my raTEAng 1-48

The long-awaited list is back!! Yall love these and I have had quite a bit of inquiries and requests for the most current one. I’ll also be noting which Tea Spots have closed, but they’ll still be included in the rating order. [Note to Tea Rooms: You get to count up and move ahead to see your true place!] Here it is folks! From Save yo money! to Get in my belleh!!

48. iChina Restaurant, Santa Clara – Unsanitary tea spouts…need I say more?

47. Tal-Y-Tara Tea & Polo Shoppe, San Francisco – Outright rude and has no business being a tea house.

46. Tudor Rose English Tea Room, Santa Rosa – Eleven levels of tea service and you don’t even want one. [PERMANENTLY CLOSED]

45. Secret Garden Tea House, San Francisco – Filthy place with yummy scones. [PERMANENTLY CLOSED]

44. The Tearoom, Oakland – They don’t know how to make tea, don’t go.

43. Tea Time, Palo Alto – Awkward dirty cafe that left us thirsty.

42. The Golden Tea Garden, Hayward – Bad-mannered + arrogant owner with dollar store decor + tea. [PERMANENTLY CLOSED]

41. Leland Tea Company, Burlingame – A cafe that serves food you can make yourself at home + buy yourselves from shelves, on 3 tiers.

40. Sip Tea Room, San Francisco – Take 2 of boring tea.

39. The RoyalTea Garden, Pleasanton – Forgettable tea service.

38. Son & Garden, Palo Alto – Take your selfie, leave the tea.

37. Croissante, Santa Clara – Not everyone needs to offer afternoon tea, especially this place.

36. Linde Lane Tea Room, Dixon – Snooty but pretty with fun sorbet intro. [PERMANENTLY CLOSED]

35. Lovejoy’s Tea Room, San Francisco – Pretentious area with spectacular Black Vanilla tea.

34. Quail & Thistle Tea Room, Capitola – Adorable building with overwhelming all-in-one plate. [PERMANENTLY CLOSED]

33. The Rotunda at Neiman Marcus, San Francisco – Matter-of-fact service and expensive teeny tasteless food.

32. Eddison & Melrose Tea Room, Monterey – Okay tea, but recognition of who we were made my year. [TEA ROOM PERMANENTLY CLOSED]

31. Proper Hotel, San Francisco – Hodgepodge decor and hit-or-miss tea party foods.

30. Tyme for Tea & Co., Fremont – FORMERLY the perfect tea house, with perfect food, and perfect service.

29. SanDai & KOPI Bar, Walnut Creek – Cute concept and yay for included mimosas.

28. Satori Tea Company, San Jose – Interesting + eclectic, rum butter crumpets, and purple tea. [TEA ROOM PERMANENTLY CLOSED]

27. Filoli Gardens, Woodside – Stunning garden views with subpar overpriced cuisine.

26. The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco – A definite must-experience with exceptional service.

25. Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco – Complex + unique flavors that just work, and a have-to-have pear compote.

24. Napa Valley Wine Train, Napa – A luxury and leisure tea I could totally get used to.

23. The St. Regis, San Francisco – A tea service that makes you feel rich, regal, and important.

22. Palace Hotel, San Francisco – Breathtaking surroundings and flawless food.

21. Lovey’s Tea Shoppe, Pacifica – Black Vanilla with Lavender tea, asparagus sandwich, and sweet staff.

20. Camellia Tea Room, Benecia – Impeccable service and an all-around wonderful time. [PERMANENTLY CLOSED]

19. Lisa’s Tea Treasures, Los Altos – Like going to your sister’s house and having delicious tea.

18. Julia’s Restaurant, Berkeley – Like having tea in a secret society!

17. Maison Danel, San Francisco – A Croissant-Lover’s dream, but get dropped off.

16. Crown & Crumpet Tea Stop Cafe, San Francisco – Unforgettable crumpets and scrumptious tea sandwiches.

15. Tal’s Patisserie, Danville – Best rustic tea meal for a bread-lover, with best store-bought tea.

14. Pardee Home, Oakland – A tour in a tour that will feed you until satisfaction and the definition of ‘cuteness overload’.

13. Alexander’s Patisserie, Mountain View – Home to the Best Tea Sandwich I’ve had on the entire Tour.

12. Crown & Crumpet, Ross – Gold standard of Afternoon Tea.

11. Jade Chocolates, San Francisco – Lilikoi marshmallow.

10. Chelokababi Restaurant, Sunnyvale – You’re missing out if you’ve never had Persian Tea before.

9. Dartealing Lounge, San Francisco – Best sandwiches and cutest ambiance.

8. Claremont Hotel, Berkeley – Would come for the biscuits and scones alone.

7. The Third Floor, San Francisco – Eyes rolling in the back of your head good.

6. K On The Go, Union City – I would come here every day if I could.

5. The White Hart Tea Room, Pacific Grove – Really like going to someone’s house for tea (cuz you are), and having true homemade food (cuz you are). [PERMANENTLY CLOSED]

4. Four Seasons, Palo Alto – Really good everything and you’ll want to come back already by the end of your meal.

3. Malaya Tea Room, Alameda – New go-to spot with exemplary finger sandwiches.

2. The English Rose Tea Room, Pleasanton – A hundred delectable teas and textbook shabby chic decor. [PERMANENTLY CLOSED]

1. Muir’s Tea Room, Sebastopol – There are no words invented yet that describe how GOOD this Tea Spot is, it excels in all aspects of Afternoon Tea.

So there you have it! (jazz hands emoji) Which places do you wanna try?? Which ones are you going to skip? Let us know in the comments!

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!

Choose an amount

$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00

Or enter a custom amount

$

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly

Follow us @parTEAwithmeBlog on Instagram | Threads | TikTok

Spot #45 :: The Third Floor

Our 45th Spot:

The Third Floor at The Jay Hotel

433 Clay Street San Francisco, CA 94111

www.thethirdfloorsf.com

Best decision I’ve made: to squeeze this one in on the Tour.

The Jay Hotel has only been around 4 months (formerly Le Méridien) and their afternoon tea only started yesterday. So proud of myself for making reservations here! Hehe.

They offer 5 different bases of tea. I thought I was sold on getting the Black, but I’m so glad they came over with samples to study. Interestingly, the Black wasn’t as appealing as I read. However the WHITE!? Smelled delicious.

WHITE | Dragon Pearl (jasmine, sweet, smooth) – Very floral, such a flavorful white! Was taking gulps!!

GREEN | Genmai Matcha (bright, nutty, smooth) – Could smell it all the way from the other side of the table! A gorgeous chartreuse. Earthy and smooth, like they said!

The tier was minimal. But don’t let it fool you!

Scone – Today’s was Apricot & Walnut. I was casually spreading my devonshire cream and adding some preserves on top and… [GASP] I was totally caught off guard. I don’t even like walnuts!! And this was packed with it! The mouthfuls of walnuts and chewy apricots were just so good together!!

Beef Tartare, Pickled Beech Mushroom, Rice Cracker – The cracker alone was already great, think of a shrimp chip. Fun texture, had a sweetness but also a little spicy, and adored the freshness of the herb.

Truffled Egg Salad on White Bread – This packed such a big punch! I could taste the truffle, but also maybe some curry. Even the bread was so scrumptious + chewy!

Cherry and Walnut Chicken Salad on Honey Wheat and Oat Bread – There were so many levels of flavor and texture in this one. They used the best parts of the chicken, like it’s certainly thigh!! Could even distinguish the oats in the bread!

Apple and Pecan Tartlet with Gouda Cheese – Just looking at this again makes me wanna cry! (whiny face emoji) Thick pastry. Definitely got a cheese-mustache but it was so fun! There was just no cute way to eat it… The saltiness from the cheese with the sweet of the filling was everything Salty/Sweet Lovers want + need in their lives. Which is who me + my girlfriend are!

Lemon Glazed Madeleine – This tasted like a donut! Light lemon + fluffy cake.

Raspberry Macaron – Macaron fillings aren’t usually this runny, but it was so welcomed here. The shell was ultra delicate. Perfect combo.

Caramelized White Chocolate and Pine Nut Cream Puff – It had a conchas topping!! Not your average cream puff. Party in my mouth!

Matcha Cheesecake with Mango – Buttery. Depth. Superior.

Chocolate Cremeux with Tangerine – This was my least favorite of the Sweets… Buut, I still ate it all! 🙂

So- I took my longtime girlfriend here. We’ve known each other since our firstborns were babies (both are 17 now). She’s an incredible single mother of 2 teens, with a corporate job AND a growing Coaching Business (follow her @stephanie.mechelle.coaching). I’ve had the opportunity to see her in action and I am in AWE of her work. We see each other at least every other week for our business accountability meetings on zoom, but we need to get away for some Girl Time too. We can talk for hours and hours! And today was no different! We spent almost 3 hours at tea today, with the occasional stop in from our amazing server (Hi Nate!). So much good for our souls!! But, let me tell you- I had a really hard time paying attention sometimes cuz my eyes were rolling back in my head from how GOOD this tea service was!!!

Please please PLEASE do yourselves a favor and make time to visit The Jay Hotel and have Afternoon Tea at The Third Floor. Periodt. That’s all. Okay?? I cannot stress how much I loved everything about this place. The decor, the service (clapping hands)…I was even Shazam’ing the music! EVEN the valet guy was super nice. And then I couldn’t stop talking about it on my way home. SO GLAD we made the effort to come before I was off Tour. Otherwise I would’ve had FOMO. Don’t have FOMO you guys. Go. Go now! Go ahead, make your reservations. (okay, I’m done being bossy) But I mean it, it’s a good place. Just sayin… Did you hear me?

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!

Choose an amount

$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00

Or enter a custom amount

$

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly

Follow us @parTEAwithmeBlog on Instagram | Threads | TikTok

Spot Revisit :: Palace Hotel (#3) – Best Venue

Spot #3 Revisit:

Palace Hotel Garden Court

2 Montgomery Street San Francisco, CA 94105

www.gardencourtsf.com

[taken by Cutie Jr.]

Our last hoorah! I chose the Palace Hotel for our Best Venue pick cuz, well I mean, look at it!! So happy the Huz + I got to go with one of our favorite families: Cutie, Cutie Jr. and Cutie’s Mr.! Just being in the hotel is an entire experience in itself, so I took the path of least resistance and just enjoyed myself. Didn’t bring the DSLR, took a few shots and a few notes on my phone. I was thoroughly present and reveled in the company of our awesome party!

Definitely looks different in there. I assumed it would have changed since the last time we’ve been, which was September 2014 haha. I liked the bench seating they had and there were no more round tables with white tablecloths. Lots of children too! That was neat. It was the day before Mother’s Day, so probably lots of early celebrators. But I was totally enamored at all these toddlers and young ones trying to sit still while munching on a tea sandwich!? Too too cute. We were just so thrilled to be there. Something about the beauty of the Garden Court just brings all the JOY!

As we were seated, they immediately set down these shallow square bowls of Berries. Raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. I thought for a sec that they might be a topping for scones or crumpets or something…but then soon realized, it was like the bread you get served at a restaurant upon seating. I tried a bluebe- OHMYGOSHHH. I was not expecting thaaat!!?! (you see me whining) Just as I was about to comment on how good those blueberries were, I see my girl loving them too! I was MAKING OUT with mine mmkay. We decided that they were the freshest, most organic berries we had ever had. Probably from Whole Foods, or Driscoll Farms, or the ROOF upstairs!! And this was just the free appetizer yall! Just wait.

I was a Basic Girl and chose my usual, Vanilla Rooibos. Happy Girl! Nice selection of teas. There were some great ones that our friends chose and they loved theirs. Good tea, check!

Precious presentation of our Savories. Since I start with the cucumber first, I went in order from right to left…

Shaved Cucumber & Watercress (shaved persian cucumbers, soft cream cheese, watercress, whole grain bread) – Didn’t even write any notes cuz I ate it already. It was gone before I could even think of anything to say about it, haha. Obviously, it was good!

Dry Spanish Chorizo (whipped goat cheese, lemon zest, sourdough) – After 47 afternoon tea’s, this is the first I’ve had chorizo on the menu and I was not mad at it! What a brilliant addition, couldn’t get enough. The cheese was citrusy, the bread had such a good bite to it, and that chorizo- mm mm!

Truffled Egg Salad (chives and lemon zest, chervil, brioche) – You see, forgetting to even take pics! Exquisite (no pun intended). The paprika on top was everything.

Mini Lobster Roll (mayonnaise, celery, brioche) – Okay so, I had a lobster roll last night for dinner. And I had just had so much of it, I swore I wouldn’t have another for a long long time. Funny to see this one in front of me. But let me tell you, it was so juicy and the meat was so tender…I had forgotten all about last night!

Roasted Chicken & Avocado (lemon juice, tarragon, maldon sea salt) – This one was just okay for me. Cutie Jr. agreed and said she thought it needed something… I usually really like tarragon, so I’m not sure what this was missing. I enjoyed the fattie piece of chicken I got in one bite, but the rest of the bites were breast. Meh. And I’m not a huge fan of focaccia.

Yay! The tier!

Scones – I do remember loving their scones from before. And today was no different. Cutie loved them too! They’re so fluffy and their preserves are amazing (I even took mine to-go ha!).

All the desserts were incredible as well. Chocolate-Covered Strawberry (yall already know), Mini Red Velvet Cupcake (ugh love cream cheese frosting), decadent Chocolate French Macaron, really well done Strawberry Shortcake, and Cream Puff Swan (a.k.a. Juan Swanson).

Exceptional Venue, Exceptional Company, Exceptional Tea, Exceptional Food, Exceptional Time! We couldn’t have gone with a better group, we loved our time with them. parTEA with me’s planned Tour is officially DONE eyyy! (except I squeezed in one more spot tomorrow! Haha) See you again in a bit.

All Palace Hotel related posts:

Spot #3 :: Palace Hotel

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!

Choose an amount

$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00

Or enter a custom amount

$

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly

Follow us @parTEAwithmeBlog on Instagram | Threads | TikTok

Spot #42 :: K On The Go

Our 42nd Spot:

K On The Go

31877 Alvarado Boulevard Union City, CA 94587

www.konthegouc.com

[inhale] I’m taking a deep breath first, to calm myself! There’s so much I wanna say about this spot. And I’m trying to figure out a good place to start… If I’m going WAY back, there was a cute cafe I had pinned years ago that I wanted to try: K-Café Patisserie & Tea. They didn’t serve afternoon tea, so this would’ve been a non-Tour visit for fun. Then the same company started putting up these smaller versions, and THEY served afternoon tea!! Yay for us. The one in Milpitas has already been offering…but I really wanted to try the Union City location cuz it was so close to me! (And I wanted to say the Tour had visited that small city!)

They were due to open January 2024 and were going to be the last of the new Spots we go to on this Leg of the Tour. We forreal pass by this spot every day on our way home! And every day we passed, we still saw the brown paper on the windows. January came + went, but I didn’t want to abandon our visit there. I was lowkey stalking their socials to see if anything came up about UC. Nothing for a while. Okay, I’ll be patient. THEN, I got a random DM from them!! Don’t know who handles their social media, but out of the thousands that followed them (my finsta wasn’t even following at the time)- they remembered to message me about their opening!! (happy crying emojis) Dang, I felt special. They notified me of their Soft Opening on April 23rd. Naturally, my daughter + I stopped by.

[sigh] Still not serving afternoon tea yet. They said mid-May, maybe earlier. Okay.

Randomly, on Monday, I sent them a message asking when they might be serving afternoon tea. The following day they replied saying they were taking reservations. [GASP!] Let me make note here that I had one week before I was going on Break. Our last Spot is this Saturday, and THEN, I even scheduled another last-minute Spot visit for Sunday because this place will be starting to serve afternoon tea and my funny-self thought to squeeze that one in too. Ayyy! My only option would be this Thursday. BUT- they require a 72-hour advance reservation. [whine]

I called. Told them I was hoping to come in Thursday (this was Wednesday btw), but I understood there was a 3-day advance. They said they would take me. Huh? What!? I told them I wanted them to feel comfy + confident with what they were offering, and that I could maybe possibly find a time for Monday. They said they thought it was so sweet of me to consider that/them but that they would make Thursday work. So sweet, right guys?! I was on the books.

I decided to take my kid to this one for a Mommy-Daughter Date. And to make it even more interesting + fun for her, I told her she could Guest Write my blog post for them and even take pictures if she wanted for it. She loved the idea. As an artist + Lefty, she has some pretty cool perspectives and we have some of her photographs framed + up on our walls. (She has this sick one she took of the Bay Bridge right outside Delancey!) Let me take this moment to talk about the flyest 13-year-old girl I know. As mentioned, she has been making and selling her art for a few years now. She has an eclectic taste in music, knows how to play the ukulele and bass, and knows how to speak Korean!! I’m legit her biggest fan and am BLESSED to be her best friend. (but mostly her Momma!!!)

I’m telling you right now- I’m including A LOT of extra shots in this one, cuz there were just too many good ones and I’m sharing them ALL. Before even coming here, I have to admit whenever I would see overly floral cafe’s…I already wrote em off. After going to places like Son & Garden and iChina, where it was more about the trendy atmosphere and Instagram-worthy backdrops than the FOOD, I don’t expect much from anything that looks well (air quotes) too pretty. And altho this spot had the flowers…it was decorated really well. They were more like “statement” flowers, and not as the owner mentioned “gaudy”. But even for my daughter (who takes after her Mom and) who is not girly whatsoever, she could appreciate the interior.

I didn’t know til later, that we were their VERY FIRST afternoon tea party! Look at our cutie table!! I’ve had my name set on tables before, but not PRINTED!!?! That was such a sweet touch and very personal. Love! (yes, my name is spelled wrong but he even fixed it later and gave us the keepsake!)

Everything was ready for us as soon as we got there. We chose our shared pot of tea and she started bringing our tiers out. We each got our own too!! I couldn’t get enough shots!

[taken by my daughter]

I was taking everything in. All the details. Even the mismatched paper napkins, I loved! The Savories were their focus, you could tell. (LOVE THAT.) Points from me already.

[taken by my daughter]

They had 4 tea options. My daughter + I agreed on their Floral Peach. It had good peach flavor, tasted a little sweetened. Darling pink hue, probably from hibiscus.

Daughter – Yes even tho my mom sells tea and goes to tea places I dont really drink tea that often lol Oky! Soooooo my first thought was: Hhmm… the color of the tea is kinda dark… I hope its not too strong. My next thought after I had was: Ooooohhhh!!!! Its not too strong, It was so good that I had way more cups of it than my mom did lol

Truffle in Paradise (truffle cucumber sandwich) – This was me: “mm. Mm. MM!” Truffle is not a usual profile paired with cucumber tea sandwiches, a first for me for sure. She should be proud of herself and that was YUMMY!

Daughter – First thought: Hahaha!!! I love cucumber sandwiches!! After I had it: Hmm… the flavor is interesting! I like the way its not like the typical cucumber sandwiches, and the way you have to come back for more to get the flavor! Ok ok so far so good!

Apple of My Eye (apple chicken salad crackers) – There was maybe a light curry in there… Loved the apple. The chicken was so juicy + tender, like it was fresh off a rotisserie spit rod! I was clapping that there were three of these.

Daughter – First thought: Ok… this could either be really good or really interesting… After I had it: Again I dont really know whats in this… It took me awhile to get it but mom said that there might be a little bit of curry and I’m not the biggest fan of curry stuff but it was really really good! Like they made me a curry fan! Lol

Eggcitement (mini glaze egg croissant) – Egg + dill = GOOD. And of course (hand up) the Croissant-Lover enjoyed this one.

Daughter – First thought: [Back story: I dont wake up early at all oky? Like I’m talking 1:00PM Lol So this was my breakfast…] Oh ok… I’m not exactly excited to have egg breath rn buuuut… I’m still gonna eat it! After I had it: Aaaahhh!!! Its DELICIOUS!!! And is that dill?! I made a HUGE mistake of eating a small little smth before we left…

Talking to my daughter, I couldn’t figure out which savory was my favorite because they were all excellent! They each had just a little something in them to make you question ‘hm, what is that’ which I highly appreciate. Reminded me so much of when we catered for our old tea company. Each of our tea sandwiches from our menu had something different in them that made you keep coming back for more! Well played, K On The Go. (wink)

A verbatim convo between me and my daughter…

Me: “I’m ready for my sweets, dood.”

Her: “Half it!” (talking about all the mini cheesecakes + macarons)

Me: “Hold on, I’m licking my plate!”

HAHAHAH!

All My Ladies Cake (ladyfinger almond sponge cake) – This was so light + airy and had such good flavor. My favorite part were the crunchy pieces on top. What scone?? You did not miss any scone with this on your plate. It was like an elevated tiramisu…

Daughter – First thought: Uhhh….. Ok I’m not a big sweets fan but I’ll have it! lol After I had it: Oooooohhhh!!! I LOVE IT!!! Its soft and not OVERLY sweet! Definitely one of my favorites!!!

Assorted Desserts (changed daily) – Today’s were a variety of mini cheesecakes and french macarons. We couldn’t tell if those cheesecakes were store-bought or homemade and I think that is a compliment! They were fantastic. The macarons, they were really good quality ones.

Daughter – First thought: Ooooohhh they look soooo pretty!!! After I had it: WOW!!! Its rare that I come across food that looks good and taste better than it looks!!!

Just when we were pretty stuffed and about to clean up shop, she came out from the back with more! We were treated to these stunning complimentary desserts for being their first afternoon tea reservations. So so kind of them huh!? All I could say about those- INHALED.

Daughter – First thought: [Back story: The almond sponge cake had a butterfly and I bit it but I dont think it was edible lol but after I tried to eat the butterfly I said to mom: “Edible things like that is the way to win my heart” Then after we were done and they brought the special end and they said that the butterfly was edible my eyes got big and I was so excited!!!] Aaaahhhh!!! I’m soooo excited!!!! after I had it: I scarfed down one of them I said to mom: THIS WAS SOOOOO WORTH SCARFING!!!! As soon as I get a chance, I’m coming back!!!! 🙂

I was THOROUGHLY (how many ways can I highlight this?) impressed. The husband-wife team/owners were a delight!! He kept us company in between customers and she came out in between creating those culinary masterpieces back there. I loved how he was very community positive and got to know everyone that walked through their front door. He was even introducing me to their regulars! (dood, they’ve only been open a few weeks and already have Regulars what!?) You could tell how much awe he has for his wife (excuse me) Business Partner too, cuz he was singing her praises the entire afternoon. And she was just the CUTEST, so rightfully so!! Her imagination and brilliance shined in this tea service. My teenage daughter thoroughly enjoyed herself. We were both already planning when we can come back and who we were gonna bring. She kept saying “I really do love it here” and as a mom, that just made me so happy.

I really wanted this place to work out. Since the downfall of Tyme for Tea, I needed a new spot close to me that I could frequent. Of course, there’s still my new go-to’s Malaya and Four Seasons…but I still have to drive a bit for those. So I’m ecstatic that it turned out to be so good!! Stay tuned cuz they made it pretty high on my raTEAng. You’ll have to see where I put them! And please please please make your way to K On The Go Union City because you will eat well and be treated like family!

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!

Choose an amount

$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00

Or enter a custom amount

$

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly

Follow us @parTEAwithmeBlog on Instagram | Threads | TikTok

Spot #44 :: SanDai & KOPI Bar

Our 44th Spot:

SanDai & KOPI Bar

1522 N Main Street Walnut Creek, CA 94596

@kopibar.us

Because I am who I am, I found this place a couple months ago. It was a new thing for this area, so of course I booked and fit it in the Tour. When this Tour + Blog started, I was visiting already established afternoon tea places. I don’t know how I became this Scoper for new Tea Spots just started/just starting to serve afternoon tea, but here we are! (open hands emoji) I am a Detective after all. Altho the Huz asked me if I was actively searching for them…and honestly, NO! Haha. I’m telling you, sometimes they just fall into my lap!! But let me not give away all my secrets.

This cafe was cute. But kinda loud. The place we’re sat in is a narrow room, think of a train car. But still, very aesthetic and like I said: cute! This is the first spot that offered their tea service with the choice of coffee or tea. Neat. We chose tea, of course. Only 4 options, so it was easy to choose. And after salivating at their mimosa flavor types, I learned it was included! YAY!! I got the grapefruit and he chose pineapple.

Grapefruit + Pineapple Mimosas. Very good! Mine complimented the meal so well.

Tropic Garden – The menu is minimal, so there weren’t descriptions of the teas. But this one sounded fruity + floral, my jam. A pretty tea! I tasted hibiscus and cinnamon. The Huz said it was “woodsy and earthy” to him.

Teh Halia (ginger milk tea) – It was fun to see a milk tea on the menu. And I’m glad he chose it, cuz I was interested! He said it was “like a chai with coconut and turmeric”. I thought it had a good ginger presence, not too strong.

Something I need to point out… After dropping off my husband’s milk tea, the server looked at me and told me mine was still steeping. If you’re a longtime reader of this blog, you’ll know I have a thing about people bringing the teas to the table already ready! I loved that they brought my tea out to me when it was ready. Points for this.

The first thing I noticed about the tier is that there were 4 items we had to share. To be fair, the event ticket we purchased said “for Two”. But what if we weren’t a married couple? Or what if we weren’t comfy with each other like that? People would have to get real intimate real quick and share food. Now naturally, I didn’t mind sharing with my husband. Or him touching my stuff with his knife, etc… But, I do like it when tea services offer individual items per guest.

The next thing I noticed (from the menu actually): only 2 savories…

Cucumber Tea Sandwich – I like when they made this with butter, it’s a fun change. Packed with slices of cucumber and a nice mild chive flavor. Those cucumbers were so crunchy I could do ASMR! It was too much bread for me tho. (I know right, is there such a thing!?) But I had to make a snake mouth to eat it!! (laughing crying emojis) The Huz was laughing saying I had to unlock my jaw and get around it hahah!

Avocado Tea Sandwich – It was good. Except, it reminded me of the guac that comes in a plastic container in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. The crunchy unripe cherry tomatoes gave a nice contrasting texture tho. And it had the tiniest of tiniest spice, which I liked.

Apricot & Almond Scone – Crumbs, all crumbs. It was so dry, I was having esophageal spasms trying to get it down! It had good flavor…but would’ve been nice with some fixings. There was just butter on the side, for the plain croissant I think.

Classic Croissant – That’s a good croissant. A little sweet. Nice bite.

Blueberry Lemon Tea Cake – Moist, not too sweet.

Pain Au Chocolate – That was a REALLY GOOD chocolate croissant. (a-okay emoji) My favorite so far. Beautiful layers and proportioned filling.

Pandan Coconut Roll – I didn’t know what to say about this one…

Klepon – Just kidding, THIS was my favorite. It had that sticky chewy texture I like, like mochi. And the filling inside was nostalgic for us!

Pandan & Moringa Tiramisu – The coffee they used for this was extraordinary. I just wanted that.

Listen, this wasn’t my favorite Tea…BUT, I understood their concept. They presented a gorgeous tier and we were able to sample some of their offerings from the bar next door. I would have loved more salty options, but we still enjoyed ourselves. The customer service was good and the ambiance was welcoming. We def wanna come back for brunch! They’ve only been serving afternoon tea since March. I’m sure they’ll refine their menu as time goes on and I’m not opposed to trying again! Let us know if you head out to Walnut Creek for their first ever tea experience at SanDai & KOPI Bar!

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!

Choose an amount

$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00

Or enter a custom amount

$

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly

Follow us @parTEAwithmeBlog on Instagram | Threads | TikTok

Spot #43 :: Julia’s Restaurant

Our 43rd Spot:

Julia’s Restaurant at Berkeley City Club

2315 Durant Avenue Berkeley, CA 94704

www.berkeleycityclub.com

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!

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!

Choose an amount

$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00

Or enter a custom amount

$

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly

Follow us @parTEAwithmeBlog on Instagram | Threads | TikTok

Spot Revisit :: Pardee Home (#16) – Best Experience

Spot #16 Revisit:

Pardee Home

672 11th Street Oakland, CA 94607

pardeehome.org

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.

All Pardee Home related posts:

Spot #16 :: Pardee Home

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!

Choose an amount

$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00

Or enter a custom amount

$

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly

Follow us @parTEAwithmeBlog on Instagram | Threads | TikTok

There’s been a shift

Quoted from my March 6, 2024 journal entry:

“I am NOT an Influencer and I am NOT a Content Creator. I am no one special. I do not have a Platform. And I don’t need to make money on what I love doing for the fun of it.”

I had a few topic ideas for this About The Author post between my tea house visits…but this seemed more pressing to talk about. When I used to watch family vlogs, even tho I knew they didn’t owe us any explanations for absences from filming or content changes- I appreciated the heads up. So, that’s what I’m doing here. Even tho I don’t need to, it is a courtesy to share this change in my mindset.

I was gonna talk about the similarities I share with Prince, Dave Chapelle, and Barbara Streisand. But I don’t want to give away my entire farm now! (and if you happen to just know what they all have in common, share your thoughts in the comments!) There’s A LOT that goes into this decision. I could talk about distractions… I could talk about my view of money… Or, I could even talk about running themes. But, I don’t want to. (can you tell I’m trying to prolong this?)

I’ll just say: There’s been a shift.

I am + have been blown away by the enormous success that came in a hurry for me + this blog in recent. Never in my hopes and dreams would I ever have thought that I’d be in the position(s) I was in!? (brain explosion emoji) Having the incredible privilege to work with some amazing establishments has been humbling. With that said, these partnerships came so fast I didn’t even realize how huge it all was until they passed…!? That, coupled with being surrounded by Foodies who were quitting their day jobs… It was a lot. To say the least.

I was getting caught up. “Work” was being taken too serious and I wasn’t being present to enjoy it all. In the last couple weeks, I have taken the time to understand what this all means for me. This Leg of the Tour ends mid-May, and I am taking a well-deserved BREAK. I’ve talked about this before and I knew what that looked like. I would be free for leisure Tea with girlfriends, and continuing to post on all my socials.

However…

After this shift in thinking, that might look a little bit different now. I do still have a FULL 4th Leg planned to start late this year. BUT, let’s see how my break goes! No promises from me as of yet. Okay yall…? I still very much love to visit tea rooms + tea houses. I still very much love to review them. And don’t get me wrong (okay “Establishments”?! Hehe), I still very much loved/love working with awesome people!! This isn’t, like, a Retirement Speech or anything! I’m just letting yall know that I’m doing a reset, going back to basics, and making sure I’m being fully intentional with everything I got going on when it comes to this Blog. I am a WRITER first and foremost. Not a Foodie, not an Influencer, not a Content Creator…not a videographer, not a TikToker. Let me get back to my first love…

Thanks for listening! (muah)

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!

Choose an amount

$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00

Or enter a custom amount

$

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly

Follow us @parTEAwithmeBlog on Instagram | Threads | TikTok

Spot Revisit :: Tyme for Tea (#22) – Formerly ‘Best Everything’

Spot #22 Revisit:

Tyme for Tea & Co.

37501 Niles Boulevard Fremont, CA 94536

tymefortea.com

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)

All Tyme for Tea & Co. related posts:

Spot #22 :: Tyme for Tea & Co. [LAST SPOT]

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!

Choose an amount

$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00

Or enter a custom amount

$

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly

Follow us @parTEAwithmeBlog on Instagram | Threads | TikTok

Old or Vintage?

Whew! February was a whirlwind!! I had the absolute pleasure of being invited to try TWO new tea service menus, revisiting TWO old beloved Tea Spots, and being hosted to a Patisserie Tasting! (sweat bead emoji) (humbled emoji) FIVE Tea Things, 4 of which were in the span of just 2 weeks!! I feel blessed and honored. If you haven’t caught up yet, here are the quick links:

2/4 – NEW MENU ALERT! Muir’s Tea Room | Alice in Wonderland

2/10 – NEW MENU ALERT! Claremont Hotel | Galentine’s Day Tea

2/15 – Spot Revisit :: Lovey’s Tea Shoppe (#18) – Best Tea

2/17 – Spot Revisit :: Dartealing Lounge (#10) – Best Sandwiches

2/24 – TASTING at Alexander’s Patisserie

Okay, now for the topic at hand… I couldn’t wait to write about this one! It’s been marinating around in my brain for some months.

So, in July, this website will be 10!!! And if you’re a longtime Reader/Follower, you will have noticed that we NEVER changed the theme. It’s been the same corally orange, with that same tea set pic in the upper lefthand corner, with the same ribbon headings. For. 10. Years. I love our theme!! Of course, just as I’ve aged 10 years, so has my taste in decor and style. However, there was something pulling on me to stay loyal to this original design…? So I just never changed it! And come on, I’m a Creative Director. I would have loved to put my skills into meticulously decorating this space. I can’t even get the font + spacing how I want on here!! Hahaha.

But since coming back on, after our break in 2018 and then the Pandemic… It goes without saying (whatever that means) that there has been a maaaajoooor boost in views, visits, follows, subscribers, donators…everything!! And just recently, I had to put out a Stories post on IG, notifying everyone that this website crashed as the hosting I use wasn’t able to support the level of traffic we were having.

Remember, we are about to be 10-years-old. And in internet age, you might as well be a zillion! I started this website FOR FREE, with the most popular website host at that time. Needless to say, it was taking double + triple time to upload things and save things…and wait for this host to keep up with what I was producing. Coupled with my dinosaur laptop, I am surprised I don’t have carpal tunnel and tennis elbow and a hunchback from what I’ve endured in recent!? HA! But this is no complaint. I am beyond ecstatic to have the workload that I have had!! I just need to make some changes.

Sooo. All this to say- I am in the process of changing my host. Which breaks my heart a little, cuz I will probably have to find a new website theme. Say ‘goodbye’ to the ribbon headers guys! Until then, if you haven’t already, PLEASE GET ON OUR EMAIL LIST. This will ensure you don’t miss out on any updates or changes during this process. And with all the angst about Instagram going down (or other platforms for that matter), at least we will always have this way to keep in touch.

Thank you to our REAL ONES!!!

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!

Choose an amount

$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00

Or enter a custom amount

$

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly

Follow us @parTEAwithmeBlog on Instagram | Threads | TikTok