Rene
User's reviews
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Two A Tea
My daughter, while still a student at Azusa Pacific University (graduate of 2006), told me about this ‘cute little teahouse’ while living in Azusa. She had bugged me about taking her there, but we never did while she was at APU, since her school and work schedule made it near impossible. Then, last year, I gave homemade tea invitations to my best friend, her mother, and her mother-in-law for their birthdays, with the plan to take all three of them at the same time. Sort of a ‘girl’s day out’. I had Two a Tea in mind, but scheduling it was difficult and so we kept putting it off. Well, January 2, 2008, we finally found the time and I decided to take my daughter, too. What a great way to start the new year! And, where Two a Tea ranks as number 7 in all of California, I was confident that we would all have a great time. Right away, we loved the looks of this teahouse. It is nestled quietly on a mostly residential corner of Vermont and Meda, with a huge 2-story window in the front. Although not Victorian in design, Two a Tea more than makes up for it with other attributes. There is street parking and a designated parking lot behind the business backing the south side of Two a Tea. There is a healthy growth of ivy covering one wall facing Vermont, with a white picket-fenced garden area bordering the building and running up towards Meda. It wraps around the front, allowing for a cozy and inviting entrance to the restaurant. I should note that the door facing Vermont is not the entrance, something we mistook it to be. The actual entrance is at the corner where Vermont and Meda meet. The garden area fronting Two a Tea had everything whimsical, from cup and saucer bird feeders to a topiary plant shaped like a woman wearing a wide brimmed hat. A very leafy Victorian lady! There is a very large sculpture of a teacup made from some sort of aggregate compound. I thought it very quirky and entertaining. A nice little whimsical accent. Once inside Two a Tea, the foyer spans two stories straight up, with a staircase along the far right side. Although the second story is off limits to patrons, it adds a bit of hominess to the overall feel. The cashier area sits just to the left of the staircase, with shelves filled with all kinds of antiques for sale, homemade mini chandeliers (that the proprietor makes!), and a piano along the Meda Ave side of the entrance. It was busy visually, but very attractive and interesting. The moment we walked in, the hostess asked if we had reservations. We did and I gave her my name, explaining that we were a bit early (10 minutes). We expected to wait a bit until the time of our reservation (1 pm), but she seated us almost immediately! I should note that there is a small tea area preceding the main room. I can’t remember how many tables it afforded, but it was nice and cozy. Once inside the main tea room, the overall décor’ was full-on Christmas, nothing held back, with a fully frocked Christmas tree, and oodles of decorations all around. Victorian themes throughout, with added touches of Whimsey. The walls were painted in wide, 18 inch stripes of gold and yellow, with accent colors of raspberry. See the photo gallery on Two a Tea's website. The seating was cozy and maybe a bit more so than necessary, as one waitress had a tight squeeze every time she had to get to the bay window area. Fortunately, she was a whisp of a thing so she managed. :0) I am certain that they are in alignment with safety codes, too. Every table had a holiday-themed tablecloth and centerpieces, with the china pattern keeping to the Christmas feel. Many teahouses have a little bit of everything, a mishmash of styles and patterns mixed together (which I like, btw), but it was somewhat refreshing to see a consistency like what Two a Tea had. Each cup at our table was identical, with the words Merry Christmas glazed on the inside. Poinsettia motifs decorated the exterior. It is quite possible that their ‘everyday’ décor’ offers the mixed china servings that I’ve often seen at other establishments, which is fine by me. I’m not that picky about stuff like that, anyway, so long as the plates and cups are clean – which ours were! Once seated, our waitress handed out the menus. I can’t remember the girl’s name, but she had a slight accent and was very polite and quite sweet. I should add that the night before, I printed out the menu from Two a Tea’s website for my guests to read during the ride out, to give them a preview of sorts. However, I was unaware that Two a Tea would be serving a special Christmas menu exclusively, with only two selections of tea service. At first, we were a bit apprehensive about that, but I have to say that overall, it was the best tea we had ever experienced! We had three of the Royal High Tea and two of the Queen’s Tea, since two members of our group did not want either a salad or soup, which both came with the former tea. When the waitress explained that only one type of scone would be available (gingerbread), we were at first disappointed. They had such a large selection of scones that we were looking forward to each ordering a different flavor and sharing. However, the gingerbread scones were delectable and our disappointment faded quite quickly! In fact, we all ordered extras to take home! The lemon curd, Devon cream, and orange marmalade jam were all very good, as well. The creamy pea soup was the best I have had, even though it was more of a pea broth than the typical chunky pea and ham soup, to which I am more accustomed. The flavors were evenly distributed, too, so much so that none overpowered the other, which is quite hard to do. Usually, I can discern spices and flavorings, but not with this pea soup! Two-thumbs up. The salad was yummy, as were the tea sandwiches. See the Christmas menu on their website for a list of what they offered. Even though the bread was dense and firm – probably due to its chilled condition – it was quite tender. The fact that they make their own bread was a huge plus! The fillings were a bit lean, but I never expect a thick spread of filling for tea sandwiches – especially with the more than generous Christmas menu these two tea selections espouse - so it was just about perfect. They also served mini quiches (quite yummy!) and their savory sweet potato pinwheels were to 'die for'!!! We could have had more of those, believe me! The Miniature Potato and Roasted Garlic Phyllo Cups were heavenly. Seriously, they had me begging for more and when my daughter couldn’t finish hers, I didn’t let it go to waste! LOL The tea selection is broad, but not large. This does not in any way detract from our experience, though. Sometimes, too many choices can make it difficult to decide. I had the Raspberry, my daughter had Vanilla Coconut, my best friend had Cherry Vanilla, and then there was a pot of Peach Apricot, and Cinnamon for my friend’s mom and mom-in-law. Everyone loved their selection. At one point near the end, my pot had run dry (I had it re-filled once, so I had plenty, but I love tea!), and so everyone at the table offered me a bit of theirs (minus my daughter’s, since I do not like coconut). I have to say that RaspberryCherryVanillaPeachApricotCinnamon blend is a very interesting tea! I loved it. (Hint hint to a new flavor! Razcherillachicotamon?) LOL The desserts did not disappoint, either, although I have to say that by this time (coupled with two pots of tea and ‘then’ some), I was filled to brimming. I did manage to devour the mini pecan tort and I smiled with every bite. I took home the brownie, the Russian teacake, and the triple chocolate chip cherry cookie to my husband to enjoy, which he did. He did let me have one small bite of the cookie - and counted himself lucky that I didn't take the entire thing after that! LOL I should note that my husband is a very finicky eater and rarely gives praise for food unless it is exceptional. So, it’s saying a lot that he was quite pleased with my ‘leftover offering’ from Two a Tea! With that thought in mind, one member in my group today is just as particular about food as my hubby is, especially regarding teahouse fare. She is not the least bit shy about expressing herself whenever disappointed, either. Her favorite teahouse was the ‘deceased’ Lah Tea Dah (sp?) in the Antelope Valley, and she has compared all other teahouses since then to LTD. Well, she was enthusiastically pleased and satisfied with Two a Tea. I believe she has found a new favorite. She, as well as the rest of us, loved the food, the décor’ (I learned that they will be changing from Christmas to their ‘everyday’ look come this weekend, January 5th), and the personal attention our sweet waitress bestowed upon us. The added plus was the tour and the history about Two a Tea that the manager took the time to give. The mural along the patio wall in their ‘secret’ koi garden is just gorgeous, reminiscent of Marty Bell’s cottage paintings. Our ‘hostess’ told us that all the art and décor were done and created by the proprietor MaryAnn (who was unable to be there due to another obligation)! Where my daughter is a budding art teacher (one more semester to get her teaching credential!) and an APU art graduate (BA in art 2006), she appreciated the talent. I liked the fact that there were extra rooms (the Library and the Conservatory) separate from the main tea area for overflow or private parties. Gives me ideas! :0) To summarize my review, I believe the Two a Tea is by far one of the best teahouses in the southern California area, if not THE best! Price wise, it was very affordable, considering all that we received and what I would get elsewhere for the same price. Also, the scones and the accompanying lemon curd, coddled cream, and jam can be ordered ‘to go’, too, and at a reasonable cost. I took four of these delightful treats home with me and I am currently having all I can do to keep from nibbling them away! I can’t wait for tomorrow morning! Should go well with my Chocolate Raspberry Truffle tea – or coffee. Anyway, so much for my diet. Overall, our tea lasted 2 hours, which may be a bit long on time for having tea, but it gave my party more opportunities to talk and chat and take in the ambience of this delightful teahouse. As an aside, the evening of my Two a Tea visit, MaryAnn called me at home to talk about my experience, since she wasn’t able to be there this afternoon due to other matters. I had made my reservations via email and we had corresponded briefly, so she really wanted to meet me. I had enclosed my phone number at one point, just in case she needed to get a hold of me for any reason. Nevertheless, this is the first time that anyone has had the interest to call me to make sure that I enjoyed myself. It was a nice personal touch, an art seemingly lost on most business owners, but one that MaryAnn apparently understands!