KATHLEEN Chilcott, the proprietor of Kathleen’s Tea Room, in Peekskill, opened her palm to reveal about a dozen brown-green-gray balls. “Aren’t these beautiful?” she asked. Called Jasmine Dragon Tears, the tiny orbs are placed in a glass cup set over a flame and when hot water is poured over them, they unfurl, revealing themselves to be tea leaves. The tea smells like honeysuckle but isn’t actually sweet.
“It teases you into thinking it will be one thing, and then it’s another,” Ms. Chilcott said. “I think it’s such a haunting and romantic tea.”
She’s right, and it’s just one of the 50 or so loose teas brewed at Kathleen’s, a funky and comfortable place with a gas fireplace, chintz tablecloths and mismatched china. The afternoon tea here is a three-tier affair. On the bottom platter are tiny sandwiches like layered egg salad and eggplant-squash spread, and cream cheese and nuts on fruit bread; on the middle platter, a crumpet and a hot scone with whipped butter and jam; on the top, fruit, chocolates and mini-pastries.
The food is delicious, the teas satisfying, but the greatest gratification of Kathleen’s is the atmosphere. It’s a wonderful place to relax.
“People have 100,000 ways to rev themselves up these days,” said Ms. Chilcott, who owns the business with her husband, Larry Liptscher. “We need ways to calm ourselves down.”
Unfortunately, running a teahouse is not always as relaxing as visiting one. Enjoy!!! Tea Room and Gift Shop, an elegant yet fun cafe in Ossining that served delicious sandwiches to complement its diverse teas, had a loyal clientele but closed just a few days ago, after three years of business. “There’s just no money in it,” said Susan Kelly, the owner, just before shutting down. “It’s a low-margin business. We served no alcohol, no dinner.”
The most successful teahouses provide more than tea, but even major hotels that once served afternoon tea — like the Renaissance Westchester Hotel in White Plains, the Doral Arrowwood Resort and Conference Center in Rye, the Hilton Rye Town hotel and the Crowne Plaza White Plains — no longer offer it.
Still, it seems for every teahouse that closes, another opens. Lola’s Tea House in Pelham, scheduled to make its debut this winter, will offer themed experiences from French to Moroccan to children’s teas. And despite the challenges, many long-established teahouses continue to thrive. Sadhana Tea House in Mount Vernon has been concocting holistic brews for spiritual and physical wellness since August 1993. The Silver Tips Tea Room in Tarrytown, which opened eight years ago, carries teas that come directly from the Darjeeling plantation of the sister and brother-in-law of the tea room’s owner, Anupa Mueller.
Part of the pleasure of afternoon tea is the sense of participating in a ritual, and at Temptation Tea House in Mount Kisco you have the chance to be involved in one that is centuries old, sometimes with a modern twist. You can’t help but notice that the waiters pull the pot away from the cup as they fill it, creating a fluid arc. “That’s called Kung Fu tea,” said Nick Nie, the manager. “It’s very popular in Asia right now.”
Temptation offers a full Asian fusion food menu, but it’s possible to go there just for the teas. There are about 100 varieties offered, most of them chosen on trips to Asia by the restaurant’s three owners, Andy Lin, Jackie Xhong and Kexin Chen. There are green teas and black teas, herbal teas and mixed teas. Among the most popular are the “frothy teas,” also called “bubble teas.” They are combined with milk, and on the bottom of the cup you’ll find black tapioca balls, sweet, soft surprises, as you drink the brew.
Surprises come outside the cup at Equus, the restaurant at the Castle on the Hudson in Tarrytown. There are few dining spots in Westchester as lovely as the sun room where a formal British-style tea is served daily (except Sunday) for an hour and a half. The sun dapples the stone-walled room with soft light as it sets over the Hudson River, which can be seen from the windows, curving like a shiny snake sliding under the Tappan Zee Bridge.
Equus’s tea selections are limited to a dozen, though they cover the basics, from black teas like English breakfast to green teas, including a tropical blend. There is one white tea, with tangerine flavor, and several herbal teas. Even better, David Haviland, the executive chef, has conjured up a terrific sandwich, scone and dessert selection to accompany the teas. Try the smoked Scottish salmon with crème fraîche and caviar sandwich, the cranberry scone, and the banana tarte Tatin with crème anglaise.
“Our customers like this because it’s not the kind of thing they do at home,” said Andrew Balint, the manager. “It’s a special occasion.”
Tea Times
EQUUS AT THE CASTLE ON THE HUDSON 400 Benedict Avenue, Tarrytown; (914) 631-1980 or www.castleonthehudson.com. Afternoon tea, $29 (or $45 with a glass of Taittinger Champagne). Tea service available Monday to Saturday, 3 to 4:30 p.m. Reservations recommended.
KATHLEEN’S TEA ROOM 979 Main Street, Peekskill; (914) 734-2520. Afternoon tea, $20. Open Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed Sunday. Reservations recommended.
TEMPTATION TEA HOUSE 11A South Moger Avenue, Mount Kisco; (914) 666-8808. Teas range from $5.25 to $8.50 a pot or $2.75 to $3.95 a cup. Open Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
