Tea expert opening two new cafes

Cobblestones. The word conjures up images of brick-lined streets, the sound of horse hooves clattering on stone streets and the genteel homes of Europe.

For Las Vegans, it will have new meaning. It is a comfortable place to sip a spot of tea, enjoy a crumpet or two and converse with friends. It is also a dream come true for Caroline Guagliano.

When she first opened the Antique Cafe & Tea Room inside the Antique Sampler Shoppes, 6115 W. Tropicana Ave., Guagliano knew her operation would be a success. Now celebrating her third year, she will be opening two more locations. One is part of the Gypsy Caravan at 203 E. Colorado St. and will open in late November. The other is in Henderson at 2031 W. Sunset Road, and will open in late October.

The name of the shop will change to Cobblestones with the opening of the new locations.

On Saturday, Guagliano has planned a free seminar on the history of teapots. It's slated to be held at the Sampler Shoppes location, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. The seminar will be conducted by Dee Perino, resident antique appraiser, and will include a chance to taste fine teas from around the world.

Perino said one of the more interesting things about tea is it was discovered about 3,000 years ago by a man named Shan'nung. He was boiling water when a leaf fell in the water and gave it a taste. He liked the flavor and tea was born.

In India, it's said, a Buddhist priest named Darma who lived in the first century, couldn't sleep so he chewed some tea leaves and got invigorated. He, too, spread the word.

"When people first started drinking tea, they had handleless cups," Perino said. "It was hot, too hot to drink so they put it into saucers and drank from the saucers."

Also, so as not to soil the tablecloth, the Chinese began setting their cups in "cup-plates." These items measure only only 2 or 3 inches and are made of flint-glass.

"I have one," Perino said. "They're hard to find anymore."

The seminar will also touch on instruments like early tea strainers, tea urns and tea infusion spoons.

To learn more, you'll have to attend the seminar. There is seating in the cafe for about 45 and reservations are recommended. Frank Kenny, whose family owns and operates the tea business F.S. Kenny Co., will be on hand to enlighten people on the health benefits of tea.

Guagliano may add her own bit of history to the tea tasting. She grew up in England. True tea drinkers, for example, always add the milk before the tea. This was a necessity back in the days when china cups were so thin and delicate, they could crack, even burst apart, if hot liquid was suddenly added.

And the fancy pinkie finger, sticking out like a flag pole? That's also from days of yore. It, too, relates to the delicate china cups whose balance was upset without the finger.

"When I do children's parties, I compare it to a tightrope walker," Guagliano said. "He uses a pole to balance himself."

The Antique Cafe & Tea Room has scheduled a Grandparent's High Tea from noon to 4 p.m. Sept. 7. That's when Guagliano will offer discounts for seniors to honor her paternal grandmother. The shop normally offers high tea daily from 2 to 5 p.m. For the past year, it's been importing loose tea from exotic lands like Sri Lanka, China and India.

Guagliano collects teacups, something she started 20 years ago and and now has about four dozen. The oldest is 50 years old, but she doesn't care if they're highly priced, just pretty.

"If you ever come to my home you'll see none of my cups match," she said. "I just collect them to remind me of things, of places."

At the seminar, Guagliano plans to have teapots for sale.

"I like the social side of tea," she said. "Whenever I'm feeling long in the tooth, it gives me a pick-me-up whether it has caffeine or not. It's taking that pause and enjoying gentle conversation, that's what I like about tea."


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