Pix

 Pix Patisserie

Pix Patisserie is a kitschy-cute kind of place

with a Parisian cafe vibe.

On our recent trip to Portland, after an afternoon of shopping,

we stopped into Pix for a tea break

and what I like to call "macaron research"!

 Macarons

Pix is known for macarons. 

On our visit, my husband and I tried three flavors of macarons:

Bourbon, Fleur de Sel and Coconut Rum. 

Hands down, their Fleur de Sel was the best we've ever had!

As for macaron research...

Pix is always a fun stop for unusual macaron flavors. 

Pastry Chef/Owner, Cheryl Wakerhauser (a.k.a. Pix) and her team

create traditional French macarons only...
they kick them up a notch! 

They make unique macaron flavors such as:

Tawny Port, Chestnut Whiskey, Sesame Matcha,

Peanut Butter and Jelly and Apple Pie..

just to name a few.

Market Spice Tea

As for tea at Pix,

I was impressed with the tea quality

and table service.

Pix proudly serves Townshend's Tea Co. teas.  

 I enjoyed their Market Spice delivered to our table

 in an Art Deco silver tea pot.

My tea server raved about their teas

and told me  Earl Grey is their most popular tea. 

Naturally due to popularity it was out of stock. 

Pix Patisserie

There are two Pix locations in Portland.

We always visit the original Pix location.

It's a bit off the beaten path..

not touristy

and worth the effort to get there. 

Pix Patisserie

3402 SE Division St.

Portland, OR 97202

(503) 232-4407

I can't wait to go back and have a pot of Earl Grey tea

and do some more macaron research!

Teance

The Tea Bar

I finally had tea at a tea bar...

Teance

in Berekely, California. 

Teance is located in one of my favorite shopping areas,

the Fourth Street Shops. 

On a recent trip to Berkeley, instead of shopping all day,

I treated myself to a relaxing afternoon of tea tasting

and learning more about Asian teas at Teance.

 On my visit, Co-Manager, Darius Moghaddam was tending bar.

I was so impressed with his knowledge of tea. 

Turns out,  he has been on 5 tea buying trips all over the world. 

So yes, he does know a thing or two about tea

and graciously shares his knowledge.

Darius and I decided that I should try a tea tasting of their

Flight of Three Teas. 

Flight of Three Teas

 Silver Needle Tea

My first flight was Silver Needle (Yin Zhen), a white tea. 

This prized tea is from Fuding, Fujan, China.

Waking up the Tea Leaves

To enjoy this tea,

you first must first "wake up" the tea leaves

by pouring hot water on them and removing the water immediately.

 Steeping

Next, the tea was steeped for 1 1/2 minutes in a Gaiwan. 

Darius told me "a Gaiwan is an ancient tea making tool". 

I had never seen one before.

 Tranquility

Silver Needle tea is very delicate and subtle in taste

with a pale color.  A tranquil, cup indeed.

 Flower Bouquet

My second flight was Flower Bouquet, a green tea. 

This tea is hand-tied into a heart bundle. 

It is also from Fuding, Fujan, China.

 Flowering Tea

Flower Bouquet tea is steeped in a glass tea pot. 

As it steeps, the leaves unfold and
a beautiful red hibiscus flower is revealed. 
It's magical!

It had a light Jasmin note and I enjoyed it.

 Mochi

Besides tea, Teance also has wonderful treats,

 like Japanese Mochi handmade locally.

I enjoyed a Pumpkin & Lima Bean Mochi along with my tea tasting.

It was beautiful with its edible flowers and
so much better than store bought Mochi. 

 Matcha

My third flight was Matcha.

Teance's Matcha is from Uji, Japan from Koyama En,

the most prestigious matcha company in Japan.

I was most excited to try Matcha green powdered tea

since I had never tried it before. 

 Tea Ceremony Whisk

Matcha is considered to be the healthiest of teas

because you are drinking all the leaves
 which are milled into a fine powder.

Matcha is prepared with a bamboo tea whisk.

I loved watching Darius make my cup. 

 Matcha

Matcha is like no other tea I have ever tasted. 

It is thick and frothy.  Matcha has a stronger green tea flavor and

I think one probably has to acquire a taste for it. 

I plan on doing just that so I can enjoy the health benefits of drinking Matcha.

The Great Wall of Tea

I'm so glad I took a break from shopping around Fourth Street

and enjoyed a break at the Tea Bar at Teance. 

It was a wonderful and relaxing experience. 

Thank you Darius for teaching me more about the world of tea.

I highly recommend Teance Fine Teas. 

If you can't get to Berkeley,

 they have an online store and Tea Subscriptions, too!

The French Art of Tea

French The`

It's Bastille Day this Thursday so ,oui,

I'm drinking French the` (tea) all week! 

It's no secret...

Mariage Freres is my favorite French tea purveyor. 

Mariage Freres was founded in 1854 in Paris and they are the oldest tea importer in France. 

L` Art Francais Du The`

(The French Art of Tea)

Today, Mariage Freres offers over 500 teas. 

With over 500 tea varieties, shopping for tea at Mariages Freres can be overwhelming.  That's why I rely on their book The French Art of Tea.

The French Art of Tea is a knowledgeable guide that navigates you through the world of Mariage Freres teas.  It's pages are filled with history and invaluable information for French tea aficionados.  My favorite part of the book are the teas themselves with their descriptions and blend names.

I  always use this book for making my "tea shopping list" whenever I visit Paris!

Mariage Freres
30 Rue du Bourg-Tibourg

My favorite place to shop for Mariage Freres tea is their original location

in the le Marias district of Paris. 

Here in the States, you can find a few of their blends

(in their famous brown caddies)

at Williams Sonoma stores. 

Since I live in Northern California, I normally replenish my stock at:

Market Hall Foods in Oakland , CA 

 The Pasta Shop in Berkeley, CA

Dean and Deluca in St. Helena, CA

All three California stores where I shop, have the best selection of Mariage Freres

that I've seen outside of Paris.  I must tell you though...

nothing beats the experience of shopping at Mariage Freres in Paris!

Vive' la France

and

Mariage Freres!

Taking Tea at Laduree

Tea at Laduree

I can finally check having tea at Laduree off my Paris list!

Finally on our 5th tip to Paris my dream of having tea at Laduree came true.

All I can say is...

it was worth the wait
and

"merci" to my wonderful husband for being my Laduree date. 

16 Rue Royal

There are a number of fashionable locations for dining at Laduree in Paris.  I selected the Laduree Tea Salon at 16 Rue Royal.  It's one of my favorite Laduree locations on the elegant Right Bank.  It's also the original Laduree location which Louis Ernest Laduree created in 1862 as a bakery. 

On our first day in Paris, our first stop was 16 Rue Royal to make reservations for lunch the following day. 

The Tea Salon

After a fabulous first day in Paris it was time to enjoy Laduree on day two. 

Stepping into the Laduree tea salon was like stepping into another era.

Being a decorator, I was in awe of its beautiful hand painted cherub fresco ceiling and wood panels throughout.  Laduree's soft pastel trademark colors are apparent everywhere you look..even on the china. 

 Saint- Honore

Our reservation at Laduree was for 1:00 PM. 

My husband and I shared a delicious crab sandwich from the lunch menu followed by luscious Laduree desserts and tea.

From the les The`s Laduree menu, I selected The Melange Special Laduree tea.  It is a delicate blend of citrus fruit, rose, vanilla and cinnamon.   It was served in a silver tea pot, of course! 

For our French treats we shared a Tarte Citron, Laduree's signature Rose Raspberry Saint-Honore and a few Macaroons. 

Laduree's Saint-Honore pastry was the most wonderful and beautiful dessert my husband and I have ever had!  Just imagine cream puffs, framboise (raspberry) and rose all executed in a breathtakingly beautiful pastry with a rose petal on top. 

 Table #16

Our Laduree experience was perfect in every way. 

We were seated by a friendly monsieur at table #16 with a wonderful view of the salon.  

I'm calling Table #16 now our special table at Laduree.

We were married on May 16, 2001 and honeymooned in Paris.  We were now in Paris 10 years later celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary and were seated at table #16 at 16 Rue Royale!

The next time we're in Paris...
I'll be asking for table #16 when I make our reservations!                 

les Macaroons

Laduree is truly a very special place in the world

and
I'm so happy my dream of having tea at Laduree came true!

Now I dream of going back to Laduree and...

 table #16.

Tea Dream Comes True!

Afternoon Tea at Laduree

My dream to have afternoon tea at Laduree in Paris came true last week! 

I loved having afternoon tea at Laduree's Royale Tea Salon.  It was the most elegant experience of my entire holiday and I loved dining with all the fashionable French people!

I'm still too jet lagged to do a proper write-up on this elegant experience. 

Do stay tuned though...

 for pretty photographs and my story of having tea at Ladureee coming soon!

PS:  There are two new summer macaron flavors just introduced that I was able to try in Paris:

Strawberry Mint and Melon. 

They were lovely but my favorites are still Chocolat and Citron (Lemon). 

Au revoir for now.

A Cottage Tea

 Anne Hathaway's Cottage

I love English cottages, gardens and tea! 

I've been thinking a lot about England lately preparing for our trip "across the pond" next month.  Whenever we visit England, I try to take an afternoon tea break everyday. 

One year while visiting Anne Hathaway's Cottage in Stratford-Upon-Avon, I had my tea break at The Cottage Restaurant & Tea Gardens. 

 The Cottage Restaurant

& Tea Gardens

The Cottage Restaurant & Tea Gardens is a perfect place for a tea break.   I loved it's conservatory building and it's just a "hop and a skip" away from Anne Hathaway's Cottage. 

 A Welcoming Sign

This adorable "Open sign" caught me eye
and hearkened me in for a cream tea!

Freshly Baked Scones

Tea & scones
always taste better in England! 

Cream Tea Break

The Cottage Restaurant is a small family-run little place  
but huge on friendly hospitality and tasty scones!  It's a perfect stop for a cream tea break.

And...I loved that they had Liberty of London fabric table cloths!

If you visit Anne Hathaway's Cottage be sure to "take time for tea" and have a tea break at
The Cottage Restaurant & Tea Gardens.   The tea menu is available all day. 

The Tuck Box

 The Tuck Box

The Tuck Box is tucked away on one of my favorite streets in Carmel-by-the-Sea.  When you first set eyes on the storybook-style Tuck Box you'll think you have stumbled down a Cotswolds lane. 

The Tuck Box originally opened as a tea room by two British ladies in the early 1940's.  Sadly, today it's not at all like an old fashioned British tea room that you might expect from it's adorable Fairy tale-like setting.  I knew this though since I had lunched here before.  It's not really a tea room but more of a breakfast and lunch spot that serves tea and scones, too.

Last weekend while doing a bit of window shopping on Dolores Street, I decided to "pop" in The Tuck Box for tea and scones.

 Come in for Tea!

The inside of The Tuck Box is tiny and cozy and feels just like a charming little tea room should.  Its decor is rather simplistic but feels authentic with its chintz curtains and tea pot lined shelves.  While its interior is charming, The Tuck Box is really best known for its Fairy tale cottage architecture.

The Tuck Box is one of Carmel's most well-known Fairy tale cottages. 

The Tuck Box was built in 1926 by Hugh Comstock.  Comstock was neither an architect nor carpenter but in 1924 he built his wife a 300 sq ft doll house (cottage showroom)  to sell her hand-made Otsy-Totsys rag dolls that were overflowing from their home.

 From that little doll house, Comstock went on to build dozens of Fairy tale cottages in Carmel during the 1920's. The Tuck Box is perhaps his best known and most loved Carmel landmark. And, the best part is, you can have tea and scones there!

Time for Tea!

 Afternoon Tea & Scones

The Tuck Box Afternoon Tea consists of :

Scottish style scones,

A pot of Ceylon Black loose tea

Oallieberry, Orange Marmalade &

Whipped Creme 

Price $7.75

 Scones & Jam

Nothing beats a warm scone slathered with
home-made Oalliberry jam and whipped creme!

Tuck Box Scones

 Tuck Box scones are different than any type of scone I have ever had in England or America.  My server told me they are from the original Tuck Box recipe and are Northern Scottish style scones.  They are made in an 8" cast iron pan and then broiled off before serving.  I must say, they reminded me a bit more like my Mom's old-fashioned corn bread.  While I enjoyed them, I much prefer traditional English scones. 

I do recommend The Tuck Box as long as you are not expecting afternoon tea with cute little sandwiches and English style scones.  My advice is to take The Tuck Box for what it is:  an adorable historic cottage, serving good home-made food, Scottish style scones... in one of the most beautiful places in the world...Carmel-by-the-Sea!

The Tuck Box

Dolores (between Ocean & 7th Avenue)

Carmel-by-the-Sea

(831) 624-6365

Hours 7:30 AM to 2:30 PM

Be sure to visit my favorite places on Dolores Street:

Soiled Doves Bath House

Piccolo

Jan de luz

La Bicyclette

Still Too Few!

Still Too Few

Thank you for dropping by for a cuppa!

Today I'm taking you across the pond and showing you the inside of a real old fashioned English tea room. It's not a fancy tea room by any means but it's my favorite little tea room whenever I visit Notting Hill in London.

Portobello Road

If' it's Saturday and I'm in London...you'll find me with my husband hanging out on Portobello Road. Portobello Road is the largest antiques market in the world held every Saturday.

There is nothing quite like a London Saturday strolling Portobello Road. We actually plan our London stay around this incredible market. We always arrive early with Starbucks in hand and when we're ready for a lunch tea break, we always "pop into" Still Too Few.

Home Made Cakes

It was by chance that I found this darling little tea room, Still Too Few. My husband and I were antique shopping along Westbourne Grove (just off Portobello Road) when I spotted their tea pot sign. We popped in for a spot of tea and have made a tradition of visiting this tea room ever since.

Still Too Few feels as authentic as a little English Tea Room should feel to me. The tiny tea room is below street level in the basement of the owners antique shop. The tea room has a quaint, cozy feel with neat vintage advertisements and memorabilia adding to its British charm.

Tea Time at Still Too Few

My favorite Tea break :

Tea in a Brown Betty pot

Scones with Currant Jam & Clotted Cream

Tea sandwiches

All served on pretty Blue & White English China


The last time I was at Still Too Few was in May 2006. My husband and I hope to visit London next year and my fingers are crossed that this little gem is still there!

If you love antique shopping and tea time...

I hope you get to Portobello Road and Still Too Few!

Still Too Few
300 Westbourne Grove

Notting Hill, London

Crown & Crumpet Tea Room

Crown & Crumpet

Today, I would like to share with you the adorable tea room Crown and Crumpet in San Francisco, California. I must say, this is probably the cutest tea room I have ever seen!

I not only love this tea room...I love the story behind it!

Owners Amy and Christopher Dean met in London. Amy, a native San Franciscan, worked in London in the antiques trade for Ralph Lauren. Enter Christopher, a London gentleman, who was also in the London antiques trade. They fell in love, married in England and opened an antiques store in San Francisco. Next with their love of design and tea parties, they cleverly came up with Crown and Crumpet.

Stepping into Crown and Crumpet is almost like stepping into a London Cath Kidston shop. Cath Kidston's vintage inspired fabric prints adorn the tea tables and vintage upholstery throughout the tea room. It's no coincidence...Amy and Cath just happen to be friends!

Let's Enjoy Afternoon Tea

Afternoon Tea for Two

Tea for Two

Selection of eight tea sandwiches

Four warm house-made scones with clotted cream, jam & lemon curd
Two toasted crumpets with butter
Eight house-made sweets & treats
Two large pots of tea

Tea Blends
Crown and Crumpet offers 38 types of tea.

Marie Antoinette is my tea of choice (a blend of bergamot, blue mallow and roses) whenever I have afternoon tea at Crown and Crumpet. According to Crown and Crumpet:

"Rumour has it this was Marie Antoinette’s favorite blend and the perfect tea for eating cake!"

The Tea Room

Update New Location:

Crown & Crumpet Tea Stop Cafe
1746 Post Street
 New People Building in Japan Town
(located between Webster & Buchanan Street) 
San Francisco, CA 94115

(415) 771-4252

Moroccan Mint Tea at the Mo Tearoom

Moroccan Mint Tea

I love having tea in England. No matter where I am travelling in England, you can be sure I am checking out that town's tea rooms! On our last London trip (2006) I read about a North African tea room where they serve Moroccan Mint Tea. I wanted to experience it made properly so I could later make it at home.

So one day during a shopping break we ventured over to the Mo Tearoom just off Regent Street. It is part of a wonderful exotic restaurant called MoMo's. The inside is decorated to look like a Moroccan souk (open air marketplace) with ornate lanterns, exotic carpets, low stools and brass tables. I was ready to experience tea in a new way!

Making Mint Tea for the Silver Pot

I ordered a pot of mint tea. Our server came back with an ornate traditional silver Moroccan tea pot. She then lifts the tea pot high into the air and pours the tea into my small Moroccan glass. It was quite a show! The tea was delicious! I now make it at home regularly. You must use Chinese gunpowder loose tea to make it authentic!

Here is my recipe for Moroccan Mint Tea:

1 T. loose Chinese Gunpowder Tea

2 small bunches fresh mint leaves

1/3 to 1/2 C. sugar

5 cups boiling water

Combine tea and 5 cups boiling water in your tea pot. Steep for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add mint leaves and sugar, stirring to dissolve sugar. Steep another 3 minutes. Stain tea and serve immediately or chill for iced mint tea.

Traditionally Moroccan mint tea is served hot and it is customary to drink at least two glasses as to not offend your host.  It is one of my favorite teas to enjoy iced in the summertime.

MoMo Tea Room

25 Heddon St.London

MoMo's has become one of London's hippest resturants and tea rooms.

Check them out at http://momoresto.com/