This is a column we hope to feature each month in TeaMuse. Here, our fearless
tea novice (hoping to turn into an expert) will travel the far reaches to visit
tearooms and enjoy the various environments,
Tea With an Accent
90 W Afton Ave
Yardley, PA
215-321-9866
Outside the Tearoom
I try to plan a 'date' with my mother every so often. We see each other a fair
amount, but with our busy work schedules and my social life, our exchanges
usually go along the lines of 'Hiiiiii!' 'Is there anymore chocolate milk?' &
'Byeeee!'. We argue, as most mother-daughter pairings are expected to, about
things like money, relationships, decorating schemes, driving, etc. We get
annoyed with each other's stubbornness. I question the new mural she is painting
in her study; she asks me why I need hundred dollar boots. But, as I get older,
I realize maybe I am more like my mother than not (gasp!).
When I started at Adagio, my mother was thrilled. She opened up my complimentary
packages of tea from my boss, eyeing each tin suspiciously, both enthralled and
confused by the prospect of loose-leaf gourmet tea. I too was a bit baffled; we
were a household whose tea was bought from the local Asian grocery and gourmet
meant round teabags and pretty tins perfect to store Q-tips and cotton balls. We
tackled the task at hand, and found ourselves drinking Jasmine bloom for several
days straight, because it was the only tea we had on hand that didn't need an
infuser. Small piles of dried up blooms started collecting in our kitchen (My
mother is one of those types that do not like to throw out anything, including
used tea leaves. She thinks they smell pretty, and was thinking 'potpouri'. I
threw them out). Luckily, the triniTea arrived, and we moved on.
It was only natural that I take my mother out to tea. She confirmed this as we
were making Easter plans. We left the boys (my father and brother) at home, and
drove out to Yardley, Pennsylvania to a place whose cutesy, Victorian feel would
make my mother squeal with delight.
At Tea With an Accent, the owner, Shari Titterton, greeted us and showed us to
our seat. A large party had just cancelled their reservation, and despite this
dismay, Shari was nothing but hospitable and jovial. She took the time to
explain every course to us, including the day's tea choice; an apricot flavored
decaf tea and Lily's Delight, a black tea mixed with fruit and bergamot.
Inside the Tearoom
My mother and I talked about the décor while waiting for our courses. It was
very much like I imagined it to be- a lot of pink, roses, lace, chintz, and
British china, a throwback to my mother's living room, which was decorated in
the same fashion. We fussed over the precious glassware that held our clotted
cream and raspberry preserves.
The high tea menu consisted of a soup course, a creamy, cheddar based soup, then
followed with a 3-tiered tray brimming with tea sandwiches, scones, and adorable
sweets- macaroons, lemon cream tarts, linzer cookies, petit fours. My mother and
I cast knowing glances to each other- Was this enough to fill two ladies up? It
was, and along with the tea (Shari made sure that our cups were never empty) we
felt a little plumper and content by the end of our meal.
Afterwards, we perused the gift shop in the back which had a great selection of
genuine British china, tea sets, cozies, tea themed jewelry, and other
accessories. As my mother was my number one coach in shopping, we bought well;
several teacups, ornaments, and the house blend of tea, Lily's delight. Shari
took the time to chat us up and show us several pieces from her personal tea cup
collection. Ms. Titterton's personal touch left us happy, satisfied customers,
promising to come back with more relatives in the near future.
As we drove back home, my mother and I chitchatted nonstop, hopped up on
caffeine and sweets. We talked about the tea, our plans for the upcoming month
or so, my job, the sweets, and the new teacups she bought. She criticized my
driving only once. When we got home, instead of the customary separation we do
after spending the day together (especially after long drives), we went into the
living room, made a pot of tea, and admired our growing teacup collection. She
asked me to explain the differences between the varieties of tea. Though I've
explained this to her numerous times (with charts, diagrams, and visuals to
boot), I cuddled a bit closer to my mother, and began on meticulous ways that
make tea so complex.
Happy Mother's Day!
