They weren't entirely ready yet. They were pricing some of the assorted teapots and other tea-related items for sale that lined the shelves against the wall. They were testing their phones and getting set up, but welcomed me as their first customer! I told them that I was hungry and didn't mind being their guinea pig (maybe I didn't actually say the second thing out loud, but I was thinking it). =)
I ordered a sandwich combination which came with toasted sandwiches quartered into triangle wedges. I chose the Punjab (egg salad, but with a very nice, smoky flavor) and chicken in a lingonberry sauce. A salad came with the sandwiches on the plate. I ordered a pot of tea - a black tea with cinnamon and orange. They brought me a cup of another tea to try as well - a roibois with cinnamon and something else that was nice and naturally sweet. After that, I was pretty full, but a visit to the display case lured me into trying out one each of two cookie choices - a small and very light moon-shaped cookied, and a ginger cookie that I think now is my favorite (possibly all-time).
Anyway, I think I'll be making many, many, many trips over time. I don't drink coffee, so I drink a LOT of tea daily...and considering they have over 300 varieties of tea, and I've only tried 2 so far, I've got a LOT of tea to try out! Plus, they're offering Members discounts, so if you're a current Member of the Museum, show your membership card for 10% off.
If you're free tomorrow (Sun, June 8, 2008), they're having a grand opening event at the Museum from 1-5pm. In addition to a tea-tasting by a noted tea author, there'll be a full afternoon tea. $30 for Museum Members. $40 for non-members. What's great is that they're donating the proceeds to the Museum. I'll be there...Yummy!
