(clears throat) Okay, let me explain about the out of order numbers again… The Tea Spot that was scheduled to be visited in October was actually visited in August (Jade Chocolates) becauuuse I didn’t want to miss their Hawaiian-themed tea service (and they change themes often). Then, I was supposed to take a month off in October just to have a breather…which turned out to be timely, since my Mom passed away end of Sept. HOWeverr, this Spot just started offering Afternoon Tea AND I like to try it out as early as possible for you guys sooo- here we are! Squeezed this one in on the Tour before our 38th to-be-visited Spot scheduled for November, which is WHY it’s our 39th. (exhale)
If I can go back to my roots for a moment and be extremely Bay Area– it was HELLA loud in there. This was our first time in that bakery. It had been bookmarked in my Yelp to try, just never made it yet. So I was excited to kill two birds with one stone, and check this off while trying their tea service. But yeah, the sheer level of volume initially turned me off. Tho, I remained optimistic!
So- they offer loose AND bag. One pot to share, and they brought it to us not ready yet. (rolling eyes emoji) We chose their Jardin Bleu. No descriptions on the menu, they just told us “vanilla”. Ohhkaay… Thankfully, of the minimal choices on their menu, we both were interested in that one. We like a dark steep, so we let a good amount of time go before our first pours. But even then, it was still light. The vanilla was there, and maybe a berry aftertaste…? In the middle of our service, anticipating that it was gonna be better (having over-steeped by now), it was still just okay. And you are not allowed to change your tea blend.
Our tier came and as he was explaining everything, I already off the bat didn’t like that there’s not 2 of everything and you have to share some tiny items.
Plain Scones with jam and clotted cream – nice flavor but too crispy for me, more like a biscuit, you cut it and it crumbles; menu says “clotted cream” but I don’t know what that was
Egg Sandwich – it was good, could use salt, I like the soft boil, almost like a cold wet scramble
Prosciutto Sandwich – grill is nice, not every bite has prosciutto, I don’t know what else to say; the Huz said “it’s a decent grilled cheese”
Lemon Mint Pot de Creme – the mint made it taste dirty, “earthy”, very very faint lemon flavor, I do like the custard consistency a lot; thankfully my date was who I married, cuz we were forced to share this pot if we both wanted to try it
Chocolate Pot de Creme – this one taste worse, not creamy, almost eggy, curdled! I changed my mind! (when I saw there were one each of the pots, I said he could have the lemon cuz I’m not a lemon dessert person); he says “…and don’t serve it to me in plastic!” Hahah! Said it had a jell-o shot feel
Mini Madeleine dipped in Chocolate – honestly forgot to make a note… these were so cute + little, but nothing special, they are as big as your kid’s pinky finger and YES we cut each in half so we could both try
Matcha Tiramisu – tastes like shampoo
Matcha Truffle – I got a big dose of powder to tongue! I had made a sour face just as our server came to check on us!
Dark Chocolate Truffle – very nice, but nothing fantastic about it, reminded me of Trader Joe’s one (in that square red box)
Strawberry Pistachio Choux – here’s how our conversation went about this one…
Me: “What does that taste like, DIRT?”
Him: “Yeah.”
“Like they didn’t clean the pistachio.”
(3 crying laughing emjois)
It was way too much filling, tho I liked the pastry a lot
Rose Mousse – how do you eat it, you can’t pick it up, I had to bite down on the paper it was sitting on and scrape it off with my teeth, not cute, I thought that clear disc was hard candy but it was like chicken cartilage!!
Special Tart – I’m sure there was an official name for this one, but I didn’t hear him. I know for sure it was lilikoi. After setting down our tier and saying there was something else he was bringing out for us “to share”… After seeing all those sweets, I was hoping it was gonna be like a huge ham sandwich!! I usually like passion fruit stuff, but I didn’t like this. Didn’t like the coconut, and I don’t know why it reminded me of baby food.
Listen, the staff was very nice. Good service, sure. But this WASN’T IT for me guys!! I didn’t like that it was 500 sweet things to only TWO savories. The atmosphere wasn’t tea party vibes! The Huz goes: “I’m still trying to understand the aesthetic of how this fits into afternoon tea.” He was saying it would have been nice for a Bakery to put out more baked goods; “use your storefront to catapult this,” he says. And I agree! I think the focus was too much on the shock factor and what it looked like…as opposed to taste and flavor. We left there HUNGRY. Didn’t take the leftovers either. No joke- we stopped by McDonald’s on the way home and enjoyed some double-double’s!! And I wouldn’t normally nitpick on this, but there was just too much not to say something- if you want us to take you seriously as an Afternoon Tea Spot, REPRINT YOUR MENUS. I counted way too many typos. It’s not “darjeenling” for goodness sake!
You know how people say “Not everyone needs to have a podcast”? Well, not everyone needs to offer Afternoon Tea.
This was the first of 5 Tea things we have coming in the next 4 weeks!! EXCITING! So if you’re not already, please take a moment to enter your email below to subscribe so you can get all Blog Posts we share. Follow us on Threads too, cuz we post real time thoughts from all our Tea Adventures! We appreciate any donations that you are moved to contribute as well. See you here soon!
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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!
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Hi TEAcups! (when we were operating our old tea company, we used to call our Supporters “TEAcups” hehe)
It’s been a fun-filled + PACKED first half of the Tour already!! Lots of squeezing in last-minute visits and a good amount of off-tour tea visits as well! (sweat bead emoji) You know how I do- I will try to fit it in and be the first to review these places so you don’t have to. So in true parTEA with me form, I have managed to add TWO new Afternoon Tea Spots to visit on this Leg!!! Stay tuned for those!
And I know I sound like a broken record (but I don’t care)… Just wanted to thank all of you for continuing to come back and read about all these new Afternoon Tea Spots, and even reading about the old ones! I see each + every view, and I love looking at all the different countries you all are from! Introduce yourself, leave where you’re reading our Blog at in the comments!! I would love to know! And to those who have, who are, and who will donate– ugh, you guys. You guys help make this possible so so much!!! There is such an appreciation I have for you…there aren’t words invented yet to explain just how much. (100 emoji) Soo, follow us on all the things! I post differently on each one, so our content will keep you on your toes! I’m rambling now, so I better finish this post! Talk to yall soon!!
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Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a one-time donation! Thank you in advance!
Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a monthly donation! Thank you in advance!
Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a yearly donation! Thank you in advance!
The 3rd Leg of our Tour was already fully booked: 8 new Spots and 6 Revisits. Would take us a little over a year to finish, if we visited one a month like usual. With the addition of iChina and the surprise of Four Seasons, we had/have a lot of Afternoon Tea!
Then.
What’s this?
What do we have here??
Tea…but ON A TRAIN!!?!
You better believe I was going. And you better believe I called my OG’s. And you better believe they were in. And you better believe we booked on that day!! Hehe. So for 3 long months, we waited patiently, until it was our turn to experience the:
The little over an hour drive it took us to get out there was not bad at all (especially if you’re spending it with your girls you haven’t hung out with in a while, lots of catching up). When you arrive, there’s this huge waiting room. Lots + lots of seating with cute patterned upholstery, some pub tables, a little bar (the girls had mimosas), a picture taking area, aaand (my favorite) a gift shop! We checked in, then only had to wait a little over half an hour before boarding. We perused the store, took some selfies, attempted a TikTok video for our girl (Mariposa’s hand!), and used the bathroom. Talked about how we felt overdressed cuz we weren’t seeing anyone else in dresses (oh yeah, I wore a DRESS you guys!!), then started seeing some dresses then felt better, then started seeing some SPECTACULAR ensembles then felt underdressed and like we weren’t representing our true-selves in these floral dresses (where are my Tims?!)…HAHAHA! We funny huh. Finally heard our letter being called and excitedly exited toward the train!
There’s a short wait where we stand amongst dozens of decorated locks. Just like they do in Paris, visitors bring love locks and attach them to the fence. An adorable sight! And right before you get to the train, there’s a professional photographer who will take your party’s photo like they do for you on cruises. Okay, now to the track!!
Before I left, my husband asked me what I was most looking forward to on this Day Trip. I took a moment to think before I answered, then replied “the decor!” Just like I answered when the girls from Talk Tea To Me Podcast asked why I fell in love with afternoon tea on the episode where they interviewed me. My love for art and interior design makes me anticipate + appreciate my surroundings when I’m at Tea. And really, I would do a disservice trying to explain with words what a stunning environment we got to be in!
At our setting, we are greeted with a Chandon Garden Spritz. After all, this tea service is in collaboration with Chandon!
[taken by Kika]
The tea comes on a little cart, like they do in airplanes! We had 4 choices: Yunnan Black, Earl Grey, Chamomile, and Rooibos. And they came around with their cart quite a few times during our trip to refresh our cups and try new flavors. I tried all but their cham (didn’t wanna get sleepy). They weren’t bad teas. I think they kept the bags in those thermoses cuz they were heavily steeped. But I wasn’t complaining cuz I like a dark brew anyhow.
I added another shot that I took on my phone. We were having so much fun taking pics of everything! And I love how you can see the vibration ring in my cup!! (like in Jurassic Park!) Oh about that- I was a bit concerned at how bumpy the ride was going to be. It had been over 20 years since I’ve been on a train. Last time was during my honeymoon, when we took a train to Reno, NV! But it was not bad at all!! Almost kind of therapeutic, I think. It was a slow enough pace where you can enjoy the outside scenery. And we all got a kick of how sweet passersby were waving at us! (feeling loved emoji)
After teas, they set us up with Chef’s Seasonally Inspired Soup. Today’s choice was a tomato. Had a nice tang, really fun texture, and I felt like it had a touch of nutmeg or cinnamon in the back there. Of the handful of shots I took, this was the best one that came out! I forgot to use the ‘sport’ setting on my camera, and the shake of the ride took away from some of my captures.
After that, an Heirloom Beet Salad (local goat cheese, frisée, pistachios, citrus vinaigrette) was presented. My mouth just watered, typing all that out. Oh the table loved this one! It was lightly dressed, the beets were PERFECTLY roasted (and I looove heirloom things, don’t you!?), and the goat cheese was gorgeous. P.S. I am a beet freak, so I was like making out with this salad!! I finished every leaf. And I don’t usually do that at tea services…jus sayin.
Here came the tier! Yay! (I’m cracking up cuz we were in kind of tight quarters AND I was in the inside part of the booth, so there wasn’t really much room for me to get up to get the right angle for the tower shot. I don’t like putting my friends’ faces in my posts, so my sweet girls turned their backs aaand this one was actually the best of it I got! Haha. They’re so cute huh?!)
I didn’t have time to think about a strategy on how to eat my savories (I usually go cucumber first) cuz I was just so in the moment (and a bit distracted), so I went from the top down. And it went well!
Lobster Vol-au-Vent – …aaand thenn I had thissss. I wish I would’ve saved it for last. That thing stayed in my hand the whole time. No putting it down on my plate to get a sip of tea… I had all 3 bites, consecutively. Ohmygosh it was so good!! Lemony, crispy fluffy pastry, good ratio of filling to bread, had a nice welcome peppery aftertaste. I can remember the spongey stringy lobster goodness as I write this!
Radish & Creme Fraiche – Bouncy pastry, light airy cream, nice radish crunch, pleasant tang, salty. That was a lot of cream. And even tho it sorta melted in your mouth, that was a lot of cream! I felt like we all at some point had cream mustaches, cuz (you guessed it) that was a lot of cream. I have to say tho, the salty taste afterwards- even tho you were like ‘what is this, why’, it made you go back for more to try + understand it again! Well played Wine Train, well played.
Cucumber & Dill – Oh there you are cucumber! I don’t know, the cream in this was frothy…!? Remember Monica and Mockolate? “Just waiting for it to stop bubbling!” That’s what that cream or cheese made me think of. I didn’t care for it. The cucumber was a little soggy, and the bread was like mushy. I still finished it, but like, begrudgingly.
Roast Beef, Horseradish, White Cheddar – I didn’t like this one that much either!? It had nice thick pieces of beef. But not a huge fan of the cheese.
Smoke Salmon & Fine Herb Cream Cheese – Nice amount of cheese to salmon. Didn’t like the caviar. I felt like there was something in their cheese other than dill…but I couldn’t make it out. Like a celery seed or fennel or something, I don’t know. I asked my girl (Rizitos who is a great cook) if she could figure it out, and she said she just tasted the dill…
I was so ready for dessert! (clapping hands) Five yummy sweet things, a nice variety + selection. There was also a fruit + cheese tier, but I didn’t get a picture of it.
Lemon Tart (there weren’t official names to the treats, so these are my generic labels for them) – Again, I didn’t know it then but I figured it out after, I ate the best thing first! MMM! WOW. Crunchiest pastry, resemblant of cheesecake crust. Light lemon, not overpowering, so smooth + delicate. And it had a fun aftertaste. I took bites of everything else after I tried this one…then went back to it, and demolished it. (and I never usually finish my sweets)
Pumpkin Scone – This was so light! It was soft inside, but the glaze was crunchy. As a pumpkin-lover, this was nice to see on the menu.
Almond Cake – Bland for me. Light cake. Only had a bite.
Chocolate Chip Cookie – This wasn’t just any chocolate chip cookie. This was like thee perfect chocolate chip cookie. Big chunks of chocolate, nice dense bite, chewiest chew, flakey salt. (drooling)
We had a spectacular time. The service was AMAZING. We fortunately were sat right by the service station, so it was convenient if we needed anything. Our Server was so kind and so efficient. She even made me a makeshift cover for the rest of my tomato soup I wanted to take home. The ride was lovely. Comfortable. Clean. Even the bathroom was really cute! Oh and the music was poppin! All those songs that are your jam, that you haven’t heard in forever…yeah, they played them. Happy I went. Happy my OG Girls were with me. The price was the most I’ve paid for Afternoon Tea (well you’re not just getting the tea, but a whole experience too), and it was well worth it. I would definitely do this again. I would take the Huz, I would take the kids. I would pay just to have those lobster things + lemons tarts only!! We made sure to pick up our cruise photo, so we had a souvenir for this beautiful day. I think they’re still offering this Afternoon Tea for the month of October…but I would def keep checking back in to see when they’re gonna do this again cuz you have to go!
Here are a few really cool shots from our friend Kika, who was hot on the phone pics! (a-ok emoji) I just love the one she did of the tower with our friend Mariposa in the background!
A DEDICATION
So like I mentioned, this trip was booked 3 months in advance. What I didn’t know when I booked it, was that my Mom was going to lose her 8+ year battle with cancer just 4 days before our scheduled departure. I was so broken, numb, confused, lost. But I felt like I had to keep it together until our Day Trip. Those 4 days following her death, I behaved as normal as possible. I went about my days of homeschooling and laundry. Even when I went to go spend time with my brothers, I didn’t cry. I stayed away from my phone. Didn’t reply to messages, didn’t get on social media. I had to work! Then after work, I could crumble. That was my mentality. Strange I know, but like they say: people deal with grief in different ways.
I met with my girls that day. Spent the ride over, the train ride, and the ride back just enjoying their company and my tea time. I didn’t say a word about Mom. No one knew that as soon as I took that last photo + typed out my last note and declared “Okay I’m finished with work!” that my shoulders suddenly felt so heavy. That the whole drive home I was continuing to swallow that hard lump in your throat that serves as a signal from your body that you need to cry. And the Academy Award goes to… I hate liars. But I had to put my best face on, otherwise I would lose it and never come out of it. And I didn’t want the day to be about that. So I kept my cool.
The following day some good friends of ours took the kids, and my husband took me out. I requested Barnes & Noble. I could peruse those aisles + shelves all day long. I love reading Memoirs (I just started “Spare”), so I browsed for more to add to my TBR pile. I used to collect magazines, so I love looking at those too. After that, we got some comfort food at the Hofbrau. Turkey dinner, of course. I love their sticky stuffing, with lots + LOTS of their brown gravy. Cranberry, a must. For something sweet, he took me to Happy Donuts. A 24-hour donut shop we’ve never tried before. We were moaning, it was so good. Then he said he knew exactly where to take me. My 2nd favorite store: HomeGoods!! (my 1st is World Market) We had fun shopping for miscellaneous items, like a pasta container and new salt + pepper pots cuz one of the lids broke on ours. It was nice to forget for a little bit…
To forget the aching pain that the closest person to me was now gone. We talked every day. She was the only mother I knew.
When I was born, I was abused by my biological mother. Unfortunately, I even have home videos to prove it. I became a rape victim by the time I was 5. This continued for 8 more years. When I got up the courage to tell my bio mom, she didn’t listen. I was sexually assaulted 2 more times by 2 other different people, one when I was 19 and one in the spring of 2019. So this is my trauma, this is the baggage I carry. I didn’t find out that I was being abused by a narcissistic mother until I was 37-years-old. I subsequently entered trauma recovery in September 2018. That was also the last time I had contact with her.
Sometime in 2007 – I met Veronica. She moved from Oakland to our area, with her husband and two boys (my brothers). I was always fond of her, she just intrigued me. We both worked for school districts, and she would often ask me for advice on some things.
November 2011 – My first hosted Tea Party, she was invited.
April 2015 – She was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma.
October 2017 – She wrote me a card. I decided to write her back, since I wasn’t seeing her much anymore (because she was having chemo treatments). We became pen pals. We would write back + forth, snail mail. Sometimes her boys or the Huz would be our messengers. We continued writing each other and I filled a 2-inch 3-ring binder full of letters from her. We eventually went to email, during Pandemic I think.
August 2018 – She joined the Tea House Tour and attended Sip Tea Room with us.
Sometime later – She adopted me and became Mommie. To my kids, she became GrandMommie.
She was there for everything. I could ask her for advice. She mothered me when I needed mothering. She had so much wisdom and carried herself with such integrity to God. She was my biggest supporter. NO MATTER WHAT I was doing, she would be the first in line, the front row seat. When I made + sold art- she didn’t just buy one, she bought many. When I published my book- even tho she already had a pre-released copy, she still bought an official hard copy. When I made + sold tea- she didn’t just buy a box, she’d spend $200 at a time. And then make little packages and send them out to friends + relatives.
She loved my kids. The best Grandmother any child could ever ask for. The only one they’d really ever known. When she did Grandmother things for them, they were confused. I had to explain that that’s what a grandmother did or that that’s how a grandmother loved. Like when she would give them money every time they saw her. They didn’t get that that’s the kinda thing grandparents just do. They never had positive experiences with their biological grandmothers…
She called my husband for every need around the house. He was always there. Happily helping out with odd jobs, building furniture, doing handyman things. He has a small handyman company, and she was his biggest client! Soon, our son would join and they were building stuff for her together. She claimed the nickname Chatty Cathy, and would call me when my husband left her house to apologize that she’d kept him there for some time. He loved listening to her stories. It never bothered either of us, the time he spent there with her. He appreciated her Momma-lovin too!
I feel like I had to describe my childhood real quick first, so you could understand the depth of what this woman did for me. For our kids. For our family. She filled a void I never even knew I was looking for. I was so happy just having someone to ask me about my day, to listen about hers. The simplest + silliest thing- when I was over and she was opening something, I was THEE HAPPIEST girl taking the trash from her and throwing it out for her. Like, I felt so good to have a mom to do that for. Trash, yall. TRASH!! I would talk about her at every opportunity. People who know me, know this well.
One of her absolute favorite things to do was buy us things. Now, I was always shy and at first didn’t accept. But I soon realized what a joy this was for her, then started allowing it. She loved to buy my daughter + I dresses. So every time I would wear one she got, I always ALWAYS had to share that it was from her. “Oh thank you, Mommie got it for me!” She’s bought us cute flats + blazers/cardigans to wear for the complete outfit too. One time, she bought her + I matching dresses. We were so happy to wear them together. She’s bought all 4 of us winter coats. For our anniversary, she bought my husband + I each our own preferred-style comforters. She has even bought me underwear, she’s so cute.
Another thing she absolutely loved to do was keep photos. She had like over a thousand stored in her phone! I included her in every aspect of my life. So when a photo was taken, you better believe I sent it to her. Then she would send random ones back to me, at random times. Like- photos of my kids, then tell me what a good mother I was. Photos of my grandmother, to remind me that we had a solid relationship. She also sent me baby photos of her boys and other loved ones. When you went to her house, photos I sent her were printed out and framed!! (oh she was just the cutest for this!)
What I appreciated most about her was how loyal she was and how down for me she was. I had to fight on my own all my life. It felt good to have someone on my side, protecting me. I have never known how not to grieve alone. I never even knew I was like this until she passed. I had a theme with all the people I have lost. I guess since I was never allowed to feel when I was younger, I felt like big feelings had to be done alone. I am learning how to lean on others in her absence. My husband + kids are taking good care of me. These new friends that I have made in the past year have prayed for me, called, sent messages, sent flowers, sent cards, offered support, took the kids. And these are not just what I call “Hallmark responses” like just Aww or I’m sorry for your loss… But actual genuine sentiments!! I am in awe and am overwhelmed by the love + support shown to me and my family. THANK YOU.
In the meantime, I will continue to work on grieving. I haven’t let it out yet. And I don’t know when it will come. My body is certainly feeling it. But my heart hasn’t caught up yet.
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Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a one-time donation! Thank you in advance!
Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a monthly donation! Thank you in advance!
Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a yearly donation! Thank you in advance!
If you watch The Office, you’ll know exactly where those lines are from! This About The Author blog post is going to be about my qualifications for reviewing Tea Houses + Tea Rooms. One of my pinned posts on Instagram states, “I am not a tea expert or tea connoisseur, I just know what I like and know what I don’t like.” Here’s some history as to how I got there…
WORK HISTORY AND SKILLS
Detective
The first thing you need to know about me and how I got here is about my detective skills. I love the history of things and how they came to be. I’m a logical thinker and I need equations in order to understand something. If it’s not self-explanatory on how it computes, I’m gonna figure it out. I was this way as a teenager, and my skill set just got stronger when I entered trauma recovery. I love to understand people too, I think that’s my favorite. I can smell a red flag from a mile away. People think I don’t know how they’re being or how they’re behaving. I know, I’m just not commenting on it. I’m a silent observer. I also get this from my INFJ-ness, hehe. I will watch reality tv sometimes, just to study the people. Anyway, this is a longwinded explanation for me to say: I dig deep to find our Tea House + Tea Room locations to visit on the Tour. There are A LOT of places in the Bay Area (and just outside) that offer Afternoon Tea that are not highlighted or “viral” or that popular. But you better believe Detective Rose is gonna find them and give them the love and/or attention they deserve! This is why I am always hearing, ‘I never knew there were that many places!?’
Former Tea Company Owner
If you are a longtime follower/subscriber of this Blog, you’ll know that parTEA with me used to be a full-fledged tea company. We were a Tea Line, Direct To Consumer (DTC), Wholesaler, Vendor, and Caterer. There are many qualifications to those roles. One does not just wake up from a nap and decide to become a whole tea company! …or do they? (wink)
If you have noticed, I don’t talk much about this company. I might refer to it briefly, but there are things about it I can’t use or talk about legally. So I don’t, out of respect to my integrity and respect to my old business partner. That’s why this blog and all my socials, have “blog” at the end of them. In case any of you were ever wondering…
What I can say, and for the sake of this post and understanding my qualifications- I made/make tea. I created/create tea blends. For our Catering side of the company, those were MY ideas for tea sandwich recipes that were highly requested by our clientele. So one who comments or reviews or critiques Tea House + Tea Room menus, should have a sense of what is good and what is not. Correct? My old tea company is where I got my sense.
Amateur Photographer
When I was a little girl, my narcissistic bio mom used to dress me to the nines and make me be in photo shoots. Then get massive prints of them and display them everywhere. In school, Art was always my favorite subject. (I could go on a whole tangent about this, but let me try to make the long story short) In the 4th grade, my art piece was selected to be put on display somewhere important. A bit before the pandemic, I accidentally started selling my art. Today, I am a fine art collector. In essence, I have an eye.
Before the Tour started, my husband had gotten into photography. He was learning all about lighting and apertures…shutter speeds, exposures, and focal points oh my! (haha, I’m a nerd I know) So we bought a DSLR. He taught me the very basics, and that’s what I bring with me on the Tour. Now I know I could stand to be more “artsy” in my shots, but most times during Tea- I’m trying to take the quickest photo possible so I could get back to my friends. I take quite a few tho, so I have some to choose from for later. But I also appreciate real life visuals, so that’s what you get on the Blog! I adore the realness of the silverware shoved to the side…or maybe just a corner of the teapot and not in full view. I mean, I won’t be including used napkins or anything like that! But, I love showing real life.
I remember meeting the Calligraphists at our Maison Danel visit. One of them read my card and says, “You’re a Tea House Tourist!? How cool is that!” I replied, “You can make a job out of anything these days huh?!”
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Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a one-time donation! Thank you in advance!
Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a monthly donation! Thank you in advance!
Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a yearly donation! Thank you in advance!
I’m gonna say it right now: “The Patisserie’s are where it’s at!” (100 emoji) I believe this is the 3rd one we’ve visited on the Tour… I haven’t even started with the review, and I’m already thinking about when I can go back!
Cute little spot in a cute little area. Stunning table setting. Welcomed with warmth!
I went with a girlfriend I wanted to get to know and a new friend who’s been with me to Tea before. We were so cute, the 3 of us! One 20’s, one 40’s, and one full of wisdom. We bonded over afternoon tea! They had an EXCELLENT selection of teas, if I do say so myself. It was hard for me to choose one, which is saying a lot! Thankfully, the 3 of us were on the same wavelength so it wasn’t complicated to select our choices.
Paris For Her (floral Parisian green tea blended with rose, raspberry & lychee) – I’ve been to quite a few tea spots that offer a “Paris” tea. It always reminds me of my favorite Harney & Sons Paris tea, and I make the mistake of ordering it only for it to taste so similar. So even tho I saw my beloved ‘lychee’ flavor profile, I tried looking elsewhere on the menu. I saw so many good ones! Thankfully my girls wanted this one too, so I got to have some! So glad I did, cuz this was my favorite of the 3!! Very florally fragrant AND it translated in taste as well! (three clapping emojis) Also, NOT like all the other Parises…
French Garden (a delicate organic tea blend of pear, apple and blackberry leaves) – My OG’s on here know I am all about a pear tea. So glad the ladies were into trying this one too yay! You could smell the pear AND taste the pear! We are 2 for 3 yall.
Tea of Dreams (a delicious oolong tea with flowers and exotic fruits) – So fruity! If you love a fruity tea, this one is for you. So proud + impressed with Miss 20’s cuz there was a point where we mixed up our teapots (there weren’t any labels to distinguish which one was which), but she could tell apart the blends by the color of the pour!? Woah! And she always takes the best pics and was even guiding me on my angles!! LOVE HER. I’m about to hire her as my apprentice! Hehe.
I love how the 3 of us actively got up and moved so we could get our shots of this tier!! Haha! Mrs. Wisdom even moved the sugar packets to another table so they weren’t in the way! (I’m laughing with you Talk Tea To Me Pod!) Everything was neatly arranged so that we each took a column of treats. I hurriedly took my photos and notes cuz these 2 were just so much fun, and I wanted to visit and enjoy!
Quiche – Don’t ask me what kind. They said but I didn’t write it down and it wasn’t written anywhere. My friend suggested I ask, but I was too preoccupied with having the best time that I forgot. I do know that it was good and the pastry was crunchy.
Turkey – So smokey! This one caught me off guard, cuz I wasn’t expecting how good it would be. It was a grilled sandwich, but didn’t scratch your mouth. Bonus points from me.
Crab – That was a dense bread! Not my favorite one. But it tasted so expensive!! Haha.
Egg + Truffle – I wanna cry just looking at this again, cuz I want one right now!! When the tier came, all you could smell was the cloud trail of truffle that followed it. I was afraid my mouth would only be truffle-flavored (you know how it could overpower), so that’s why I saved this one to try at the end of my savories. I learned soon that what I was really doing was saving the best for last!! After my first bite, like- I don’t even know what happened to me!? Could I be so bold as to say this is THEE BEST TEA SANDWICH I have had from the entire Tour!!?! (open mouth shocked emojis) The truffle wasn’t overpowering at all. There was dill or dijon in there or something, that just pulled it all together. But…BUT- that toasted mini lobster roll sandwich bread. UGH. (I can’t emoji) The crunch on it and subsequent melt in your mouth, was just (sigh)…I don’t know, fill-in-blank, cuz I can’t even think of a good enough word to describe it.
Scones – There was a plain aaand (?) another with a kind of fruit…!? (LOL, I know I’m so bad…what kind of Reviewer am I?) I don’t know what my deal is, but I’ve not really been into trying the scones! (cheese smile emoji) I took a bite of each. For YOU GUYS okayyy! Yes, I’m doing my job!! Flakey, not dry.
Panna Cotta with Blood Orange – (happy, I remembered this one!) Of course I was thrilled to try this one. (raises hand) “Hi, I’m Olyve Rose and I am a Panna Cotta-Lover.” A bit more coconutty for me than I like, but still a good one. And that blood orange was a nice touch. Oh but that grape (Well, my friend + I couldn’t decide… She thought it was a cherry, cuz it does look like a cherry. Tho I tasted grape, and thought maybe it was an infused grape… I don’t know!) made it special.
Yellow Sweet (LOL!) – First of all, this photo doesn’t do it justice cuz it was almost like a neon yellow!! Another welcome surprise. The lemon was mild (good cuz I’m not that big of a lemon dessert fan), and it was so light! But, that custard inside. Boyyy!? AMAZING.
Dark Chocolate Sweet – Not too rich. Delicate pastry bottom. Always nice to have some sort of chocolate on the tier!
Cake – We asked them twice what this was called. Couldn’t repeat it, it was in French! I already heard this one was just okay, so by the time I got to it I wasn’t really excited to try it. Wasn’t bad, nice vanilla (I think haha) cake. Moist. (thumbs up)
Macarons – These were Rose Lychee, Lemon, and Passion Fruit. Who can guess which one was my favorite?! Leave your guess in the comments!
Service was very good here. Everyone was so sweet and took care of us well. Even the to-go box that was made for me was beautiful. Like I mentioned on the onset, I already can’t wait to go back. The Huz definitely is interested, so maybe we’ll be back soon! Thank you to the 2 Beauties I had the privilege of hanging out with this afternoon. And our After Party at World Market!! Until our trip to New York! (wink wink)
Yall- I’ve been to FOUR Teas, in the past 3 weeks!! We did our scheduled August Tea on the 19th, fit in our October Tea on the 25th, came here on the 1st, then had a leisure Off-Tour Tea with my brothers on the 2nd. [For anyone checking me on dates… These blog posts are dated on the day I went (so I can remember for future reference). However, it takes me a couple of days after to finish these reviews. So yes, this will be dated on ‘Sept 1’…tho I’m probably gonna publish on the 3rd. Just in case you were confused about me talking about Tea with my brothers on the 2nd… Ay-yay-yay!] There are so many of my friends + fam interested in trying these new places, and I am doing my best to make myself available to take them! Tho it gets pricey, if you can imagine. So I thank my Donators so so so soooo much for helping out!! You make this so much easier on me, and I have so much fun writing for you all! Thank you thank you thank you thank you!!! (The donating form is below for those moved to contribute.)
Took the Boys to Malaya btw. Accompanied with the Huz (I love that he loves to go to Tea with me). Of the 30+ places we’ve been, they handpicked Malaya Tea Room in Alameda. They love trying out new foods, and wanted to come see what Afternoon Tea was about with their sister! I was also able to finally meet the owner there. My Brothers thoroughly enjoyed themselves, trying all the sandwiches and teas!! Before I could finish asking them if they’d ever come back, they both agreed! So cute. Even took a box of scones home. The owner took real good care of us. We even got to try 2 other sandwiches that didn’t come with our tea service. Their Sardine and Marmalade sandwiches quickly became favorites for the Huz! I’m tellin yall- visit Malaya if you haven’t already!!
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Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a one-time donation! Thank you in advance!
Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a monthly donation! Thank you in advance!
Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a yearly donation! Thank you in advance!
“I didn’t even know there are that many places to have Afternoon Tea in the Bay Area!?”
“How do you find all these Spots??”
“Don’t worry about it.”
When I heard there was Afternoon Tea being served in a chocolate shop, you better believe I was intrigued!! Now let me back up and explain (especially for our new followers): Our official Spots are numbered, but our raTEAngs include all official Spots AND unofficial Tea Room visits. So if you’re noticing that our numbers are kinda off, this is why. But to complicate things even more for you (tada!), this Spot we were supposed to visit in October. HOWEVER, while looking up how to make reservations, I accidentally saw something that caught my eye and I couldn’t unsee…and didn’t want to unsee haha!
The word was: Hawaiian.
Really really quick Story Time: My maternal grandmother is Hawaiian. But when I was growing up, I was never allowed to claim my Hawaiian roots as my abusive bio mom never wanted me to have any extra attention. I am in fact Hawaiian, my DNA says so. When I entered trauma recovery at the end of 2018, while doing my inner child work, I finally got to embrace my heritage and immerse myself + my family in it. It was poi + lomi salmon all day err day. I decorated my bedroom walls with pieces from local Hawaiian artists like: Colleen Wilcox, Mayan Llanera, Kat Reeder, Aloha de Mele, and Punky Aloha. And a whole lot more stuff that I’m not gonna get into here.
Needless to say, when I saw that word related to Afternoon Tea, it was all over! I was going. Then I read further, and found out it was only being offered til September 4th!? AAHHHH!! But I have to gooo! My schedule was packed as it is…I already had a Tea Spot scheduled for August AND a leisure Tea with my brothers the weekend before the 4th. (WHINE) I made it happen and I was going to go before they stopped offering the Hawaiian Tea. YAYYY!!!
So back to those questions in the beginning of this post… I’ve heard them both plenty of times. And no, I’m not going to share my secrets! (sticking out tongue emoji) All you need to know is I AM A DETECTIVE. (wink wink) And if you haven’t subscribed yet, keep following cuz you are in for mooorrrrreeee!!
It was cute + quaint. (I don’t know, “quaint” is the first word that came to mind so I’m going with it). There was one gentleman in there and he took us to our table. Fuuun, we got the window seat and were able to check out the City’s sights + people-watch. (apparently, I’m gonna whine this entire blog post) Because it was an impromptu squeeze-in Tour visit, after asking a few chocolate-lovers I knew but couldn’t make it, my husband made mention that he was interested. “I should just go with you to all the rest of them,” he says! Haha. Seems this one had such a good time at Maison, he wanted to accompany me for the rest of the Tour! What a cutie guy. So this would be our 3rd time at Tea, just the two of us! He is my biggest cheerleader.
Funny- I was trying so hard to get pics of our table without people in the background, but ended up using this one anyway! It’s just so real!!
Shortly after we were seated, our server brought out their Coconut Paradise Green Tea. If you remember, I don’t read anything (if I can help it) about Tea Spots before I go. I don’t follow them on socials, I don’t peruse their website. So this was a nice + welcome surprise: that we didn’t have to pick a tea today. One (for now) was selected for us. Oh man it smelled so creamy!! Yall know, I love me a creamy tea. Creamy coconut guys, creamy coconut. Can you just imagine!? I took my first sip, and it was good! Oh. It had sweetener in it. Not my favorite. As a tea maker/creator/gourmet tea boutique drinker, I prefer the highest quality of teas and never doctor up my cuppa’s. But that’s my preference… Still, we enjoyed our tea and the perfect music that was playing and so on-theme!!
The tier came with the owner. I only knew her name, thanks to one of my Foodie friends on IG who had recently visited (Hi Tim!). She said our server would be right back. And after the tier was set down, he started. He had a full-on history lesson on the Hawaiian Paniolo (Cowboy) themed tea!! SO COOL. He really got into it and knew his stuff. Excellent entertainment for tourists that visit Chinatown (which is where this place is located).
After his story, he explained what each item was on the tier. Thankfully we didn’t have to memorize everything this time, as there was a menu with it all listed left on the table. I’m admitting it- I was totally judging everything I was looking at. “I don’t like this.” “I don’t like that.” “I’m not gonna eat this.” I’m not a fan of salads on tea services. I was looking at these sandwiches, and there was nothing cutesy about it. (sigh) I brought down the plate of salad and started taking my pictures…
Parker Ranch Salad (mango, papaya, kale, & edamame in a spicy sesame vinaigrette, cassava chip topper) – (sigh) At least I like papaya… I took my first bite. (chewing on the hard kale) I don’t even like kale that much… Then, I found myself taking more + more bites. Oh man. This is really good! (I was being such a brat huh?!) The dressing wasn’t too spicy, it just brought a nice mild kick. The fruits were the juiciest fruits! I loved the texture from the soy beans. And that cassava chip, just went perfect with everything. The only negative was the size of the plate. I had to actively hold each leaf from falling off every time I forked it. But no biggie.
Vaqueros Vegetarian Chile Verde Chili – I can’t say I’ve ever had chili on a tea service. But since I was so wrong about the salad, I was getting excited now! I’m not even supposed to have beans…but, I tried it anyway. (see the things I do for you guys!) Ugh, again, so so good! We love quinoa in the house, so that was a familiar bite. It was so fun and such a nice surprise addition!
Grilled Cheese with Caramelized Sweet Onions – I was on a roll now, bring it on sister! Again, not supposed to have yellow cheese nor onions. (hahah!) That sandwich was GRILLED TO PERFECTION. Excellent combo. Simple but done right. (oh man, I wish I had one right now)
King’s Hawaiian Bread with BBQ Beef Brisket – Okay so, I grew up with King’s. My gramma would get the round loaf that came in like a pie tin, and we would just grab handfuls when we wanted some! (haha, funny thinking about that now) I don’t know what their chef does with these, but I only now noticed that it said “King’s” on their menu while reading for this part of the post. That joint tasted homemade boyyy! Oh and the meat. They used fattie hearty pieces of meat. Had to get a good bite in there, but still was so good.
Paniolo Pineapple Cornbread, Honey Butter – The last thing to try on this tier was their cornbread. Super moist, not too dense, perfect consistency.
And after having all this gorgeous food, I understood why the coconut green was sweetened. It matched good with the savory profiles. Which by the way, the Huz finished the pot!
Paniolo Palate Cleanser (passion fruit, orange, guava shooter) – I wanna say this is only the 2nd tea service we’ve had with a palate cleanser. The one I can remember was from Linde Lane in Dixon. Maybe the hotels might’ve had one… Anyhow, this was so good! Of course, I could be partial cuz this is my absolute favorite flavor of juice. When I was a kid, I would collect the plastic half cups of them (you know, with the foil pull-back lid) from the plane rides! My favorite Hawaiian Sun? Pass-O-Guava, what else?! This was like a slushie version of that, plus just a little more tartness. Oh, personal annoyance (to whoever’s listening): please oh please don’t call it POG!!
Before the next tier (we get 2 tiers!? Yayyy), they brought out their 2nd pairing of tea: a Lychee Guava White. Um, YUM. I was already excited just hearing the name! I love me a lychee tea!! It was very fragrant, didn’t seem like this one was sweetened, and full of flavor. I was a big fan.
With the delivery of the Sweets Tier (I gasped btw, so pretty), came the conclusion of the history experience. He did such a good job! (clapping emoji)
Liliko’i Marshmallow S’more – I didn’t read the menu before I put this in my mouth. Looks like a s’more, must be a s’more right? Just so we’re all clear: I am a LILIKOI FREAK. I love Lilikoi anything! All-time favorite dessert: La Costanera‘s lilikoi panna cotta. Favorite sweet: Cookie Corner’s lilikoi fruit bar. Favorite art piece by Punky Aloha (that I have an 18×24 of in my living room): Lilikoi. I think you guys get it. So when I tasted it and then subsequently confirmed it on the menu- I clapped my hands and did a happy dance! You guys (the I can’t even emoji), it was so good I wanna cryyyyy!! And the first time chocolate was in the tea service!? Amazing, perfectly roasted marshmallow, excellent chocolate, crunchy not soggy cracker.
Caramelized Tropical Fruit Skewer (pineapple, strawberry, sweet potato) – This was so much fun!! I loved crunching the bruleed sugar! That sweet potato was a nice addition.
Macadamia Brown Butter Blondie – This was nice + light. Strawberries on the side were refreshing.
Okay yall- I was pleasantly surprised at this Tea. It wasn’t even all chocolate-infused! My sincere apologies to the owner + chef that I ever doubted what was being served. Yall know what you’re doing over there. From the music to the tea pairings to the…banana leaf that the skewer was served on!! From my understanding, themes change often. So I am looking forward to coming back fo sho! Readers/Followers, please go and visit them!! You will not be sorry, I promise. A Hawaiian-themed tea service, are you kidding me!!?! I am sooo HAPPY I finagled fitting it on the Tour!! If anyone is out there doing an Italian-themed Tea, hit me up! (haha, my paternal grandfather was Italian)
I ate my leftovers at home and was so sad I had no lilikoi marshmallow to wash it all down, wahh…
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Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a one-time donation! Thank you in advance!
Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a monthly donation! Thank you in advance!
Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a yearly donation! Thank you in advance!
The actual process started at the end of July and I had not told a single soul! Well, of course the Huz and the kids knew. But not Mommie, not my sister, not my brothers! Not even my business accountability partner!
I had been following Talk Tea To Me Podcast since we got back on instagram just earlier this year. (follow them here) I’ve always thought podcasts were so cool and I’ve always been interested in them. But how neat that there was one about tea!! I’m sure there’s others, but their name is awesome so it caught my attention. There are so many podcasts out there. I’ve known people who have had em, some who have talked about starting one, I’ve followed + listened to quite a few. But being on one was always so intriguing to me!
After I agreed to the interview- immediate panic. HAHAHA! I know it was something I’ve always wanted to do, BUT I’m doing this now!! Like forreal forreal. I’m a Writer, not a Talker!! Do you know how long it takes me to articulate something or tell a story just to my family!!?! Now I’m gonna have to think on the spot and speak for myself to other people!? Oh I was worried. Haha. Nothing exciting in my life comes without anxiety too! (melting emoji) The interview was set for August 4th.
Thankfully, they gave me an idea of some questions they were gonna ask. I practiced with my family. My husband asked the question and my kids were the audience. He took down notes for me as I talked, so I could refer back to what I just said. If I replied in a really interesting way, I’d tell him to make sure to make a note of how exactly I said it! Hehe. That week was the worst! I couldn’t shake my anxiousness!! In everything I did, I had in the back of my mind that I would soon be face-to-face (well, video-to-video) with people I had to explain stuff to! “Have you ever had a dream, that, that you, um…” I couldn’t even get excited for the Alicia Keys concert I was going to with my brothers!! I mean, Alicia Keys!? Come on! The nerves subsided while there, but directly after it came right back.
Finally- the morning had come. I did everything I could to be prepared. Put on my infamous uniform: a tank top. Threw my hair in the Hawaiian tita bun that it’s always in, secured with only an XXL Scrunchie of course. Added some hoop earrings, and I was dressed. I got out my trusty post-it notes, jotted bullet points of the answers to their pre-written questions and stuck those right on top of where my iPad was going to be (so I didn’t have to look far for my cheat sheets). They said I should have some tea ready, so I went downstairs to make that. Chose my favorite teacup + saucer (it has other teacups + saucers on it, cute right). Decided on a lilikoi lychee green, and took it to my set up. (Sigh)
[DEEP BREATH] Here we go…
I had the time of my life!! Angela + Lisa were a blast! They made me feel comfy and we had a good vibe going. I said “for sure” about 81 times and just laughed the entire duration!
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!
I don’t have a picture of the building or sign of the hotel/restaurant, cuz (1) I don’t bring my camera out when I probably shouldn’t and (2) it was a whole voyage to get there! Haha.
Learning from our Maison visit, I remembered to check the surrounding area of the Tea Spot beforehand. It suggests you park at this parking garage 4 blocks away. Yeah, we’re not doing that. Thankfully, we found one 2 blocks away (go to the one on Golden Gate yall) tho we did still have to walk through the pee-pee infested air and a handful of homeless sleeping on sidewalk and druggies getting their high right in front of us. (Again, my apologies Ladies!!) I had the most adorable group with me this time. A pair of Besties and my husband’s honorary Big Sister (which makes her my “Big SIL”), so much fun with them let me tell you!
We finally get seated at this cute little setup, catch our breaths (no more urine pollution), and take in our surroundings. Ugh, mad eclectic in there! So much random art and diverse interior design. There wasn’t really a rhyme to its reason, and I appreciated it cuz it all still worked somehow!? Just look…
It was the Besties’ first Afternoon Tea, so we celebrated that! We all talked about what teas to choose for our service. Only 9 teas to choose from, and in my experience, not usual ones you see on a tea menu. Sometimes that’s exciting…so you get to try new stuff right. But other times, especially when the blends are more out there, you kinda feel like slim pickin’s. This time, I felt like I wish I had more choices… The table ordered their Copper Leaf Black (honey-malt-longan fruit), Emperor’s Flower Oolong (noyaux-jasmine-pine nut), and Chai Assam Black (rich-spicy-sweet). I was a Bad Tea Reviewer cuz I only had mine. (cheesy emoji) ALTHOUGH, I was listening to the comments of my girls and they did like theirs! I heard the chai was a hit. Mine, (the Copper Leaf) eh. It smelled more promising than it was. Comforting, earthy, brown ricey scent. But it fell flat for me, nothing to it. Could you believe I only had the one pour?! The rest of the time, I was drinking my water.
I did like that they give you the option to change out for another blend, tho. I like when Tea Spots allow you to do that.
Not soon after, here came someone with a PLATE of food. “Huh? Oh! Do we get Welcome Appetizers?! My favorite!” is what I was thinking. Let me back up and mention that we walked into the tea area, seeing this gorgeous group of girls in their fascinators and like THREE TOWERS on their table!! Where were our towers?? (sad cringey emoji) Then he set down this plate, and oh. It was our sandwiches. Raise your hand if you know how I feel about tea party food all on one plate? For those that don’t, click here. And here. Remember in F.R.I.E.N.D.S. (I always have to put the dots!) when Joey screams, “Joey doesn’t share food!!”? Here’s me: “I don’t like all my tea party food on just one plate!!”
So here’s your boring picture of all the tea sandwiches on one plate.
Again, they don’t have the items listed on the menu. Again, I couldn’t remember everything they said when they told us all of it. (hahah) And again, I’m not gonna have the official names listed on here. To be fair, we did ask him maybe 2-3 times what the sandwiches were… He was just so sweet + so soft spoken, we could barely hear! So I’m gonna do my best yall. But at least you’ll have picture reference. (Oh yeah, and where I was sitting the lighting wasn’t great…so these shots aren’t well, great. I did my best. Yall know I’m not a photographer!)
Cucumber Mascarpone – The lighter cheese is so different! You expect a creamier, more viscous situation right. The mascarpone wasn’t it for me. And their ratio was off. Too much cream. Doesn’t make for a cute sandwich either. [Check out the size comparison to the utensils beside my saucer. These sandwiches were the size of cutting a standard slice of bread in 4…like for four square!]
Goat Cheese, Arugula + Jam – Before I got to mine, I was already hearing that this was a table favorite. And my girls weren’t wrong! It only took one bite for me to know that I should set this one on the side, so I can save the best for last! (You were singing the song in your head huh? Yeah you were! I heard it!) This combo was bomb-dot-com. I don’t know if people are saying that still…but I’m sure you guys get tired of reading “SLAMMIN” from me. Gotta change it up on yall once in a while!
Spicy Egg Salad – They said this one was spicy, but none of us thought it was. Least favorite of the one-half of Besties that was sitting next to me. It was turmericy or curryish. I didn’t mind it tho! But the bread. I don’t know if these were toasted or left out for a while…but- not only was the bread nutty (so you had to fight to chew those), but it was also scratchy! For me, anyway. The other half of Besties that was sitting in front of me, says hers were all soft. So I’m glad she got good ones.
Smoked Salmon Crepe – I can remember the texture of this one just looking at it again, and it’s not a good feeling. (dry-heave) Our best guess was that these are crepe layers in between the salmon. And possibly a very thin layer of spreadable cheese. Light sprinkles of some sort of herb on the side, that didn’t make any kind of difference to the flavor. But this thing was SO SOGGY you guys!! Think: cold crepe and the thinnest salmon slices that were dipped in water! Yuckth. I don’t know how they managed to dilute the flavor of “smoked” salmon, but they did it alright. At one point I said, “Ugh, I don’t think I could finish this…” And my girl cut in and urged “Don’t do it!!” Hahah! She was looking out for me, thank you boo!
Yayyy we got towers!! That’s more like it. (humble emoji) I learned my lesson and started writing down as he was talking about what each of these were! I got most of it…hahaha.
Macaron – No, I didn’t get what flavor this one was. I’ve failed you already with the desserts! Something chocolatey with a hint of peanut butter maybe. Whatever it was, there was a surprising punch of flavor in the middle! So unexpected, but so welcomed!
Chocolate Cake – Soo soft cake. Nice bitter aftertaste. We think those were espresso beans on the top, crunchy + coffee-esque!
Rainbow Cake – This one had a nice almond extract flavor, but didn’t taste artificial (which I expected with all that food coloring). Really moist sponge, too.
Strawberry Basil Cake – Ooh, this dessert completely caught me off guard. I sliced it with their butter knife and put that slice in my mouth while someone was mid-sentence and- WOW. Delicious combination of strawberry jelly topping, strawberry mousse, and basil cake. I loved this!
Olive Oil Mascarpone Cake – I saved this bite for last, cuz I love olive oil stuff!! Not just cuz of my name…but I genuinely do! Salt & Straw makes this amazing olive oil ice cream!! The creamiest most flavorful thing ever. (my whole mouth just filled up with saliva typing about it) Boy was I sorry. It was dry. Not really a flavor to it. Bleh.
Plain Scone – I was asked recently if I like a plain scone or scones with stuff in it… I don’t mind a currant or berry once in a while. But I think my preference would be plain, so I can taste all of the presented fixings brought out with the service. I was hearing from the girls how sweet this scone was. And Ladies + Gentlemen: this was the first time I did not use anything for my scone!! A good sturdy scone (more like a biscuit) that was sweet enough, but not too sweet.
The service was good. We got these two really sweet + reserved servers. Even the host that sat us was quite mild. We were offered hot water often and checked on a reasonable amount. At the end when my girlfriend asked if she could bring home her fixings, they brought out huge containers of each in a bag for her.
One of my girls commented that she felt people were noticing us having a good time, cuz…well…we LAUGHED the entire time!! These girls are a hoot! We shared hearty laughter (the bent over, faces turning red kind) til our stomachs hurt. Cannot wait to Tea it up with them again.
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Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a one-time donation! Thank you in advance!
Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a monthly donation! Thank you in advance!
Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a yearly donation! Thank you in advance!
When I was a little girl, there was a lot of talk about Somalia. All I knew at that tender age was children were starving. I became so concerned and disheartened, I was moved to write a poem about these sad kids with no food. I was maybe about 7 or 8, you guys. During this time, my bio mom was working for a dentist who was also quite the philanthropist. He had lots of connections and was really active. He caught wind of my compassion and poetry, and asked if he could show it to a friend of his. Later on, I was surprised with an issue (similar to the National Geographic) that had my poem published in it!! He + his friend thought it was worthy of being shared!
In the 5th grade, I had an essay due. We were given a week to write it. I don’t remember what I preoccupied myself with that week, but I never got to it. I suddenly remembered my assignment the night before we had to turn it in. Now I’m not advocating for procrastinating, boys and girls! But I finally got to starting on it… I wrote with all I had in me. I mean, like- I was finishing writing the last words IN THE CAR, ON THE WAY TO school. (big cheese smile emoji) During SSR (sustained silent reading) when my teacher was correcting all the papers, he called me up to his desk. Here we go. I know I was for sure in trouble. . . . He started commending me on how good my essay was!!?! He then proceeds to walk my paper in one hand and stapler in the other, not to the bulletin board inside the class but to the one OUTSIDE the class so that the whole school can read it!! There my rushed (shh, don’t tell) essay was posted right outside our classroom door, all by itself, for all to see! I was getting compliments from other students + other teachers for the following weeks.
As a preteen, the hip hop duo Kris Kross was introduced to the music scene. And I. Became. Their Biggest Fan. Of all. Time. Yes, I had all the posters on my wall. Wore out their cassette tapes (yes, cassette). Did I wear my clothes BACKWARDS like they did? I’ll leave that one to your imagination! (laughing crying emoji) I was an especially big fan of Chris Kelly’s. I had posters of just him, too. Was he my teenage love affair?! Why yes, yes he was! #awkwardsmile I also happened to be a subscriber of the Big Bopper Magazine!! Remember BOP? Well, this was like their little cousin. In one of their 19(covers mouth)– issues, out of dozens of submissions, they chose MY poem to include!! There was my cute little poem about how much I loved Kris Kross’ music and how fine I thought the “Mac Daddy” (LOL) of the group was, with my name and my city + state underneath it. I kept that magazine for a long time!
Now in high school, my writing had matured. I was writing poetry that was a page long, with metaphors and comparisons. I took a creative writing class and was approached by the instructor, requesting that some of my pieces be included in the school’s spring copy of their Literary Magazine. That felt really good.
In my first year of college, English was a prerequisite to most majors. The assignment was to take your reader on a journey. I chose to write about the one week I lived with my boyfriend at the time. My bio mom and I never had a good relationship. We had got into it and I was just done in. I packed some clothes and toiletries in my backpack before I left for work…my parents not knowing I wouldn’t be back that night, and more nights after. (I may have left them a note, I forgot.) After my shift, my boyfriend picked me up. I thought it was gonna be so fun playing ‘House’ with this guy. Here I had this conception that I was doing this Big Girl thing and having some freedom. What I didn’t realize was: I left my mom’s house + ways, only to move into his house + ways. We had to watch ESPN every night and he was always right behind me, breathing down my neck, asking what “WE” were going to do next! Watch out dood! I wrote about this unexpected journey to gain independence and titled it “Welcome Home”. My instructor loved it and that paper got high remarks!
As a newlywed, I was given the opportunity to apply for my dream job (at the time). I was going to be working with special needs students. I loved that I was going to be in a classroom setting, but even more excited to be immersed with such brilliant and creative thinkers! Taking a high school equivalency exam was part of the application process. As with most standard tests, there was an essay portion at the end. I did the most basic formula: introduction paragraph with 3 details, three body paragraphs with each detail, and ended with a solid conclusion paragraph. Turned in my test and awaited the results. On the day I was going to learn my fate, I saw something really SHOCKING on my paper. How did this happen?? Who does this?! Who gets a 100 on the essay part!!?! I DID. Usually there’s a missing comma or a grammar issue, right? Not here, not I. Not one missing comma, not one grammar mistake. I couldn’t believe my eyes, and I couldn’t believe my skill. That was such a highlight moment for me. I still have that paper til this day!
If I had a nickel for every time someone told me to write a book… There were so many equally as unique, awful, and beautiful things that have happened in my young life thus far, that those who have come to know me eventually say the words “You should write a book.” I had attempted many times, but something would happen and I would get discouraged. Or I didn’t know what direction to go… Or my target audience would change… Do I write about the jealous girl who turned off my mic when I was asked to sing the National Anthem for my high school graduation? Do I write about all the rare diagnoses I was given? (I would have titled that one “All the Letters After My Name”, nice ring to it huh!?) I couldn’t decide. I let life happen and forgot about the book. But it was always lingering in the back of my mind. At the end of 2018, I entered trauma recovery. I worked furiously on my healing. [P.S. Check out the book that helped me tremendously, I wish I could buy one for everyone I know!! “Transforming the Living Legacy of Trauma” by Janina Fisher] I started journaling again and I went back to my writing. I made the goal of publishing by my 40th birthday. I understood the story I had to tell in my Memoir. My voice was choked for so long, I felt I needed to scream my stories from the mountaintops!! I wrote about the repercussions of my rapes + sexual assaults, the 37-years of narcissistic abuse from my biological mother, and what I used to cope and save my life. It was a half Memoir, and the other half was going to be released later. I had a legal and editing team, and we all worked so hard to meet my deadline. As I turned 40, my manuscript was published under a pen name. It sold many copies and I let my closest friends read it. It’s an indescribable feeling to have someone know your darkest hours and have them tell you how much it inspired them or changed their life. I hold those messages and emails so close to my heart. I only left the book on shelves for 3 months. And I never went back to write the second half. Writing that book took so much out of me. I was missing from my family and my life while I was in those words. And I thought I NEEDED to tell those stories. In my healing, I learned how to get my own closure. What I thought mattered, no longer mattered to me anymore. It was thrilling to get the notifications for books sold, but I’m glad my stories are safe with only me now.
So now you know my whole life story! (sweat bead emoji) Just kidding, at least the writing part of it! Okay, the “gist” of the writing part of it!! This doesn’t include the many a resume I was requested to write or eulogy I was asked to write + read. And now you know too, that I am/was somewhat of a Grammar Police! Haha. #nerdalert So even tho I write how I talk on here, you at least know I do know the rules!
These About The Author posts between Tea Spot visits have been interesting to write. It’s a good challenge for me! I do not like to talk about myself, or have any attention on me at all!! But as I mentioned when I started this series (if that’s what you wanna call it), you all are so good to me you do deserve more! (wink wink) As always, thank you for reading, following, subscribing, donating, following on social media…all the things! Yall are the absolute best. Lots of Tea Spots coming up, so stay tuned!!
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!
I didn’t forget! I know yall were waiting!! (wink wink) I was gonna just do one at the end of this Leg of the Tour, but I got you. ‘Every 6 Spots’ right?! And for those confused by the number of official Spots and the raTEAng overall- I still add the Afternoon Tea services that weren’t necessarily planned or scheduled on the Tour. Here you go!
From Don’t waste your money to Don’t have FOMO…
36. iChina Restaurant, Santa Clara – Unsanitary tea spouts…need I say more?
9. Tal’s Patisserie, Danville – Best rustic tea meal for a bread-lover, with best store-bought tea.
8. Pardee Home, Oakland – A tour in a tour that will feed you until satisfaction and the definition of ‘cuteness overload’.
7. Dartealing Lounge, San Francisco – Best sandwiches and cutest ambiance.
6. 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).
5. Four Seasons, Palo Alto – Really good everything and you’ll want to come back already by the end of your meal.
4. Malaya Tea Room, Alameda – New go-to spot with exemplary finger sandwiches.
3. The English Rose Tea Room, Pleasanton – A hundred delectable teas and textbook shabby chic decor.
2. Tyme for Tea & Co., Fremont – The perfect tea house, with perfect food, and perfect service.
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.
Sooo, where did your favorite spot or the spot you’ve been wanting to try place?! Let us know your thoughts in the comments! We love hearing from our Readers!! And once again- a HUGE THANK YOU to all who have and all who will donate!!! (three gratitude emojis) You mean more than I can humanly express. Until our next raTEAng…
One-Time
Monthly
Yearly
Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a one-time donation! Thank you in advance!
Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a monthly donation! Thank you in advance!
Thank you so much for reading about our Tea House Tour! If you are moved to contribute to our visiting more Tea Spots for you, here’s where you can make a yearly donation! Thank you in advance!
parTEA with me 