July 20, 2007
by Tricia Jones of The Columbian

Dainty sandwiches, diminutive bowls of soup and fresh fruit cups are among the star attractions. KRISTINA WRIGHT/The Columbian

WHY: Myrtle's Tea House & Herbery is an indulgence similar to a soak in a hot, scented tub. The idea is to check your anxieties at the door and, as owner Elizabeth Brush's menu suggests, "embrace the total tea experience." The decor certainly helps - orchids on the tables, cushiony chairs, vintage hats in the foyer. Customers linger over the extensive roster of brews and banter across the teacups. We entered slightly before the lunchtime rush, and paused to browse in the herbery (an adjoining gift shop) after ordering. Brush thoughtfully made a point of seeking us out to notify us when our tea would be steeped, and just right for drinking. Overall the tonic effect worked on a recent visit, with a few exceptions. I felt slightly claustrophobic as customers began pouring in. The back of my chair was uncomfortably close to that of another patron, and our corner table hemmed us in. In addition, the cash register's placement in the gift shop made for a considerable delay in paying the bill. The service, however, was superior. My friend is avoiding wheat, sugar and dairy products. Brush had encouraged her to bring in her own bread for sandwiches. Brush also deviated from the menu to try to offer my friend a sweet course, asking if the staff could serve her some curd, or at least a strawberry.

BACKSTORY: Yes, there really was a Myrtle. New York native Brush loved visiting her grandmother Myrtle in the latter's home in Apalachicola, Fla. Brush traces her love of baking to the variety of treats that Southern-reared Myrtle always had on hand. Keeping with the multigenerational theme, Myrtle's third daughter, Tinker Brush, helps her own daughter out at the tea room.

YOU'LL LOVE IT IF: You enjoyed dress-up games in your youth. Maybe even if you didn't. I was about as grubby a child as they come, but even I got a pleasurable rush out of using the delicate sugar tongs opposite my plate. And I prefer my tea unsweetened.

YOU SHOULD KNOW: Reservations are probably a good idea. We squeaked in without them on a post-holiday Thursday, but just barely. Also, be aware there are two entrances into the spacious restroom. After securing the hook-and-eye lock on the door leading from the dining room, I noticed too late that the lock on the other door (presumably to an employees-only area) was unlatched. No one burst in at an inconvenient time, and perhaps management has a way of knowing when the restroom is occupied. But it was a little unsettling.

BE SURE TO TRY: Slipping next door into the herbery/gift shop. There are scented soaps, bunches of dried herbs and peppers, bath products, kitchen items, boxes of exotic teas (of course) and other foo-foo products that no one really needs but everyone should buy once in a while.

COST: For years, a television commercial for a beauty product has the model proclaiming something along the lines of "It costs a little more, but I'm worth it." A tea house is about pampering. Prices here reflect that. The lightest tea entree is $8. The heaviest is $13.50. My choice, the Wentworth, was $11 and included a pot of tea, a teacup of soup, a handful of dainty tea sandwiches, fresh fruit and a bite-sized cookie. It was satisfying, but I was hungry again within a few hours.

WHERE: 112 S. Main Ave., Ridgefield.

CONTACT: 360-887-9018.

HOURS: Tea room hours are 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. The herbery is open from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.