Piccadilly Parlour provides an escape, unique teas

Valley Deals 365 - Piccadilly Parlour

Video

An interview with Claudia Zacharko of Piccadilly Parlour. This video feature is from Valley Deals 365, a partnership between The Vindicator and 21 WFMJ-TV. Visit Valleydeals365.com to view this and other deals.

By Corey Crisan

ValleyDeals365.com

In Partnership with 21 WFMJ-TV

CANFIELD – Claudia Zacharko envisioned opening her own Mexican restaurant nearly 15 years ago – until a friend swept her into an English tea room. Growing up half-Mexican and half-Ukranian, Zacharko was raised on multiple cultures, including the culture of having afternoon tea with her father.

“My father is Ukranian, so it was custom to have chai tea and rye bread with butter,” Zacharko said. “I grew up as a little girl having tea parties with my dad.”

When Claudia was presented with the opportunity to purchase Piccadilly Parlour, she could not resist.

“I came in and I knew nothing about English tea,” Zacharko admitted. “I knew about tea with my dad, but everything I purchased was for a Mexican restaurant. That was the focus, but it really turned around. Within three days, Piccadilly was mine.”

When Zacharko acquired Piccadilly Parlour in 2004, it was an establishment with eight tables and a limited menu.

“It was small,” she said. “It was an 8-by-11 menu, and I added more tables, [doing] more functions ... Every day, I still learn something and I’ve tried new things.”

Piccadilly Parlour’s tea room caters to parties, particularly on the weekends. Zacharko said the amount of baby and bridal showers that are booked at the Parlour are too many to count.

“It’s been an honor to go through stages of families,” Zacharko said with a grin. “Just having their bridal shower here, then their baby shower, and now I’m doing their children’s tea party. That, to me, is awesome that I’m going through the process of their life, too.”

As Piccadilly Parlour continues to bring in generations of customers, Zacharko helps instill life lessons that are difficult to forget.

“We have to teach our children manners,” Zacharko said. “This is a great place to do it. The little girls know they’re coming to somewhere special. We’ll pour milk or lemonade into a tea pot and we’ll show them to pour it nice and slow, and they’ll do it. If they make a little spill, that’s OK! They’re learning.”

In addition to shower events, Piccadilly Parlour has seasonal events. Zacharko invites the Easter Bunny, princesses and Santa Claus during the appropriate seasons for children to have tea with. In March, Piccadilly Parlour is featuring an Irish tea in lieu of St. Patrick’s Day. She also said Mother’s Day weekend is by reservation only.

Much like any English parlour, those looking for a bite to eat with their cup of tea can expect the usual suspects. Piccadilly offers a range of tea sandwiches: cucumber, walnut and cream cheese, egg salad, chicken salad and tuna salad. It also has house made Victorian or berry scones with fresh “clotted cream” and berry jam on the side. For the lighter option, Piccadilly offers eight salad options, as well. The parlour also has a house-baked orange tea bread, where you can purchase slices or a whole loaf for the table.

Piccadilly Parlour’s tea selection is widespread. Sachets are charged by the pot, so just as the sandwiches are meant to be shared, so is the tea. The Piccadilly Parlour menu has more than 30 tea blends – its best seller being its cinnamon spice blend.

“Most of our teas are [imported] from England,” Zacharko noted. “You’re getting a good, quality tea when you come here.”

Piccadilly Parlour is open daily 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is closed on Sundays. For the full menu and reservations for events, visit piccadillytearoom.com.