My friend and I tried The Tuscan Tea Room this morning. We arrived at 10am. They open at 8am, but serve tea ONLY until 10:30am, when they start serving food. There are pretty little tables with white linens and delicate tea cups, as well as a walk up/sit down "bar" where you can order tea to go, or sit for a short while smelling various tea offerings. There are only 4 or 5 seats though, so we waited for a table (the bar seats were full).
The flower shop is at the back of the space, just on the other side of the tea bar.
Our sever was very sweet, but obviously nervous and not 100% up on the menu, or pricing, or the nuances of each tea that was offered on the menu. But I give her an A+ for being professional and accommodating nonetheless.
The teas themselves were printed on a separate sheet, but there was no description of what their components were (e.g. type of tea, flavor composition, origin, etc.). When I asked for a description of one particular tea, the server didn't know anything about the tea, but offered to bring me a "snifter" so I could smell it. A nice add-value, but I wanted to know a LOT more.
Tea is much like wine; where it's grown, how it's blended, what part of the leaf it's made from, etc. all determine the flavor and quality, not to mention how and at what temperature it should be brewed and how long it should steep for.
That said, I'm sure they'll work out the kinks of product knowledge soon enough. Or at least I hope they will!
Speaking of water temperature and steeping... my friends tea was served in a lovely tea pot, mine came in a metal French Press. The server told us they'd run out of tea pots. Since we were the first table seated, I found that a little odd.
Another pet peeve of mine with regard to tea service, and that is that (IMO) it should never be served in a metal container, nor should the leaves be steeped in a metal ball. It can, and will, change the flavor of the tea. But I know a lot of people don't mind this method, so I'm certainly not going to dock their tea on this. It was QUITE delicious and aromatic despite the vessel it came in.
Another weird little side note. The cream we asked for (I like my tea "white", i.e. with cream, no sugar) was served in a demitasse china cup. Beautiful presentation, but impossible to pour from neatly. Again, not a reason to avoid going there, but a strange serving choice.
Ok, so onward to the food. The food was simply delicious. We each had a scone with clotted cream and jam, so perfect with tea. We also shared a plate of 4 tea sandwiches, equally yummy and light. We each had our own pot of tea (I had an Earl Grey blend, my friend had their house "signature" blend). Total bill for our food and tea was $24 even. Not too bad.
The tea smelled wonderful from the pot, and tasted divine. If they were already listed on Yelp, I'd write a review. Maybe I'll do so on my blog in the meantime.
Anyway, I think they're off to a great start. The menu is quite varied, definitely an Italian influenced menu (this is NOT a British Tea House).
First days and weeks in ANY restaurant venture will experience major kinks, so all things considered, it is a nice beginning. Goodness knows, a tea house in West Seattle was an unfilled niche.
Wishing the Tuscan Tea Room all the best. I will definitely be back again soon.
Cheryl ~
@jasperblu
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