A perfect brunch at Petaluma’s Tea Room

One of the endearing things about dining out in Petaluma is the plethora of long-standing independent and unique restaurants here. A prime example is The Tea Room Cafe, located at 316 Western Avenue, in Petaluma’s eclectic downtown. Their motto of “A pot of tea, a place to eat, art to see, and a place to meet” sums up the experience very nicely.

There are a few things you need to know before you make plans to eat at The Tea Room. The most important is that they only take cash, so come prepared. They are closed on Wednesdays, which sometimes surprises people. They serve breakfast, lunch and brunch on the weekends - no dinner except for some special occasions.

Ordering is done at the counter, after which you pick up your own tableware and coffee and find a table, as they become available. Everything is cooked to order, so it does take a bit of time for your food to be prepared, but it is always served fresh, and the correct temperature. Even though the name sounds like a place for afternoon tea rather than dining, there are many unique options for both dining and beverages, so do not let the name dissuade you from trying it.

Dogs are welcomed at the outdoor tables, but since you have to go inside to order, make sure you have more than one person so someone can stay outside with pooch. There are about four small tables outside on the sidewalk.

The Tea Room Café is owned and operated by K. T. Crum. The staff make everything on the premises except the bread, which is sourced from Pan-o-rama Bakery. Their in-house baker creates a number of traditional and gluten-free options so there are choices for everyone.

Over the past week on three visits we tried a number of items, including the Go-Pi-Chi salad ($11) baby greens, goat cheese, pine nuts and balsamic chicken. It also included roasted red peppers and red onions. The grilled prawns ($11) were served on baby spinach, with olives, cucumber, feta cheese, red peppers and onions.

The other lunch item we tried was the turkey meatloaf ($8.75) with a side of aioli and baby greens. For dessert we enjoyed one of the salty malty chocolate chip cookies ($2.50) - definitely one of the best chocolate chip cookies ever.

On Sunday the brunch menu offers eggs Benedict and variations in addition to the regular breakfast menu. We tried the eggs Florentine ($10.50) made with Pan-o-Rama English muffins, sautéed fresh spinach, poached eggs and Hollandaise sauce. We also tried the Euro morning salad, ($8.75) a mix of baby greens topped with crispy bacon, a fried egg and Parmesan cheese.

Our third entrée, vegetable frittata ($8), was served with a lovely assortment of fresh fruit. It was very tasty and healthy at the same time. At this same meal we experienced an outstanding tea service, with the tea being made from loose leaves, served in a properly warmed ceramic pot, and when we asked for milk on the side, it came with a pitcher of warm milk. Just perfect.

Our final visit was a foray to check out their pancakes, waffles and related items. We tried the French toast ($7.50), a huge portion of three very large, thick slices of French bread, served with a small amount of maple syrup. When we requested more syrup, we were told that it would cost $1, which we found disconcerting only because the original order was served with barely enough syrup for one slice. Crum said that, since they serve 100 percent organic real maple syrup, they don’t want to see any go to waste.

We also tried the heavenly pancakes ($5.50/$8.50), sour cream pancakes, which lived up to their name. The two-pancake half-order was served with as much maple syrup as the full order of French toast.

The cornmeal waffle ($7.50) with bananas and strawberries was in my opinion the star of this category. It was super-crispy, and very tasty, and with the included fruit it made this a sublime breakfast item.

The potato cakes ($4.00/$8.75) with smoked mozzarella, harissa, sour cream and green onions were very tasty, especially if you enjoy the robustness of potatoes. The smoked salmon toast ($7.50) is one large slice of multigrain toast with herbed cream cheese, cucumber, capers, red onion and tomato slices along with the lox-style smoked salmon.

On other visits I have enjoyed the quinoa egg bowl ($8.50) with sautéed vegetables, avocado and poached eggs, an item unique among traditional restaurant breakfast menus and nicely prepared as well.

In addition to both iced and hot teas, The Tea Room Café also serves mimosas, beer and wine, wonderful cappuccino, café au lait and other specialty coffee drinks.