All About Tea

On April 16th we’d like to invite you to our tea tasting. This will be a six-course tea tasting and all of the food served for this tea will contain the tea in some way. You can expect to taste white tea, black tea, oolong tea, green tea, rooibos tea and herbal tea! You will learn how tea is harvested and processed and you’ll learn a bit about cooking with tea!
This is a pre-paid event and by registration only. $24.95 includes tax and gratuity.
Did you know that all true tea comes from the same plant called Camellia sinensis? Whether the leaves will end up as White, Green, Black or Oolong depends on how they are processed or oxidized.

White Tea contains the highest level of antioxidants and is considered to be the healthiest of all teas. It is virtually unprocessed so a fine silver-whited down remains on the leaf. White tea is harvested by hand only a few days each year from tender infant leaves that bloom in early spring.

Green Tea is also very minimally processed and retains its natural appearance and high levels of the plant’s natural, healthy properties. The taste varies dramatically from grassy and sweet to floral and fresh to nutty and roasted. Green Tea is believed to aid in weight-loss and overall good health.

Oolong Tea (pronounced Wu-Long) is semi-oxidized and a favorite among tea connoisseurs. Oolong expresses characteristics between both Green and Black teas. Oolong is said to lower cholesterol, boost metabolism and aid in weight loss.

Black Tea is the most popular tea in the western world and comes from leaves that have been exposed to oxygen, which changes the leaf’s properties and accounts for the dark, rich colors and strong, brisk flavors characteristic of Black Tea.

Rooibos (pronounced Roy-boss) is also called Red Tea because it is made from a ruby-colored herb. It has a sweet, full-bodied flavor without a trace of bitterness. Rooibos contains some of the highest known anti-aging properties of any plant on earth. This therapeutic herb offers many of the same health promoting properties as Green Tea but is 100% caffeine-free.

The information from this guide to tea comes from the Octavia Tea Company.

Tis the Season, For Weddings!

According to The Knot, a popular wedding website, wedding season is about to be upon us. June, August, September and October seem to be the most popular months for saying “I do.”

Emma’s Tea Room offers many ways to meet your bridal needs. After 16 years of happy marriage, Rebekah Klein, owner of Emma’s Tea Room, remembers clearly what fun it was choosing her special venues for events leading up to the wedding. She looked forward to sharing every special moment with her friends and family.

If you are not familiar with Emma’s Tea Room, we are located in a charming older home in the 5-Points area. The Tea Room is a refreshingly elegant way to go back in time to a slower way of life. We serve on china and use silver utensils. Your experience at Emma’s Tea Room will be an unforgettable one and you will leave feeling well pampered. Our goal is to give you a serene and intimate atmosphere to relax and take in every moment of your bridal occasion.

A return to elegance is trending in wedding themes for 2013. With popular shows such as Downton Abbey and the remake of the literary classic The Great Gatsby coming to theaters soon, the roaring 1920s are making a comeback. Emma’s Tea Room fits right in with the return to elegance theme for weddings this year.





Here is what Emma’s Tea Room offers to meet some of your bridal needs:

Breakfast with the Bride
This is an elegant and stress-free way for you to host your bridal party and out-of-town guests on the morning of the wedding or the morning of the rehearsal. The tearoom is closed to the public until 10:30a.m. So there is plenty of room for you to mingle with your guests. [$13.50-$15.50 per person + tax and gratuity]

Bridesmaids' Luncheon
Consider honoring your bridal party with a refreshingly elegant luncheon at Emma's Tea Room. We have a private dining room which seats up to 10 guests, as well as a couple of larger rooms that can accommodate up to 30 guests. We will be happy to do a charm cake for your special luncheon to make it an occasion to remember. [$15 - $25 per person + tax and gratuity]

Bridal Shower
Emma's is a wonderful place for a bridal shower. We serve Elegant Afternoon Tea by reservation on Friday and Saturday from 3:30-5:30. Your guests will feel honored as they nibble on yummy tea sandwiches, scones, and teacakes. [$12.50 $22.50 per person + tax and gratuity]

Rehearsal Dinner
Emma's Tea Room is a lovely venue for an intimate, relaxing and elegant private rehearsal dinner. We will be open only to your party, so you will feel free to relax with friends and relatives. We ask that there is a minimum of 10 guests. [$18-$37 per person + tax and gratuity]

Catering
We specialize in catering small weddings of 150 or fewer. We have the proper licenses to work in any of the venues in town from Burritt on the Mountain to the Botanical Garden. Please allow us to give you a quote for your catering needs.

Thanks for reading.

Huntsville's Songwriters' Round

It was a full house at Emma’s Tea Room for the Songwriters’ Round, an evening of intimate listening, and an event we host nearly every Friday night.

Emma’s Tea Room started hosting the Nashville style format of Songwriter Rounds in December of 2012. A round consists of three artists performing a few of their songs mixed with a little bit of storytelling.

The Songwriters’ Round at Emma’s Tea Room is different from most because we have set it up as a listening venue. We are trying to discourage a “come and go” atmosphere and instead desire an intimate evening listening to the artists while you have dinner.

This past Friday’s round included artists that came from Nashville as well as our local artists. The evening started off with featured artist, Sabrina. She did two sets for us while also doing a little storytelling about her songs. She is a well-traveled artist, growing up in South Carolina and traveling through Europe. Sabrina has collected many experiences to put into song.

The first song she shared with us was written to acknowledge the angels watching over her. One evening when she was traveling home she had realized she had been asleep at the wheel.

Another song, and her self-proclaimed quasi-jazz song, chronicled her visit to Paris. The story tells of a girl mending a broken heart in the city of light.

The next set was a trio of good-hearted men who are filled with love and compassion - Skip Cochran, singer/songwriter and on guitar, Greg Mitchell, singer/songwriter, and Ron Hackett on guitar. The audience enjoyed five songs from the trio. While they were quite the comedic threesome, they were also great storytellers and songwriters.

Skip Cochran’s rough and gruff exterior was quickly dispelled with his song about his son. Skip told the tender story of his son coming of age, and getting that far-off look on his face. Skip wanted to write a song for him to take with him on his journey into manhood.

Everyone was able to relate to Greg Mitchell’s vivid imagery in his song about dirt roads, telling the story of a man, his memories, and the love of Tennessee.

A variety of genres and ages were represented at the Huntsville Songwriters’ Round. The last set was reserved for Bonner Black, Emma Klein, and Randy Lee.

Randy Lee started the set off with a love song about his children. Throughout the rest of the set he entertained the audience with childhood memories of bicycles, brothers, and sons. His little ditty about meeting his wife, who happens to be a Human Resource manager, was also cute and lively.

Bonner Black, from Nashville, was a trooper. She came in and sang anyway even with her attack of allergies. The audience was grateful and Bonner was very gracious and sounded fantastic, allergies and all. Bonner lives the songwriter’s life singing and writing full time while residing in Nashville.

Emma Klein, one of the singer/songwriters in the final set is only 14-years old. But don’t let her age fool you. She knows a little something about writing songs and living life. Her vocals are unique and as rich as a seasoned songbird. This observant and articulate girl can create moving and passionate music, despite her youth.

On the menu for the evening was:

Vegetable Salad with Feta and Muffin
Half Chicken Salad Sandwich and Cup of Soup
Turkey/Bacon/Swiss/Tomato Panini with Chips
Ham and Cheddar Quiche with Soup, Chips, or Fresh Fruit
Chicken Frit Salad served on Greens with Fresh Fruit

Hot Beverage choices:
Tuscany Pear Rooibos Tea
Assam Black Tea
Paridisio Peach Herbal Tea
Strawberry Green Tea

And for Dessert:
Apple Pie Trifle with ice cream
Brownie trifle with ice cream and strawberries
Lemon Cake with Whipped Cream and Strawberries

Visit us next time for the Huntsville Songwriters’ Round at Emma’s Tea Room. We ask that you make a reservation, as seating is limited. Please be in the door by 5:45. The show starts promptly at 6:00.

Welcome to Our Blog

Emma's Tea Room now has a blog. Look for a weekly update of all things happening at Emma's Tea Room. We are excited about this new endeavor and hope you follow along with us.

On Monday, the 11th, look for a recap of the this Friday's Huntsville Songwriter's Round, an intimate listening venue at Emma's Tea Room.

On the blog we plan to cover a wide variety of topics, so please stay tuned.