Finally, A Restaurant that Keeps Improving

[Click any of these photos for a full-sized view.]

We’ve all had the experience. A new restaurant opens nearby. We drop in for a meal. It’s Terrific! Nothing like it around. A welcome addition to the neighborhood. Great food; great service. Dining areas, parking lot, and even the restrooms all perfect. A new “great find.”

Months pass. Sometimes six. Sometimes as few as two. This “latest and greatest find” now isn’t quite what it used to be. Usually, the condition of the facility is the first to go. Not as neat and clean as it used to be. Then the service takes a hit. Finally, the once-legendary kitchen no longer produces those terrific dishes. Few survive.

Well, here’s one restaurant that’s only gotten better since the Allens, Carol, Kelly, and their dedicated crew, opened the doors in April 2008. Every month, it seems, brings a change. A new must-try dish on the menu; new blends of tea, perfectly brewed; a whole new look for the downstairs Café or upstairs Tea Room. That’s over seven years of improvement!

My wife and I have been enjoying lunch, tea, and even high tea, here since early 2009. We drive up from Columbia every chance we get, and we’ve yet to be disappointed.

After visiting for more than three years I mustered the courage to ask Carol Allen to sit for a CarolinaConsidered interview. She finally agreed. Click here for a listen and more photos. Carol explains the origins of the Tea Room and gives a few hints of her plans for its future.

Laura’s Tea Room has a new website. If you haven’t visited for a while go on over to www.LaurasTeaRoom.com for a look around. Julie Buffington has done a great job. Maybe I can persuade her to redo the CarolinaConsidered website one of these days.

Oh, and next time you visit the Tea Room be sure to add your e-mail to Carol’s list. Her posts are a great way to start your day. And, she provides up-to-the-minute news about Tea Room happenings. Including sales! There must be some way to sign up electronically, but I couldn’t find it.

So, there you have it. Finally, a restaurant that actually improves over time. In Ridgeway, South Carolina! 

Walking back up Palmer Street to the truck during our last visit I snapped the photo above. That’s in front of Emma and Lillie’s Cottage Goods. One of Ridgeway’s newest businesses. What a place! You’ll have to stop. 

Laura’s Tea Room Gets Better and Better!

(Click the photo above to access the Tea Room’s fancy new website. Lots more information there.)

Yesterday my wife and I drove to Ridgeway, South Carolina, for one of Laura’s Tea Room’s famous high teas. It turned out to be the best yet. During the four years since Carol and Kelly re-opened The Thomas Company they’ve made lots of changes. One thing that hasn’t changed though is the quality of their teas and food.

This is a quick snap of the second-floor tea room from our table next to the exposed original brick wall. I mean!

And here’s a table for two just like ours but next to the front wall with its huge windows overlooking Ridgeway’s Palmer Street. Everything you need to enjoy a real cup of tea. Right down to the napkin holders. This is a charming room.
Here’s a view of the mezzanine from the second floor. Ladies can choose one of those fancy hats on the way to the dining room if they’re so inclined.

Best not to ask how many brands, or even types, of tea Carol & Co. serve here. The list goes on and on. Something for every palate. From good solid English breakfast tea, brewed and served properly, to unusual flavored varieties. Like iced and sweetened pomegranate green. “Pomegranate Green”??? Well, it was excellent. And I never drink flavored teas.
Click this link, tearoom@truvista.net, to sign up for Carol’s excellent newsletters. Carol’s posts will make your day. Every issue a different theme. AND, she lets us know about special events and even discounted specials through the newsletter. Wish I could write like that!
Oh, and speaking of food, here’s a short video of what we had to eat during our last visit. Just too much to describe in words. Enjoy.

(Click here if your browser fails to display the embedded video)