As the weather continues to stay bitter cold in the Keweenaw, everyone is looking for a nice warm place to relax. The Four Seasons Tea Room offers a quaint, quiet and welcoming atmosphere for those looking to warm up with a nice cup of tea and a scone.
The Tea Room is owned by Andrea Schuldt who started Four Seasons Tea Room with her mother. “I was the big baker and cook while she was the big tea drinker,” said Andrea. “My mom came up with the idea for us to go to tea school. It was a week-long crash course that showed us how to focus our ideas and gave us some good resources.” October will mark Four Seasons Tea Room’s 16th year of being open in Houghton.
Four Seasons Tea Room is only open from 11 a.m. to 4 or 5 p.m., which makes it the perfect place to go for a Sunday brunch with your friends and family. “We are not trying to be dinner,” said Andrea. “We focus on lunch and snacks because we know most people will want a burger and a beer for dinner.”
Like the name suggests, Four Seasons Tea Room specializes in their tea. There are over 70 varieties of tea on their menu, and you can always ask for yours to be decaffeinated. From black teas to herbal teas, everyone will find a kind they will want to try. Even if you’re not a big tea drinker, there are plenty of fruity teas to try. They also offer hot cocoa, cider or lemonade for those who aren’t as adventurous.
However, you will not find a hint of coffee anywhere in the restaurant. “The oils from coffee will coat the cups and it’s hard to get them off. Then it will start to affect the taste of the tea when you drink it out of the cup. Plus when you brew coffee, the smell takes over the whole place,” said Andrea.
Besides tea, Four Seasons Tea Room has a variety of dishes and desserts to try. One of their most popular items are the quiches. “I’m really well known for my quiche. One summer a kid stood up when we were packed and said, ‘This is the absolute best quiche in the world!’ I hand-make all of the food that we serve, except for the bread because we have colored bread for different seasons and I don’t have time to make it. I like doing things in small batches so everything is fresh for the customers,” explained Andrea.
“We don’t use paper products. We use real silverware, linen and china,” said Andrea. Four Seasons Tea Room has dozens of unique teacups and saucers for their customers to drink from that they have collected over the years. Some customers have even donated cups and saucers so they would get to be used more.
You can make a reservation at Four Seasons Tea Room if you have a large group of people, but walk-ins for smaller groups are always welcome. “Birthday parties are always welcomed, for the young and old. We also do baby showers and private parties too,” said Andrea. There are also tea tastings held throughout the year at Four Seasons Tea Room.
In the front of the restaurant, there is a selection of teapots, teas, greeting cards and other items for sale. All of the teas that they offer in-store are available for sale as well, so if you try a new flavor and fall in love with it, you can pick up a small bag to take home.
The building is well over 100 years old and full of charm. The tables inside are decorated with old photographs and linen tablecloths. There are plenty of unique fun hats around the restaurant as well that customers can try on and wear while they drink their tea. The atmosphere is very relaxing which makes the whole experience better. Four Seasons Tea Room is definitely a place you will want to try, and its charm will have you coming back for more.
