TEALICIOUS-- DELRAY BEACH

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Tealicious is located in an abandoned shopping plaza in West Delray. Alright, it’s not actually abandoned, but it does look as if it is when you’re driving through. The tea room is tucked into a corner. One perk of this is that there’s plenty of parking. After you walk through the entrance, though, you’re greeted with a bright, airy atmosphere full of the usual charming decorations. The tables are set with dainty china teacups and saucers. Chandeliers hang from the ceiling, and paintings and knick knacks adorn the walls.

Only one other table in the restaurant had customers when we arrived, so the place was quiet, and we received a lot of attention. The first things we noticed was that the turquoise napkins matched the little ribbon tied to the corner of the menus, and that fresh cut flowers were on every table. We ordered their special “High Tea” the “Abigale Rose.” At $30 per person, it was a bit pricier than other places we’d visited. We looked around while we waited for our tea to steep. The décor was pleasant but not extraordinary. There were no hats or scarves for playing with, as we’d occasionally found in other locales. A large mural decorated one wall, and while it did evoke a relaxing, tropical picture, it didn’t quite fit with our image of an “English Country Tea.”

The first course was soup. Veggie was the only soup option available, and we commented to ourselves that we aren’t huge soup fans and veggie wouldn’t be our first choice. Yet, when we tasted the soup, we were impressed because each bite seemed better than the last. It was full of fresh veggies that had a nice crisp feel, and Michelle noted that it had a good, full flavor without being overly spicy. It definitely seemed homemade.

 

When our tiered tray arrived, it was full of a wide variety of delicacies. Some of the offerings were unusual. There was a stuffed mushroom, a zucchini frittata, spanakopita, and a couple of mini quiches along with the more typical finger sandwiches. When we began tasting them, we could see where the shop got its name. I needed a thesaurus to find another word for “delicious.” The stuffed mushroom was delicious! The frittata was delicious! The Quiche was delicious! We had to pace ourselves to keep from getting overly stuffed. The scone had a cinnamon, spicy flavor, which was, of course, delicious!

The dessert selection was a little more sparse than some we’ve seen. It had primarily two selections: a pumpkin bar and a round chocolate ball. Both were wonderful. The scones and a brie and pear sandwich rounded out the dessert tray.

We lingered over our remaining tea and conversation, but began to feel that they may be getting ready to close. We inquired and were told, yes, they closed at 3pm. So we began wrapping up, though I did notice that it was only 2:30pm. They graciously took our picture and let us wander around some more before we left. 

In the future, we may have to start giving separate teacups for food and for atmosphere as well as for overall experience, because this place would get full “stars” for the food. Yet, the ambiance, location, and price made the complete experience not quite on par with some of the other tea houses. Still, it was a lovely afternoon and a wonderful ladies luncheon!

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Serenity Tea Garden

Serenity Tea Garden is housed in a renovated antique home in Southern West Palm Beach. The first thing that I found appealing was that it has its own (free) parking lot which made the usual shark hunt for a space unnecessary. We were able to park leisurely and stroll in unstressed.

Before being shown to our table, we asked if we could wander around. In one corner, we discovered a red British phone booth that housed a tea and crystal set. A back room that would be perfect for a party, held a tree-like decoration that formed a shady umbrella over the table. Walking through the rooms, you could envision a family living in this home during another time. The wooden floors gave an occasional creak, and while taking a picture, we noticed that the floor of one of the rooms bowed down slightly. Instead of detracting from the experience, these characteristics added charm and a feeling of authenticity to the atmosphere.

The staff was friendly and accommodating. We perused the tea selection while we settled in. Michelle got a pot of fragrant black vanilla tea, while I opted for a sweet peach iced tea. Both were delicious. While we chatted, we pointed out the many adorable details to one another. Hats decorated the chairs, teacups dangled in a row over one of the doors, and art work for sale hung on the walls. The curtains were swept back and hooked over crystal doorknobs.  In the bathroom, there was a porcelain sink with a two handled faucet, and the tub was artfully arranged with books, an antique iron, and other trappings. An old fashioned mail box was open to reveal different types of hand soap.

Our high tea started with a choice of soup served in dainty bowls. Next came the lovely tiered tray full of goodies. Two scones with a side of strawberry preserves, clotted cream, and lemon curd were on the first tray. We were instructed on the “perfect bite” technique, where every bite has a bit of each of the three flavors. I heartily approved of this strategy and had to ask for a second helping of the toppings, which were cordially provided. The scones were cool and a bit dry, so the accoutrements helped, but we would have been even more pleased if the scones came out fresh and warm.

The second tier contained the usual selection of finger sandwiches. We found tuna, egg, chicken salad, tomato and herb, and a cucumber sandwich, all of which were enjoyable. The final tray contained a generous selection of dessert delicacies. These ranged from a scrumptious bite of chocolate cheesecake to a more ordinary tasting red velvet cupcake. We also enjoyed a yummy custard filled pastry puff and a small éclair.

On our way out, we lingered in the lobby and asked the staff to snap a few more pictures of us, which they happily accommodated. As we said goodbye to the charming little tea shop and exited, we marveled at one last detail: little teapots carved into the entrance gate and stenciled around the woodwork of the windows.

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Tea review--Hidden Tea Secrets..

Hidden Tea Secrets in Parkland is tucked away, so finding it does feel like uncovering a little treasure. The interior feels like a grown-up play room. You are a guest at a tea party. The tables are beautifully decorated and there are all the dress up accouterments one could want: hats on the seats and pearls and stoles are draped across the chairs. Even the restroom was adorable, with accent tiles that were mosaics made from broken tea cups. There were many teas to choose from, and we enjoyed both of our selections. We oohed and ahhed over the little touches, such as, a tiny carafe of sugar cubes and a tiny tea spoon in each of our places. High tea began with a quiche and salad, both of which were delicious. We were glad we’d ordered the “full tea” when we saw the portion sizes that came later. The tea sandwiches and desserts were small, but came artfully decorated on a lovely tiered tray. The food at this stage was ordinary. The scones were heart shaped biscuits and the desserts mostly routine. Still, the overall atmosphere made it worth it. Even the gift shop was fun as we exited. And one of the lunching ladies left as the proud owner of a new French hat (shhh!).

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