THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, November 18, 1994 TAG: 9411160134
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PHYLLIS SPEIDELL, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
In a rose-covered, cream-colored cottage just off Tyre Neck Road in Churchland, residents, business-people and shoppers are returning to the quiet elegance of tearoom dining and the light, healthy fare scarce on most fast-food menus.
Classical music and the quiet clinking of china provide the background for conversation as Rose Cater serves lunch and afternoon tea in her recently opened Rose Garden Tearoom and Gift Shoppe.
Some longtime area residents have been drawn to the Rose Garden by cherished memories of similar luncheons at Downtown tearooms such as the Tip Toe Tearoom that used to flourish on Dinwiddie Street. Other residents come because they are looking for a change from the usual chain-restaurant offerings. Still others are intrigued by the Rose Garden's eye-catching decor.
The roses trellised on either side of the tearoom's front door are everblooming, painted there by one of eight local artists Cater called upon to turn a physician's former office into a cozy restaurant with a unique flair. Together, Cater and the artists have created a half-dozen eating areas that include a formal dining room, a garden room, a beach room, a Victorian room, a children's room and the elegant silver room.
From the forest green dining room, with its rose-patterned china and rose-sprigged carpeting, to the rustic paneled beach room, each of the dining areas has its own personality. Although the garden room and dining room will hold larger parties, several of the smaller private rooms seat only four to six diners.
A children's tearoom has been especially designed with pint-size tables and chairs so that youngsters can celebrate with a birthday party on their own scale.
Cater also plans to open an anniversary room, decorated with a bridal theme and serving just one table for two.
The Rose Garden grew from Cater's search for office space for her decorating service, Related Designs, Inc. When she found the cottage in Churchland, she realized that there was enough room to add a tearoom and gift shop where clients could relax and browse among one-of-a-kind consignment items from local artists. Then Cater decided to expand on her original plan and add a lunch menu.
Open just more than month, the tearoom consistently draws a large lunch crowd and has booked numerous wedding dinners, showers and Christmas parties for the next month. ``People were asking to come in before we were even open,'' she said. ``I think people, men as well as women, like it because it is different.''
Cater has found that the tearoom's cold plate and salad lunches appeal to both sexes. ``I definitely did not want this to be considered just a women's place,'' she said.
The lunches are prepared with fresh fruits and vegetables and the desserts, such as peanut butter pie and warm bread pudding with lemon sauce, are rich homemade indulgences.
``We give you a healthy lunch, but then the dessert is your decision,'' Cater said with a laugh.
``A lot of people don't yet quite understand what afternoon tea is all about, but that will pick up, too,'' she added.
On a recent afternoon, several tables were filled with tea patrons, nibbling from tiered silver trays filled with homemade pastries, finger sandwiches and fresh fruit. While they drank tea and chatted, several models from a neighboring clothing store strolled from table to table in an informal showing of holiday fashions.
Cater, a Portsmouth native who has lived in Suffolk's Bennetts Creek for the past 18 years, has enjoyed her catering and decorating careers, but her first love is marketing. She is excited about the tearoom's potential as a venue for local artists to showcase and sell their creations. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MARK MITCHELL
Some people are drawn to the Rose Garden by cherished memories of
similar luncheons at Downtown tearooms.
by CNB