Bad attitude.)  I just think after going through all those phone calls + questions, and for having to pay as much as we did-  that we would have better than we did.  That’s where the ugly attitude is coming from.  So, I’m sorry to my readers for this lousy blog post.  I just felt bad taking my girls to this place.  Especially for having my Mom join us, and she’s here from out of town.

Between the 6 of us, we were given only 3 each of 2 different Savories.  That means = if you want to try them both, you have to cut them in half.  WHICH they are already small to begin with.  And don’t get me started on WHY they served a stinkin EGGROLL with high tea.  So, here are the 2 Savories: a Mushroom Tart and (yes) an Eggroll.  And these are the portions I was able to consume.

From the BITES I was able to have…  The Mushroom was rather mushy, and the Eggroll was good.  (Only because I’m strange in the way that I actually like your typical generic Chinese buffet eggroll.  Which is what this was.)

Again, because we were asked to preorder our meal weeks before we were going to have it and had to settle on the same of 3 sandwiches to share between 6 different people with different taste buds and different food limitations (really rolling my eyes here now)…  We were stuck with Turkey Cranberry, Chicken Apple Pecan, and Shrimp with Dill and Avocado tea sandwiches.  They were open face, small, and not worth the money you’re paying for them.

Turkey = bland.

Chicken = mayonnaise-y, and smothered with chunks of stuff; very little chicken.  My girls liked this one tho.

Shrimp = this one was yummy.  Still coulda used some salt.  And, it wasn’t 2 bite-friendly.  You had to stick the whole thing in your mouth, or it would fall all over the place.  Not cute for high tea.  The shrimp was cooked perfectly tho.  Okay, I’ll give them that.

Their scone fixings made me MAD.  We’ve had some pretty messed up situations with the scone fixings from previous Spots, but NOTHING like this.  Put them in tiny containers…don’t give them to us…give us bad tasting ones…OKAY.  But this poor excuse of a (I can’t even think of a word) is disrespectful, if I may say so myself.  My Earl Grey GF was just so disgusted, as she’s of the kind that doesn’t like food that touch (Yes, there are ones out there like that and they deserve to be respected for their preference.).  Granted, it tasted good together.  However, I would have liked the opportunity to taste them individually.  And, AND-  we had to share just 2 of these between siiiiiiiiiix people!!  Come on!

Scones were really good.  Pecan, we think.  The server didn’t even know what they were!?  I asked what kind, and she looked at them for a good 45-seconds before uncertainly blurting out “Pecan…?”  But, they were nice + crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.  P.S. I would’ve loved to try their crumpets…if I was allowed to.  #FixedPreorderedMenu

Their Desserts were nothing to rave about.  Standard Petit Fours and Mini Eclairs (most likely from Costco).

To be fair, this place wasn’t quite a Tea House.  But, they did serve high tea and offered many teas so it fit in the criteria of our Tea Tour.  It was just way too expensive for what they serve you.  I’m down to pay for high tea, always.  But at least let us try more of your teas; Add salt to your tea sandwiches; Give us more savories; and please oh PLEASE different containers for your scone fixings!!  They didn’t offer us water, and they didn’t come around + ask if we needed our teapots refilled.  First time ever–  I was super thirsty at a tea party.

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Our 16th Spot:

Pardee Home

672 Eleventh Street  Oakland, CA 94607

pardeehome.org

I was gonna type “GO!”, and leave it at that.

While researching the tea spots that I wanted to include in our Tour, when I came across this one-  I couldn’t get there fast enough!!  The fact that it was an old home + had a story about it…I’m all about learning how things came to be and of course seeing precious antiques!  I was anticipating this spot for a long time, and couldn’t wait to take my Tea Dolls to it.  Espeeeecially siiiiince, we were on a waiting list for 2 months!!?!  Anytime you have to wait for something exciting, it just makes the place so much more worth it (in my opinion anyway).  I was hoping to have this spot be our opener tea house for the 2nd Leg of the Tour (which woulda been in July).  When I called to make the reservations in June, it was only POSSIBLY available in September.  When September came around, the only available time open was early October.  The woman I corresponded with was wonderful to work with, and answered all my emails promptly.  Because I had a big group with me (there were 12 of us, which is the max), we all had to pay in full way in advance.  Different, but we did it.  And after our experience, would do it again!

I’m purposely not going to include anything about the home itself, because it’s definitely an experience you have to enjoy for yourself and I seriously wouldn’t be doing it any justice!

I mean, look at how gorgeous this tablescape + our surroundings are!?  You know I had to give you both views!  This was the first time we had a private room for our tea party.  It was so nice + intimate, and we felt really special + V.I.P.!  My favorite part was that our table was OVAL (not circle, as my SIL corrected me!).  It was nice that everyone was a part of the conversation, and we were sharing a meal all together.  🙂

The setting was simple, but beautiful!  Mismatched China with delicate embroidered napkins.  It just felt really personal and (excuse me, ’cause I can’t think of the word that means they really took the time to make you feel special!?  Hehe.).

This is what we were greeted with when we walked into the room.  Wonderfully plated, intricately crafted goodies!  I think we really didn’t know what to do with ourselves, huh girls?!  Lol.  It was all just so PRETTY!!  Everything was homemade.

Shortly after, our sweet server came around and gave us our first pours.  It was only one kind of tea: English Breakfast.  My cargroup was talking about this afterward, on the way home.  I would have liked a choice for tea, but only because I think that’s what we’ve been used to at every tea spot.  It was actually really nice not to have to think this time around!!  Haha.  The tea was still really good.  My girls put different things in it to flavor it as they liked.  My favorite part-  our server came around often enough that you NEVER had an empty cup or cool tea in your teacup.  Awesome awesome service.

You guys all already know, I have my Cucumber first.  This little thing took me so by surprise!!  That crunch, boy!  Lots of really CRUNCHY cucumbers packed into this open-faced tea sandwich.  I enjoyed that one very much.

Since I’m lactose intolerant (blah blah blah, for you regular readers you already know this), I only took a bite of the Cheese Wafer.  It was fun!  My first-timer girlfriend said it reminded her of a Cheez-It!

The Egg Salad tea sandwich was surprising as well.  That parsley encrusted side made for a scrumptious bite!  This egg salad tasted like it had curry it!  Very flavorful, for a supposed-to-be bland sandwich.

I went for the Smoked Salmon next.  Totally unexpected the CREAMIEST butter underneath that lox!?  And that sprig of dill that you thought was just a nice decoration, turned out to be a sweet citrusy bite at the end!

This Chicken Salad Puff was good.  Again, took you off guard with a lemony Asian-esque favor!  By this time, the scones came out!!  They were all hot + ready, so of course I had to move on to those next!

We were served Orange Cranberry Scones.  I could have had a hundred of these!!  Nice flakey outside, and warm chewy inside.  The Clotted Cream was perfect!  And, the preserves just right.

Took only a bite of the Cheddar Artichoke Tart.  The filo dough was super crunchy, and the filling was tangy.

I am sooo happy I saved this Mushroom Rollup for last, being the mushroom-freak that I am!  As small as it was, don’t let it fool you.  This little thing was packed with so much flavor.  It had crispy edges, and a nice chewy bite to the bread.  The mushroom flavor was bold throughout.  Again, if this was all I was served I would have been completely content.

Just when you thought you were filled to the rim with all that food, here came the desserts!  It was like a spectacular production as each of the servers came out with a new plate of treats!

The fruit was almost too cute to eat.  Perfect ripeness.

Of course, I grabbed the corner piece of Brownie.  That mandarin orange, was a nice compliment to that nostalgic bite of chocolate.

We all thought this was apricot, but it tasted more like a Peach Tart.  Nice dough, the filling wasn’t too tart, and that powdered sugar added a nice sweetness to that fruit flavor.

How cute is this Lemon Curd Tart?!  Ugh, that was lovely.  It kind of crumbled on me and fell into my plate, but I didn’t even care.  It was so good.

Who would pay attention to this plain Mini Cupcake, when you had all those other fantastic sweets staring at you!?  Well, this.  Was.  Magnificent!!  The FLUFFIEST white cake + a rich chocolate frosting.  I could have eaten the whole batch.

I didn’t have room for the Sugar or Chocolate Chip Cookies, but I took em home to my kids and they inhaled them (as they usually do if I bring Tea leftovers!).

All the food was chart-topping.  It came out at perfect increments of our meal.  I had luscious HOT tea with every bite.  To think that it was all homemade + prepared by loving volunteers, made everything taste better.  EACH piece that was served to us was prepared with TLC, and that made for the most comfortable meal setting.  We were very well taken care of by all the staff.  The Tour of the home was such a nice added treat to our Tea Party today!  The steps built up our appetites, and we were fed so well.  This Tea Spot moved up to the top of the list at first pour, no question.

It will be a few months until our next visit.  Hope you can be patient with us, as we await our next Spot!  Thank you again to the thousands of you who make these blog posts worthwhile!!  We love hearing about your visits from the Spots we’ve already been to.  Keep em coming!  Tea Parties are so much fun!!  😉

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