Northern Ohio Tea Treasures
Hugging the southern shoreline of Lake Erie, the metropolis of Cleveland, Ohio, offers more than breathtaking lakeside views and numerous cultural and historical sites, including the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the nearby Amish Country. Beyond the city’s downtown and within its many suburban communities are hidden gems for teatime aficionados to discover, each with its own unique menu and setting for the beloved pastime.
Quintealia’s Tea Parlor
quintealias.com • 440-834-1777
14585 E. Park Street • Burton, Ohio 44021
A friendship that spans more than three decades is a rare and precious thing, especially one that successfully navigates co-owning and operating a business. When Annette Phillips and Renee Petro met, they quickly bonded over their love for hosting events with tables set with fine china and beautiful teawares. Their connection, along with their combined experience of arranging special events for the Cleveland Ballet, eventually inspired the idea of inviting family and dear friends to their homes for afternoon teas.
“We loved the art of entertaining with the beautiful china, the nice silverware, and beautifully folded napkins,” Annette recalls. “There was just an art to having tea with your loved ones.”
Throughout the early years of their friendship, Annette and Renee shared with each other their dreams of someday opening their own businesses—a bakery for Annette and a tearoom for Renee. In 2013, the pair decided to make those aspirations come true by joining forces to open Quintealia’s Tea Parlor.
Housed in a late 19th-century house boasting five fireplaces, crystal chandeliers, and original woodwork and flooring, Quintealia’s Tea Parlor became the perfect outlet for each woman to achieve her goals. The tearoom’s whimsical name serves as tribute to Annette’s grandmother Quintilia, who inspired Annette’s original vision and provided several of the recipes Annette recreates in the tearoom daily. The tearoom has also served as home to Annette’s impressive collection of teacups, saucers, and teapots, which she has been garnering since childhood. For her,
