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| Victorene's Tea & The Pittsburgh Magazine |
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Did you ever walk past an elegant old mansion in the city or drive by a quaint home in the county and wonder what it looks like inside? Or did you ever wish to be invited in and treated as a guest? Just RSVP to our invitation to tea, and we'll take you on a leisurely tour featuring several landmarks-some built more than a century ago, others developed to reflect architecture of the past. In every case, these homes have been given new life as tearooms. The owners have opened their doors to guests and embraced the history of tea, offering their own twist on the menu, presentation, and setting.
-The Pittsburgh Magazine
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Sentimental Journey
Chris Cole and her husband Ken didn't just open a teahouse-they created a new life for Ken's grandmother's 1870 Monongahela home. They restored the home in 2002 and opened Victorene's Tea in 2004. Chris turned a favorite pastime of preparing formal tea for family and friends into a business and gathering place for local women. "Tea is about togetherness for women, " she says. "It's about taking time for yourself." The house is an old Victorian farm house and also the Cole's residence. In fact, it wasn't until they had lived there several years that they decided to open a teahouse.
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| 2005 Pittsburgh Magazine Home & Garden Edition |
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Chris selects loose tea to go with the season and her menu. It includes finger sandwiches-such as chicken and apricot tea croissants-bite size cookies, a salad and fresh fruit, and is served in one of three places; the formal dining room, the English parlor or the Victorian wraparound porch during warm weather. No details are missed in the presentation, from the antique china, name cards for each guest, a printed menu at each place setting and a program that includes games, trivia, and inspirational quotes. Victorene was Ken's grandmother's name, and the pair agreed it was the perfect name for the teahouse. Chris hosts special events and groups but also plans monthly theme teas, which can include up to 20 guests. "Most women come to enjoy the afternoon with a friend," she says.
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