Making a tea sign

Here is my sign drying outside.  I am NOT starting a tea house for the birds! 


 I am working on the tea sign that I hope to have one day outside my own Tea House.

In olden days shop owners hung signs outside of their shops.  They were usually the shape of the item they were selling for those who were illiterate. 

A cobbler would have a shoe outside his business.  A chair maker may have a small chair hanging outside his place of business. A barber would have his striped red, white, and blue barbers pole.  And a tea house would surely need a teacup!

I have seen a few signs while traveling and I love them.

 It seems in Europe they still use these signs and I think it is quaint and lovely.












I thought I would just ask my dad to make me one.  Then while Christmas shopping last year, I came across this giant cup of coco for $3!!  I knew dad would not be able to make it for $3, plus I liked that this one had the metal embellishment of the coco and steam...which would easily pass for tea and steam.


Step one was to stand it down.
Step two is to paint it.
Step three is to seal it.
Step four to find the fun hanger and hang it up....this will be awhile yet.  But now at least I have the sign when I get my Tea House.

Here I am working on the painting part.   I am extremely pleased with the way it is turning out.  I just need to touch up the rim and handle and then seal it.  

Working on the painting...

 

Look for this sign, some day you will see it outside my little cafe!






Sarisa Thai Tea New York City

Final tea stop of the day 7 of 7.... Sarisa Thai Tea.

 I led a bus trip of 56 people to NYC this fall.  This is my second leading of this bus trip.  It is so much fun!

We leave my town in Ohio, at 10pm on a Friday night, drive all night.

Get dropped off in Chinatown around 6:30am.  Everyone gets to do their own thing around New York until around 9pm.

We are picked up at 9pm at Bryant Park, drive all night and get dropped off in my town at 6am Sunday morning.  All this for $185.00

I love the charter bus, red eye trip.  I am leading one this March to DC for the Cherry Blossom Festival.  This trip is only $165 per person.

Below is my tea map....I plan on stopping at least 9 tea shops in the 15 hours in NYC ( I did only make it to 7 cafes).

I am nearing 19,000 steps and I am about to drop!!!  45 minutes from Ju Jin Tea I head to the last tea stop of the day, Sarisa.  Here I will meet the gals from Columbus and we will try their tea.


Grand Central Station


A bride coming the reception....


Last time I was in New York I did the Tea Around Town Bus tour and I was disappointed in the food...just fyi.


I passed this super cool indoor market.  The tree chandelier was incredible!



I finally made it!!  Sarisa Cafe.  I showed up about 5:45 and our reservations were at 6.



Located on East 53rd Street.

I hung out in the lobby, not knowing my friends had shown up early and were already eating, lol.




When I finally said I would sit and wait for them, I saw them!!!
They were almost done.  They did the afternoon tea.    And it is basically a dessert tea.


It took some doing for me to get out doing the afternoon tea.  I had made a reservation, but I did not know I had made a reservation for the afternoon tea.  And seeing what the gals received and knowing I was hungry and I left hungry from the Japanese tea, I kind of fought hard to NOT do the afternoon tea.  They kindly relented and I could order off the menu.

*So note, if you are making reservations, check what you are making a reservation for.**





They were not huge fans of everything on the afternoon tea menu, but they did let me try these.

I am not sure what exactly I tried, but I believe it to be the Thai Luk Chup.  A mung bean paste mixed with coconut and molded into fruit.


I ordered these chicken spread bread pieces, coconut soup, and a Thai iced Tea.

The crispy bread with chicken was great!  I could have ordered some to go.  They were crispy and delicious. I asked for more vinaigrette to go with it.  I really enjoyed those.




We were all so tired that we split an Uber to go the 20 minute to Bryant Park where the bus was picking all of us up.  I was sooo relieved to be sitting and driven somewhere.

We went to Bryant Park and had about an hour to burn before we would be picked up to head home. 


Walking around Bryant Park at Christmas is so beautiful and fun.  Lots of shops selling food, clothes, gifts. 


All of sudden out of no where it started thundering.  The forecast was right, they said it would rain about 8-8:30pm and it did!!!
It poured for about 20 minutes...everyone dashed in the little kiosk shops.



There is also ice skating available too.




Check out Bryant Park at Christmas!





Here is where the bus picked us up at 9pm...and everyone was on time and we were on our way by 9:05pm.


Want to go to New York on the bus trip next time?
Reach out and let me know.  We leave from Orrville, Oh.



Our driver did an amazing job driving us in and out of New York.  This was such a smooth trip.


Bye New York, until next time.....