Teatime is a Family Affair

Tea room legacy lives on... in the name of an adorable little 20-month-old called McKenna
by Joie de Vivre


The kettle has been on the boil at 810 Electric Avenue in Seal Beach, CA for nearly 20 years.  First came Verna's Off Main, the elegant tea room and antique shop.  When Verna was forced to close down in order to act as executor to a family member's estate, her manager Barbara took over and renamed the quaint spot The Green Door.  When it looked like Barbara too would have to close, with plans to move out of the area, a loyal patron 'saved' the place and opened The Best of Times Tea Cottage.  During this period the tea spot expanded in every way imaginable, adding increased shop space, curating the History of Tea Museum, and hosting Front & Centre's intimate theatrical plays.  Thereafter, a string of owners plied their trade in old town Seal Beach, most recently Loretta, proprietress of Fairy Tea Cottage.


In an era when charming tea establishments have all but gone the way of the dodo, Kristen Alexander has done the unthinkable -- no, she has not closed down yet another tea room -- she has actually opened one!  And bless her for it.  Thanks to her, along with her supportive and involved family, tea is still being served seaside.  The new digs are named McKenna's Tea Cottage -- the namesake being her own baby daughter.  Mom Donna handles the gift shop and attendant details, talented sister Megan handles social media (when not fulfilling the duties of her day job as staff photographer for the city of Huntington Beach), handsome hubby Israel covers "whatever is needed" -- everything from serving to gardening to acting as handyman, and Dad manages the finances.... when not watching granddaughter McKenna, that is.


When I asked Kristen what on earth made her want a tea room, she ingenuously answered, "I am so excited about the people I am going to meet!"... "I've always wanted to have a tea room and gift shop.  It's been a dream of mine.... The whole thing was a fluke.  I looked online and there it was! That was on a Friday at midnight. The next morning [Saturday] I came to look at it and the following morning [Sunday] I made an offer!" And thus the Fairy Tea Cottage enjoyed its own happy ending.  


During my visit, within just 2 days of their taking over, Kristen and crew already had a shiny new menu at the ready; new merchandise lined their entryway bakers' rack, and their gift shop window brimmed with cozy decorations of the season.  My made-to-order sandwich was hearty as well as tasty.  Marguerita, the glue who has held the tea kitchen together through three owners, was prepared with my tea before I even ordered it, and the warm fluffy buttermilk scone and freshly prepared cream made for a thoroughly delightful tea experience.  Add to that the warm, friendly service and relaxed atmosphere and you can be sure I will be going back time and again.


 
McKenna's grand opening is slated for some time early to mid December, which means I will have an excuse to write about them again!  As Kristen herself said, "The fun is here!" So come enjoy tea by the sea, as part of the family.


McKenna's is open Wed - Sat 11am-3pm.  You may reach them via their Website or Facebook page or the old-fashioned and gentile way, by ringing them at 562-431-0200.

Rustic Rules

My friend and I took a long-awaited jaunt out to Redlands recently to have the Rustic Tea at The Eating Room.  The name alone intrigued me, as one generally equates afternoon tea with all that is posh and refined.

From the moment we sat down at a black wooden table topped with an orange plate and apple green tea mug, I knew we were in for something different. Our adorable server, whose name I thought I'd never forget... but somehow have.... was delightful in every way.  We ran into a good deal of freeway traffic that caused us to be late for our reservation, but were welcomed as warmly as long lost friends.

While waiting for our tea we snuck off to the main dining room's adjoining bakery, where we got into all sorts of pre-dining trouble.  Fortunately, the counter girl was kind enough to steer us away from bakery goods that would be part of our imminent tea meal, and since our tea arrived while we were still ogling the bakery cases, the counter girl kindly offered to compile our sweets order, have it wrapped up and brought to our table and added to our tab.  The service here was outstanding!

When our tea treats came I was all a-twitter.  The sandwiches were nothing short of phenomenal in the flavor department.  They were made with an eye to artistry and variety, and the bread... the BREAD!!!!! Hearty artisan bread made onsite -- the kind that you could just sit down and eat a whole loaf of along with a crock of fresh creamery butter.  Each sandwich was better than the next -- the olive tapenade outshined the tasty cucumber, the egg salad topped the olive, the curried chicken trumped them all, etc... and this delectable cycle continued until I made my way through all five of these savories.

From there we industriously dove into the sweets.  The scones were topnotch and the baked goods just as pleasing as we anticipated when drooling on the glass of the bakery case.  But the final blow, the piece de rustic resistance, had to be the mini strawberry parfait, something along the lines of a petit trifle, drizzled in white chocolate.  It was totally unexpected and totally irresistible.

The closest thing I would have to a 'critique' of this unbeatable tea experience involves the price.  Frankly, it's too darn cheap!  My tea table mate and I threw a tizzy over how unreasonably reasonable the total bill was.... and that included the mound of sweets we'd procured from the bakery!  Suffice it to say our darling nameless server was the recipient of the additional cash we'd intended to spend. Upon leaving we informed her that we would be back soon and that we hoped that our bill would be higher next time!

The Rustic Tea at Martha Green's Eating Room is not to be missed.  It is served by advance reservation Thursday - Saturday and runs $20 for the whole scrumptious kit and caboodle. The restaurant is located at 107 E. Citrus Avenue in the charming center of Redlands, CA  909-792-5400. I am thrilled to be able to recommend it so highly.

cheers,
Joy

[tea room #406]

To the tea manor born

SpecialTea Review of Mill Creek Manor

Prepare to have your tea socks knocked off. This place is literally too good to be true. Nestled (and in this case, 'nestled' is le mot juste) in the heart of Big Bear Village this charming house is poised to show visitors the tea time of their lives.

The home was built in 1919 and if my tea-infused memory is correct, it has served the community as a hotel, boarding house, brothel, meat-processing business, a 'rowdy' restaurant, and at last a perfect place for tea. It even boasts its own ghost, Rosie, owner of the previous boarding house who perished as a result of being trapped in a walk-in refrigerator or freezer or something equally chilling.

Everything about our visit to this warm and inviting haven was delightful, even the drive! The directions were clear and easy to follow and we had picture perfect autumn weather.

Once we entered the yellow house we encountered a country French wonderland with every sort of "ooh, I have to have that" bit of merchandise imaginable. Given that we were on a strict schedule, we quickly made our way over to a beautiful hutch that serves as home to about 45 loose leave teas that guests can sniff and savor at will. We finally lighted upon a peach spice and a pumpkin cream, both of which hit the spot. Our table was beautifully set with lace, fine china, linen napkins, silver utensils and all the accoutrement one might need to really dive into the tea experience. We ordered a High Tea which meant successive courses of one treat after another, a piquant tomato cream soup led to a harvest salad and then the imposing tiered tea tray came out, to the applause of those at the table next to us.

Every morsel was better than the next with homemade breads, flavorful fillings and a variety of just right sweets. The food was truly exceptional, thanks to chef/owner Pat Garza who has a flair for creating an atmosphere and meal to please all the senses. Though we ordered tea fare, we polled those around us who had come for lunch. The sandwiches, meatloaf and salads ordered by others met with rave reviews as well.

Additionally, our server, Julie, was as gracious and delightful as can be and we even had a chance to chat with the owner's endearing husband, Art, a retired military man who gave 37 years of service to the Army.

In short, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of the magic conjured at Mill Creek Manor. In fact, I am seriously considering making the trek up the mountain on Thanksgiving to join them for their traditional holiday feast. Going to Mill Creek Manor reminded me of why I love going to tea so much... and why I plan to go back there again and again.... looks like I better reconsider that snowboarding pass because Big Bear here I come!