11-29-14
My daughter took me for High Tea for my birthday. Selection of teas was excellent and Julie and Kevin were knowlegeable about the teas. I was rather disappointed with the table setting. Silverplated pieces were tarnished, scones were dry and pastries were really not what you would expect served for High Tea. Example of pastries: mini loaf of pumpkin bread and sugar coated cinnamon roll. The devonshire cream, lemon curd and preserves were very dry, apparently had not been covered before placing in refrigerator.
There was no music and other tables in the room were not set. There was no ambiance and not the type of setting you would expect from the Arizona Biltmore and the high price you pay. I have been to "High Tea" in England, the Hackett House in Tempe and other places in the states and all really exceptional.
I did mention my observations and recommendations to Julie and what other "High Tea" places are doing. In order to compete, same changes definitely need to be done. Service was good and Julie really made up for the short comings by offering us different teas, bringing out a nice cupcake with a candle and offering me a box of tea to take home.
At this time, I would not recommend this place for "High Tea". I would only recommend it as a place to taste different teas since Kevin Doyle and Julie do have a good knowledge of teas. With improvements, this tea place can compete with the other well established "High Tea" rooms.