Tea may be consumed at home, slurped from a garish travel mug or wolfed down from a paper cup while sitting in an over-stuffed chair in a national chain coffee shop.
Or, as it should be, tea may be appreciated for the fine beverage it is.
In this hectic world of technology and multi-tasking, many, particularly women, are finding an unusual respite in simply sipping a cup of tea, listening to soothing music and engaging in pleasant conversation with an intimate group of friends.
The 150-year-old Gilfillan Farm in Upper St. Clair is a step-back-in-time type of adventure. Mix in a small group of women sitting around an ornately appointed table and the perfect tea room experience is born.
Phyllis Englert and Dolores Weinheimer contract through the Upper St. Clair Historical Society to offer teas for groups of eight to 38. The teas, at $25 per person, are offered daily in the historic home March through November. No night teas are served, Englert said.
All teas are by reservation only with no walk-ins. Cost includes the tea, a tour of the house and farm, and gratuity.
Eight is the least served, but if there is already a party of eight elsewhere in the house, Englert said smaller groups may be accommodated. There are no theme teas, but the house has hosted bridal and baby showers, anniversary parties and other events.
At Uniquely Yours Tea Room and Cafe in Cecil, each table is lavishly decorated in a specific color theme. Soft music plays in the background, complementing but not overpowering polite conversation. The napkins are cloth, not paper. And the food is delicious, thanks to owner Harriet McCray.
Opening about six years ago, the tea room can host, like the Gilfillan Farm, as many as 38 people. High tea is by reservation only, but walk-ins for lunch are welcome daily Tuesday through Saturday, she said.
McCray of Rennerdale was eager to start a business and decided on a gift shop. After some research, she realized that longevity is not often used in the same sentence when discussing gift shop ownership. Her stepdaughter traveled to France frequently and suggested McCray open a tea room similar to the ones there.
It was a strange choice for McCray, who was not a tea drinker. But undeterred, she attended a course in tea room ownership and management in Georgia, where she learned all aspects of the tea world. Fate brought her to the muted green house at 3256 Millers Run Road. She saw the house while her husband and she were driving along Route 50 on their way to the former Corwin Jeep in Hickory. He wanted a new car, but she didn't feel he needed one.
Out of frustration, McCray looked out the car window and saw a "For Rent" sign on the 90-year-old house. Soon she was in business.
McCray advertises that food is served until 3 p.m., but the tea room and gift shop close at 5, or "until the last cup of tea is gone." The tea, complete with homemade sandwiches, scones and other goodies is about $20.
Everything is homemade by Englert and Weinheimer as well, right down to the clotted or Devonshire cream that is piled high, separated from the fresh scone by only a slight layer of a lush fruit preserves. A variety of teas are served in only the finest china.
McCray calls her tea room a spa for the soul.
Englert said she had a lady in the tea room recently who used to live in California and said the local tea room was better "than the Ritz Hotel in Laguna Beach."
"We try to make it as nice as possible," Englert said. "We're not going to serve paper napkins. We want people getting the royal treatment."
Parents take note: McCray offers etiquette training and table manner teas for those ages 9 to 18.
Appropriately mannered children are always welcome in Uniquely Yours.
"I believe children should be exposed to tea, as long as there is a parent here," McCray said.
In the Gilfillan Farm, Englert said children age 7 and older are welcome, with their tea priced at $15.
There is no gift shop at the Gilfillan Farm, but McCray has a small shop with Victorian items, tea accessories, vintage jewelry and a new line of specialty jewelry.
Englert is already booking teas for the remainder of this year with a few times filling in for 2011.
Weinheimer and she attempt to provide a "haven from the craziness out in the world."
McCray also knows the importance of pampering her customers.
"I like to promote conversation," McCray said. "Restaurants are too hurried. Here, they're relaxed and not rushed out the door."
