Texas Shaped Waffle Iron

To believe in anything requires a leap of faith. A Modern Tea, a new restaurant and tea room , a purveyor of tea old Chez Panisse and Zuni Cafe, the belief seems to be that tea can drive a full service restaurant . To make the leap ways to overcome the fact that most of the teas are too fragile to withstand food, namely desserts.

But in almost all other modern tea offers a remarkably simple and enjoyable experience. The dining room is small but roomy. The windows facing the light is left much more than the awnings and the shade of trees suggest. In fact, once seated, it becomes clear that Modern Tea has created one of the most comfortable rooms in the city.

The tables are solid, reclaimed Douglas fir, decorated with pots of flowers in miniature. Water is served in elegant carafe. Float glass mosaic color aerial filamentous kaleidoscopic, and sports wall brick green lime paint so ethereal it makes you wonder where all the bricks should not look that way.

Teas are impregnated along a copper bar at the top of the entrance. Some, like the needle Osmanthus money ($ 5), a white tea, green Lu Shan Clouds and Fog ($ 5), or the creamy, earthy, almost suspicious, seven son Beencha Pu-erh ($ 6) come in a small pot if it could be cradled in the palm of the hand. There is a small bowl and drink a pot of hot water booster for the filling.

other teas such as Assam Breakfast ($ 4), the color of a rich consommed, or fresh local herbs ($ 4), which was mint chocolate during our visit, are served in a teapot more traditional with a cup and saucer. Lift the lid and found the whole leaves in all their unusual shapes and colors. On both our visits, we had the same server, which is generally very good, enthusiastic, and education on the list of tea.

In the afternoon, many guests seemed to be a close friend of meeting for tea, when the dessert list seems a natural place to look for something to eat (the lunch menu is mainly soups and salads). Desserts are, in general, impeccably executed, and exude a kind of region of London charm - unfortunately this charm can also include a touch of sweetness county fair right to crush the delicate tea, they are likely to support.

The sheet cake from Texas ($ 1 per square inch), is tasty and cute. Simple tea cake ($ 7) includes all the tea, and when we visited was a butter cake a crumb that was wonderful disgusting, even before spreading over the house of peach jam. It pairs best with a black tea. The fried fruit sugar ($ 6) was a nectarine with a coating of sugar fell like a piece of metal, if it was well contrasted with mascarpone cheese and crunchy nuts loose. The most popular dessert is the buttermilk cake citrus pudding ($ 5), mild, creamy and served in a glass jar.

There were happier moments, but they came at a price. Summer tomato sandwich ($ 8) was more cucumber and spread goat Early Girl tomato, though the salad with its playful bursts of orange oil was a lesson in balance. And the tortillas that came with the eggs in sheared melt ($ 8) were so hard the knife slipped off the table, how we have shamefully abandoned. And our server informed us that we were going to a store, instead of salsa chili Colorado, which made us understand why a young dishwasher wearing Plas.