Tea time’s hot again

AS we stand at the doorway of the Scarlet Tea Room in Pasadena, my young companion, a college student more conversant with rock en espanol than with, say, clotted cream and lemon curd, turns to me with trepidation.

“Maybe I’m not dressed appropriately,” she says, looking down at her low-slung jeans and glitter-embellished top. Images of disapproving dowagers rise in both our minds -- but we bravely open the door and step in.

My friend is immediately charmed and disarmed. Scarlet Tea Room, it turns out, gets the joke. It’s a postmodern tearoom with a sense of humor. All the rituals, and then some, of high tea are observed, and all the indulgences and niceties of tea cuisine are honored. Cucumber sandwiches? Check. Flower-scented teas? Check. Teeny-weeny cakes? Check.

But faux-snobbish attitude? Nah. What’s the point? We’re all, here in multicultural, democratic Southern California, playing this game together.

On this first visit, a handsome young waiter greets us respectfully and pulls out a chair for my friend at a white-clothed table. We’ve barely had a moment to take in the marble floors, outrageously ornate chandelier, gold brocade wall covering, flower-bedecked counter and gilt-framed mirror when the vivacious proprietor, Karen Mikaelian, swoops down upon us with murmurs of “my ladies” and “You’re here for afternoon tea?”

Mikaelian, no dowager, is clad in pink jeans. She’s chic, she’s friendly, she’s down to earth. She can’t wait to explain the details of the menu offerings to my young friend, who almost blushes with pleasure as she chooses among, to her, an exotic selection of sandwiches.

The five-course “Scarlet tea ceremony” begins with fresh house-made strawberry sorbet, not too sweet and tasting brilliantly of berries.

Tea is served in individual pots; the selection is broad but not excessive. You’ll find basic black, green and herbal along with scented and specialty teas, but you won’t have to stop all conversation at the table for an hour while you de-code a temple-to-the-leaf kind of list.

Still, there are plenty of exotic blends, most from SerendipiTea, including Really Goethe (a blend of lemon myrtle, rose, jasmine, laurel and green tea), Charlie Chan Cha (mint and green tea spiced with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and cloves) and a chocolate-mint-rooibos tisane. The green teas served here are of the less delicate Chinese varieties and don’t require vigilance to prevent bitterness. Wait staffers assiduously offer more hot water as required and step up to pour as your cup empties.

As we sip our tea (my friend enjoying a strawberry-hibiscus infusion while I savor a smooth, malty Assam), the waiter brings house-made scones. Tender and cream-kissed, they’re served on a small white china tray with saucers of bright, tangy lemon curd and a sweetened whipped cream. If you’ve ordered the mini-tea, you can stop eating now, but we settle in for the afternoon.

After the sorbet and scones, a sandwich- and cake-laden epergne is brought to the table. We’ve each chosen four tea sandwiches (from a list of 10). So far, so good, but here’s the best part. Mikaelian has figured out that small and daintily crustless tea sandwiches needn’t be bland. Hers are robust, flavorful, and in the larger sizes available as lunch selections, even hearty. Smoked salmon is paired with a pungent chive spread, turkey-cranberry is spiced with curry, chicken tahini is aromatic with sesame. The kalamata olive tapenade is house made and spicier than you might expect. They’re all delicious.

My companion and I share tastes. She has to try the cucumber sandwiches; here they’re made with peppery watercress and enriched with that chive-cream cheese spread. Fancy, yes, but not fey. And thin slices of prosciutto with roasted red peppers or sliced fresh mozzarella with basil are felicitous contemporary takes on the small-sandwich conceit.

After the sandwiches, and necessarily fortified with more tea, we’re ready for the petit fours. Pretty with fondant, they’re fresh and sweet. Choices vary from day to day; you might encounter a tiny vanilla cake with pink frosting, a miniature creme brulee cheesecake or a chocolate teacup filled with chocolate mousse.

Unbelievably, there’s another “course” to come. Strawberries macerated in orange liqueur are served with soft sweetened whipped cream. It’s just the touch for when too much was what you had in mind.

Which is precisely what women (and it’s mostly women at the dozen-odd tables, sitting back in the comfy upholstered armchairs) have in mind when they make a date at a tearoom. Here, they’re celebrating birthdays, soothing broken hearts, exchanging confidences and escaping from dull business meetings at conventions around the corner.

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Quicker options

BUT your basic two-hour tea-time bacchanal can’t be an everyday event for most of us. So Scarlet Tea Room’s other choices -- mini tea, lunch and cheese plates -- are worth remembering. And many options have an intriguing Middle Eastern touch.

Somehow the food here makes me think of contemporary women’s fashion strategies -- those demure lacy blouses with sexy lingerie underneath; those peekaboo business skirts revealing a flash of muscular thigh. The paprika-colored spread that accompanies the bread basket (lavash crackers and fresh toast) looks delicate but has a real kick of chile, for example. Or a cheese-plate offering is mascarpone and wild honey over roasted pistachios. Aunt Agatha never served anything like this.

That old-time ladies’ luncheon dish, mushrooms on toast, comes across here as a hearty spring feast that’ll hold you through a rough afternoon on the soccer field. A pile of sauteed portabellos and button mushrooms are dressed with fresh sage and balsamic vinegar and heaped onto a thick slab of toasted flatbread.

The tomato Napoleon and dumpling is rich and rustic, with enough going on for two plates. A tomato-feta stack made with good quality tomatoes and excellent, tangy feta is offered with a few spicy dumplings in sour cream sauce. There are daily soups and entree salads.

Cold sandwiches are mostly life-size versions of the combinations offered as tea sandwiches. Warm sandwiches include steak, a couple of chicken-breast variations and a vast club sandwich. All are served on fresh, often grilled, flatbread and come with generous portions of sweet, al dente couscous or mixed green salads rich with walnuts and feta. Another side option is cold sliced potatoes dressed with a peppery vinaigrette.

Lunch dishes, high tea and some intelligent alternatives such as a cheese plate for two are served from late morning to late afternoon, so it’s a perfect place not only for get-togethers or celebrations but for a break with friends when the need for a heart-to-heart doesn’t coincide with cocktail hour.

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Scarlet Tea Room

Location: 18 W. Green St., Pasadena, (626) 577-0051; www.scarlettearoom.com.

Price: Mini-tea, $8; Scarlet tea ceremony, $25; soups, $5; salads, $14 to $16; cold sandwiches, $9 to $11; warm sandwiches, $12 to $15; appetizers, $6 to $10; cheese plate for two, $18; desserts, $5 to $6.50.

Best dishes: Scarlet tea ceremony, olive tapenade sandwich, mushroom sandwich, chicken tahini sandwich.

Details: Open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Reservations recommended. Street and public parking. Major credit cards.

Special features: Private parties only on Sundays.