Emily Shaya is originally from Georgia, but after studying at Tulane, she knew New Orleans was home. As founder and director of new projects for Pomegranate Hospitality, which owns restaurants like Saba, Saba’s Lounge, Miss River and Chandelier Bar at Four Seasons Hotel in New Orleans, as well as several operations in Denver, the Bahamas and Las Vegas, she works alongside her partner and husband, Alon Shaya, to bring incredible and inventive culinary experiences to guests on a global scale. She also hosts a fabulous fête when inspired, and we thought there was none better to take a spring tea party theme to modern heights.
What Must a Great Tea Party Have?
Tea, of course, “and I think you could honestly serve it hot or cold,” says Shaya, “especially if it wasn’t all that warm yet.” One can source easy tea recipes from cookbooks and the internet, adding in flavors and colors like hibiscus and mint. For service, consider “a big French press,” she says. “Compile your favorite tea cups and saucers in your style. You can find adorable vintage sets at your local antique shop or estate sale or midcentury tea pots.”
How to Modernize the Tea
English breakfast is great, and no one is angry at an oolong or an Earl Grey, but these varieties are a nice simple slate for experimentation, especially if you want to add alcohol into the menu.
“We have a Tea Traitor cocktail at Saba, that’s a black tea-washed vodka with grenadine lemon and mint,” Shaya says. “But, always do a taste-test run before the party, and make sure you do not over-steep. I suggest putting on a timer, because tea will get bitter if you leave the tea bag in the hot water too long.”
Updating the Edibles
Traditional tea party foods — finger sandwiches, crumpets and scones — are fine, but they pass a moment to wow guests and are not very local to New Orleans. Being so close to the Gulf, for Shaya, means seafood. “We have a small blue crab roll, which is like a lobster roll, but we use crab. Get some small brioche and make crab rolls with a ravigote sauce and dill. You could do deviled eggs topped with caviar or beef tartare on fancy potato chips.”
Dress to Impress
It’s spring! A bounty of décor is at your doorstep, waiting to be cut. For Shaya, that means tall stalks of ginger plant, palm leaves and big, tropical monstera. One could really play up the British East Indies theme here, borrowing rattan bar carts, wicker chairs and funky lighting. Around town, Shaya says, you’ll find a wealth of places to pick up plants and antique trays or tea accoutrements, like Dop or Consign Consign for bar carts, Lily’s Vintage Finds for small items and Kim Starr Wise or Subtle Fields for blooming greenery. “Don’t be afraid to get buckets and put greenery on the floors,” she says. “It’s not just about the tables, and large arrangements at floor level really adds a tropical feel.”
