TEA TALK is a marvelous little shop in Poughkeepsie Point S/C. Don’t be worried by the Tea Talk banner outside the UPS Store—it’s just to let you know the shop IS there INSIDE the mall. Once in the mall, you’ll see the shop: modern, clean & inviting! They specialize in Harney & Sons teas. These are available bagged in tins in the front of the store, and loose leaf in quantities as small as a half-ounce, farther back. Small tins can be purchased to make a nice gift presentation for the loose leaf teas. The people behind the counter are very helpful, and let us take our time making up our minds. Best of all, the minimum loose leaf purchase is a half-ounce, not two ounces—the better to try more kinds of tea! One may buy a cup of any flavor, either iced or hot. They do not serve formal tea, but they have a small seating area with a small loveseat, two easy chairs, two “deuce” tables with regular chairs, and a Zen-looking picnic bench. We enjoyed a smoothie each, then tried a hot and a cold tea. Bubble teas are also available. Likewise there are some baked goods, including tea-flavored ones. Teapots tea sets & mugs can be found from the front of the store to the back, in price ranges from the affordable to expensive. We had a beautiful time!
I took afternoon tea here eleven months ago, in memory of my best friend’s birthday. It’s a quiet, continental restaurant, understatedly elegant. I had some lovely Assam with lemon and sugar, just the way my Russian grandpa would have (he and my mom taught me to love tea that way). It was a delightful experience. The finger sandwiches were good, as were the pastries and scones. I took the cookies home for my husband, as I got full. It was pricey, but I was by myself, imagining my friend and I enjoying it together. I could envision her saying, “Isn’t this nice!”
