One of our favorite haunts has a new home!
The White Oak Tea Tavern used to live in a centuries old log cabin in Daleville where we became "regulars" nearly since its inception. I even remember going to a White Oak Tea in-home party (before the tavern ever existed!) and tasting Cherry Rose Festival for the first time...it was love at first sip and created a loyalist for life right then and there. ;-)
My husband and I are both self-proclaimed tea enthusiasts, and we were beyond thrilled to discover a tea tavern those many years ago far removed from the teeny cucumber sandwiches that left your tummy rumbling for more, lacy curtains circa great-grandma's house, and floral wallpaper in dizzying abundance. This was a place where men felt just as comfortable as women, you could wear your jeans and a tee shirt to dine, and you left fat and happy!
We love the relaxed pace and friendly atmosphere that owner Kim Arney brings to the tavern, and somehow, teacup in hand, Jesse and I always say we have the best and most focused conversations there. Whenever we had something important to discuss, it was time for a Tea Tavern date... Whenever we had something to celebrate, the Tea Tavern it was again! Whenever it was a gray and rainy Monday, you guessed it: the Tea Tavern made it's way onto our agenda. :-)
Nothing is predictable but change they say, and when we heard that our beloved tavern was going to be moving, our hearts broke a little for all the sweet memories those old log walls held, but Kim assured us that The Old Preston House was full of its own kind of charm, and thanks to our impending move, we'll actually be closer than we were to the Daleville location! Yay!
The grand opening was this Monday, and of course, we wouldn't have missed it for the world. Poking around all the wonderfully unpretentious nooks and crannies, somehow, it already feels like "home". Having much of the same decor helps, and "our" cozy chairs (seriously, shouldn't we get nameplates on them, Kim?! hahaha!) made the move too, much to our delight.
The food, headlined by two delicious chicken salad selections: a savory hot version served in a bread bowl, and a cold sweeter version served on a bed of lettuce (we always get one of each and share) somehow seemed better than ever! But of course the star of the show is their huge selection of delicious tea varieties: black, green, white, herbal, pu-erh, you're sure to find a few (or a dozen) favorites among them.
They are open from 10-5 Monday-Saturday, and reservations are no longer needed (except for large groups), so grab some friends and family and plan your visit to The White Oak Tea Tavern soon, we bet you'll become "regulars" in no time!
You can find the new location directly across the street from Walmart on Main St. in Salem.
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