Angelica Tea Room

Wanted to treat the Mrs to a fun night and a new place in town. I had been hearing about the Angelic Tea Room, which ironically is nested in what used to be Club Diablo, which catered to a much less ‘angelic’ crowd. I had been hearing that their cocktails were dialed in, and the snacks were good – and I love both of those things – so let’s do it, right?

I parked in the lot next door, which was maybe $6… I guess if I got aggressive, I could have found a spot on the road, but I wasn’t feeling it, and wanted to park somewhere close. We walked up to the front door, and 2 couples which appeared to be in their mid-50’s walked in before us. I thought ‘oh ok, attracting an older crowd – that’s cool. But once inside, the bumping music and existing demographic proved otherwise. It appeared very crowded, but 2 seats at the bar opened up right as we walked in, so we snagged them up immediately, and got comfy. This place has a great vibe, and the lighting is intimate.

The bartender walked over and immediately served us what I presume was a champagne based punch, a nice little warm-up, while we perused the menu for drinks:

Unlike other places that include the ingredients of their cocktails as a means of enhancing the idea of them – this place lists classic cocktails by name only. Either you know your drinks, or you’re looking on your phone like a turd trying to find out what they are. I’m sure the bartenders would absolutely recommend a selection based on your preferences of liquor and flavors, But it might also be fun to pick a random drink and see what happens. I knew a couple of these cocktails – and of course, ordered an Aviation.

The flavor was right on the money, and reminded me of my first Aviation with my brother – quite delicious. Erica had a drink (Last Word?) that came with a cute little clothespin holding her lemon peel in place!

Then it was time for some snacks, we had some mixed nuts, which seemed like they were out of a can – fine.. And some pate and tea sandwiches.

Crusts cut off just like mom made – pretty tasty too.

Now bear in mind, that plate above is a small plate, with small utensils – It was a small helping, but a decent portion of a really tasty pate.  I had never had it with jelly before, it was awesome!

My next move was a Sazerac – which requires that the glass be rinsed with absinthe prior to building the cocktail. What’s cool is that they didn’t just toss the absinthe out as the original cocktail recipe would suggest; instead, they put it on the side for me to enjoy as well!

Pardon the little hand.. that’s just a fun little thing that Erica and I have been doing..  it’s a little hand…  whatever..

Lastly, I knew that when I went to this place that I would want to order a high end scotch..  Browsing their lengthly list, my eyes saw the ‘Octomore’. I immediately flashed back to the Ice Plant down in St. Augustine, and instantly knew that I had to have it. I ordered it neat like a boss, and enjoyed it nice and slow:

Talk about a scotch that will mellow you out proper!

Overall, the experience at the Angelica Tea room was a positive one, I will certainly throw this place out as a recommendation for entertaining folks from out of town or going out for a special occasion. It’s walking distance from Big Ditch, Deep South Taco, Tappo, Mohawk Place, Electric Avenue, and even Chippewah if you’re feeling brave, so it a great place to park and experience some of the new and old growth of Buffalo. We will return!

 

 

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *