This place is in an out-of-the-way, not easy to find industrial area off Old Dixie Highway in Port Salerno. When you first walk in, it is confusing as you don't know if you have entered a pawn shop or jewelry store.
To the left is a dining room, with lots of round tables and STUFF everywhere! For an OCD customer like me it was very overwhelming. The tables were loaded as well as the walls. There wasn't an empty space on the wall!! I found the dining area dark and depressing. The walls and carpet are black and since there are no windows in that room, it comes off as oppressive as there isn't any natural light.
We ordered High Tea for our party of ten. The whole time we were there at lunch time during the week, there were no other patrons other than a couple of people came in right as we were finishing up. I started out with Iced Peach Tea and it was delicious.
The soups are some of the best I have ever had - Butternut Squash with Bacon and Tomato with Cherry Tomatoes (which the server said was spicey and it was NOT -- it was sweet!). The only critique on them is that they are served lukewarm, tepid. Customers want their soup hot! I don't care what Terry's (the owner) former chefs told her about liability issues. The salad was very nice with one of the best homemade dressings (Terry wouldn't tell me what it is even called) I have ever had.
The scones, finger sandwiches, mini muffins, cubes of cheese, cookies, petite tarts, etc... came out next on a 3-tiered serving tree. Hot Tea was served in beautiful teapots that sat on a warmer. Terry explained that since there was five at our end of the table, we were each allotted three of everything. I asked what were on the sandwiches and was told that there were three types and that they were ham, cucumber and beef.
There were several of us that had to put down our beef sandwiches and NOT finish them as they were LOADED with horseradish and were very hot (spicey)!! All in all the most enjoyable to me was the soup, salad, Lemon Curd jelly and the Peach Iced Tea. For $16.50, the High Tea is a reasonable price, but I just felt that IF I had been alone and served the same High Tea, the amount would have been the same. What we received should have been for 1-2 people and was a stretch for 5 ladies to share. I have had high tea before in the UK and in Stuart and this was NOT the best.
Another noticeable thing, is the location of the restroom. You have to walk through the servers' wait station to get to it. I never saw a chef's kitchen and if there is one, it is well hidden.
Several Suggestions: Relocate the bathroom; get rid of the carpet; paint the walls a light color; heat the soup; reduce the extensive menu (it's too big!); and tone down the horseradish!
I did mention the beef sandwiches to Terry and she responded that the customers like it that way AFTER I told her that several of us couldn't eat them! I guess she's never heard the saying, "The customer is always right even when they are wrong."
Also, what's up with a pawn shop/jewelry store in the front of the house?? I would get rid of that and put the dining room there and maybe a chef's kitchen in the space of the present dining room? I don't know -- just a very confusing layout and design. read more