Where: Kirkwood, Atlanta, Georgia Style: Modern industrial Tea Selection: 3 blooming teas Teatimes: Saturday and Sunday, 10 to 4 Reservations: Walk-ins welcome Contact: 404-228-2026, reserve here Cost: $95 Tea Tower (serves 2) Destination Tea Tips: Peckish will validate for two hours free parking. We advise reserving in advance to secure indoor seating, which is limited.
Destination Tea Notes: We are excited to introduce you to Atlanta’s newest intown afternoon tea because it is a standout experience in a number of ways. Owner chef Tamara Hewitt opened Peckish in Pullman Yards in May, applying her exemplary pastry skills to a menu that “celebrates her Jamaican heritage while incorporating Southern influences.” This is the place to come if you are ready to take your senses on a visual feast and tasting adventure. Another rarity, Peckish’s tea tower is offered as part of the brunch menu, so walk-ins are welcome, and your non-tea-going friends (do those exist?) could order other brunch dishes. Because the tea trays are made to order, expect to wait a tad longer for your tiered cage to arrive, the perfect excuse to start with a tapas dish or eye-catching cocktail. Tamara kindly spared a moment to chat with us, so we could applaud her pastry talents and discuss some ideas for expanding the tea selection. Although the tower serves at least two people, it includes only one of Tamara’s imaginative confections, so we understand if you cannot choose just one and need to order more (either for the table or in a gift box, to take home for a friend or yourself).
Originally built in 1904, this industrial complex has been used to produce WWI fertilizer bombs, to develop liquid carbonated gasses for The Coca-Cola Company, and finally to repair passenger and cargo cars for The Pullman Company. During segregation, The Pullman Porters formed the nation’s first African American labor union aimed at improving the working conditions and treatment of African American railroad porters and maids. In 2017, Atomic Entertainment purchased and redeveloped the site as an “entertainment destination of the south,” where the Atlanta Arts Fair is held in the fall, as part of their mission to bring arts, culture and fun to the neighborhood. See upcoming events here.
If you prefer outdoor seating, the large covered patio is an option.
Appreciating the mixture of textures inside: brick, stone, wood, metal, tile.
Tea Selection
We’d like to see more tea options offered, such as a black, oolong and white tea. One pot of tea is included with the tea tower.
The cleverness of a blooming tea is that it opens slowly to prevent oversteeping. We chose the blooming green tea, and marveled at the inset strainer by the spout.
The tea was delicious, especially with a touch of honey.
No, you are not being “extra” if you order the dazzling Sky Juice (gin, coconut water, sweetened condensed coconut milk, butterfly pea flower tea, topped with nutmeg). You are just enjoying yourself. We also sampled their mimosas, which come in Coconut, Passion fruit, Pineapple or Orange.
Scones & Spreads, Savories and Sweets
Tamara’s “peckish” theme alludes to taking bites of smaller servings “to allow guests to enjoy a range of indulgences” so these menu items feature tapas-sized dishes.
Starting off the meal with tostones with a garlic herb aioli, and the shrimp and grits with cajun cream sauce.
The tiered cage is freshly assembled, and includes two of each item except the fishbone (see below), plus our selected pastry from the pastry counter.
Three finger sandwiches kick-off the savory course: (our favorite) smoked salmon bagel with pickled onion, cucumber and cream cheese; cucumber cream cheese on Jamaican hardo bread; and a forgettable turkey bacon club on croissant.
Tamara is all about the details. Note the “Peckish” branded bagel.
Finishing off the savory course are the heartier items: the fish-shaped Ackee & Saltfish Fishbone (codfish cracker, ackee & salted cod cream), Hot Honey Chicken Biscuit, and mouth-watering Oxtail Empanadas with Plaintain Herb Crema. Also pictured here is the start of the dessert course – a Peach Bourbon Cruffin.
The hard part is choosing one of Tamara’s amazing pastries. We wisely went with the Piña Colada (coconut panna cotta with pineapple inside a chocolate shell).
Strawberry lime scones were yummy with a passion fruit honey butter. The fruit tart cream was lovely, while the cannoli cream seemed to approach a mousse consistency. The jewel of the dessert course was the amazing Piña Colada – perfection!
Little bears, coconut shells, coffee cups, potted plants, bananas and flowers are just some of the whimsical edible designs Tamara creates.
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