Joy in a cup
Tea time promotes relaxation, friendship
Tea, anyone?
Afternoon tea with lovely place settings and a variety of tasty treats offer a special time to gather with friends and family to savor time together any time of the year.
“It’s calming, sitting down and relaxing, taking a deep breath and slowing down,” said Judith Atzler who, along with her husband, Guido Halder, owns The Steeping Leaf at 536 Millers Run Road, in Morgan. “We have people who come in with their kids, or just with a book and sit down,” she said.
The Steeping Leaf opened in the summer of 2020 and offers the couples’ own tea brand, Teehuesli, which means “tea house” in Swiss German.
A bistro, tea house and gelataria, The Steeping Leaf location, a building dating back to 1914, is a few minutes off of the Interstate 79 Bridgeville exit. Prior to opening the tea house, the couple had an online tea business.
Atzler thinks the appeal of tea time is taking the time to sit and enjoy, “taking a step back and relaxing,” she said.
Open seven days a week, patrons can come in for tea as well as coffee. The bistro offers a complete lunch and breakfast menu, catering, bubble tea and specialty tea drinks.
For those looking for the experience of “afternoon” tea with tea settings, finger sandwiches and pastries, reservations are available during the afternoon tea hours of 4 to 6 p.m. on Saturdays, or may call to arrange another time. Atzler offers children’s tea parties by reservation as well other types of special occasion teas such as bridal showers, baby showers and bachelorette and anniversary parties.
Atzler also offers tea tasting classes once a month. “We talk about all of the different tea types and educate people on the history of the tea and you get to taste a variety of teas (generally 20 to 25 types),” she said.
Vito’s Tea House, located in the 1848 building in Uniontown, opened last year and has a wide variety of hand-crafted loose leaf teas and gift items. Owner Amy Hancyzk started blending teas and selling them at the local farmers market before moving into the brick and mortar store at 25 W. Fayette St. and offering a daily tea menu.
Hancyzk said she’s always had a vision to have a place to bring the community together.
While not a traditional tea house serving lunch, she offers afternoon tea by reservation for a full-service tea including three types of tea, wedge sandwiches and a variety of pastries and fruit.
Hancyzk offers a twice a month silent book club as well as poetry nights. Private parties also can be booked. She also specializes in children’s tea parties with a formal tea and a craft with complimentary tea and scones for the parents.
“With the events and books clubs, I was hoping to bring together different walks of people together in the community. During my original silent book club there was a group of women who started coming and then I had a younger group of women come in and join them and they all became friends. Now they have their own book club and they do things together and they’ve become good friends. That is my goal, to bring together different groups of people,” Hancyzk said.
Part of the Uniontown business district, she encourages anyone who is considering opening a business in the area and even acts as an incubator for small businesses.
Hours at Vito’s Tea House vary. Events are listed on their Facebook page.
Uniquely Yours Tea Room, 91 Main St. in Hickory, is known for its English-style tea in an elegant, period-style setting.
“It’s all about the experience,” owner Chanel Giordano comments about the Downton Abbey style tea time. She offers a choice of 30 teas, a three-tier tower of finger sandwiches, tea breads, tea cakes, seasonal fruit and devonshire cream, jam or lemon curd for the scones, all prepared on site.
Guests often dress for the experience, wearing hats and gloves for their outing to the green Victorian house surrounded by hydrangeas in the summer.
Uniquely Yours is typically open Thursday through Saturday, and special events for groups of 25 or more can be reserved on Sundays. Afternoon tea must be reserved in advance.
Cindi McGinnis, the owner of the Gathering Place and Tea House purchased the building at 438 National Pike in Washington eight years ago. After a year of renovations, the eight rooms opened for patrons.
The building was constructed in the 1820s and is a registered historic landmark. McGinnis said the brick building has been “lots of things” over the years, including the Moses Tavern in the 1820s. She has decorated the rooms in keeping with that era along with some Victorian touches.
“We really love what we do,” said McGinnis.
During the peak months of November, December and January the Gathering House is open on Saturdays and Sundays between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. for tea and there is no minimum party requirement. Reservations are recommended.
Outside of the peak months, the Gathering Place and Tea House is open for parties of 10 or more by reservation for tea. The house can be rented by the hour for events such as bridal showers, baby showers and weddings.
Afternoon tea includes soup, salad, a three-tier offering of quiche, chicken salad croissant, homemade scones and two homemade desserts, and of course, all the tea you want.