Patty Pinto’s Hot Dish: Coffee, Tea & Tulips
By Patty Pinto on January 06, 2012 10:12 AM | Comments (7)
As I entered the small restaurant, the chef gazed intently at me from behind his kitchen counter. Affectionately known as the “Moody Chef,” he can throw down against any expert pastry maker. The clotted cream and scones are handmade daily by this cantankerous culinarian. As for the hostess, she is a dark-haired, classic beauty who pours more than 15 types of tea and runs the front of the house. With the congeniality of a doting mistress and the contrasting command presence of a Marine Corps Drill Instructor, she had me feeling instantly at ease. Together, this ying-yang duo own and operate Coffee, Tea and Tulips, a shabby-chic tea parlor and petite bistro in Mission Viejo.
I was promptly seated in a comfy corner of the restaurant with a full view of the buzzing bistro. The hot teapot of Midnight in Paris tea bellowed steamy fumes of ginger, crème de coconut and vanilla flavors triggering endorphins and similar feel-good chemicals in my brain. At the Moody Chef’s recommendation, I ordered the freshly made orange scone with sides of clotted cream and imported raspberry jam. My scone was light and crispy on the outside and warm and tender on the inside—similar to a southern-style biscuit. His ability to whip up a mean scone and equally rich and thick clotted cream caught me off guard! How could such an obviously brash personality create such a delicate and delicious scone?
Several years ago, Chef Michael Samawi left his corporate job and—with his wife Lina (also hostess and waitress), once a missionary travelling the globe—opened Coffee, Tea and Tulips offering full tea service and internationally inspired dishes. “Tea and scones before any meal” is Michael’s motto. Hisl and Lina’s concept is to cook healthy, homemade and sustainable food items serving the dishes “fast food” style—that is, in a timely manner.
The charming parlor and bistro is nestled between an arts and crafts store and a bowling alley in the confines of a large commercial shopping center. The setting is “country cottage”—a dried-flower wreath and small pictures hang on the walls, dining chairs sport billowing back pillows and a rustic armoire filled with tchotchkes rests against one corner of the restaurant. Each table setting is unique and a menu, as thick as a coffee-table book, graces each place setting. Recipes are inspired by Lina and Michael’s Middle Eastern heritage with many options from which to choose. Sandwiches are made with artisan bread and tortilla wraps are meticulously rolled and stuffed with crisp ingredients. The Tomato Bisque is thick, rich and velvety and served with a topping of big crunchy croutons.
My tapas of sliced hard-boiled eggs, bright red Roma tomatoes and a hearty anchovy filet was drizzled with quality extra-virgin olive oil, then sprinkled with finely minced black olives. The briny flavor of the anchovy filet and salty black olives are the perfect accent for the otherwise bland tomato and plain boiled egg.
Ninety-five percent of the menu is vegetarian with many vegan alternatives available. The Roasted Vegetable Sandwich, a favorite of mine, is over-stuffed with an abundance of roasted veggies and pungent blue cheese. Lina’s Organic Spinach salad is fresh and filling. A towering pile of organic spinach, thick avocado slices and bacon pieces along with chunks of white skinless-boneless chicken breast overflow on the plate. The spinach salad is very good and a nice combination of lean protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy essential fatty acids.
Despite a busy “walk-in” lunch crowd, Lina managed to maintain a controlled calmness while taking precious time to greet each patron individually. In spite of Moody Chef’s intense demeanor and apparent nonchalant attitude, it is evidenced by his cuisine Michael has a docile soul with a passion for cooking. Along with Lina and her heart for service, Coffee, Tea and Tulips will be recognized as a dining haven where guests may enjoy traditional tea service and healthy meals in the comfort of a warm, inviting setting.
Cheers!
Coffee, Tea & Tulips, 25280 Marguerite Parkway, #B2; Mission Viejo, 949-587-9988
