England is know for afternoon tea, but did you know Dallas has an afternoon tea in one of its nicest hotels? The Joule in Downtown Dallas is not only a place to lay your head; it is also a great place for a spot of tea. Inside hotel sits the The Taschen Library…a bookstore like no other and the perfect setting for tea.

TEA at TASCHEN
The Joule
1530 Main Street
Dallas, TX 75201

First, a little history. Benedikt Taschen wanted to publish his comic collection so he started Taschen Comics at the age of nineteen in Cologne, Germany. Taschen has expanded to feature books about art, photography, interior design, architecture, film, music and fashion. There are stores stateside in Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Miami, New York and HERE! How lucky are we?!

When you enter The Taschen Library at The Joule you are greeted by a wide array of beautifully covered tomes. They are really works of art. You are allowed to browse the books during tea. Just ask!

Amongst the beautiful books you will also see many wonderful mosaics saved from The Mercantile Building before its demolition and renovation. The mosaics, fabricated in Venice, are now set in the library just below the ceiling. (And throughout the rest of the hotel.)

Onto the tea. The three long tables are exquisitely set with tea cups in wonderful colors just smiling at you. I love the juxtaposition of the old and new in the decor.

The Menu~

Teas
Wild Strawberry Green – A nice and fruity tea; not too strong.
Orange Blossom Oolong – This was a bolder black tea with a wonderful taste.
Dark Chocolate Pu’Erh – I was a little apprehensive about this tea, but it was wonderful and a perfect tea with the sweet bites.

Savory Bites
Ham and Cheese (bottom tier) was a wonderful little pillow of goodness packed with a ton of flavor. The freshness of the okra gremolata worked with the salty pecorino crisp and spiciness of the calabrian chile.

Goat Cheese Brioche (bottom tier) consisted of goat cheese with beets surrounded by a strip of strawberry gelee then topped with vegetable ash. How do they pack all that flavor into one bite?

Duck Rillette (middle tier) was a nice homage to a pate with a pickled mustard seed, prickly pear and a mild dijon foam.

Salmon Mi-Cuit (middle tier) was served on a thinly sliced everything bagel. The salmon is cooked in a style similar to sous vide. It was tender and full of taste. The sorrell crema and horseradish were great additions.

The Joule Egg was eggsceptional. (Sorry…I couldn’t resist.) Honestly, my favorite part of a deviled egg is the filling. The egg white is purely a carrier to get all that creamy, deviled goodness into my mouth. The Joule Egg is perfect in this capacity. The yolks are perfectly flavored then whipped to a delicate consistency. The deviled cream is served in an eggshell with a egg white foam on top. 

Sweet Bites
Huckleberry Buckle (top tier) was similar to a blueberry scone in texture. It was just sweet enough.

Chocolate Cherry Pot De Creme (left in picture below) was a nice, creamy bite of chocolate with a light cherry flavor.

Compressed Tres Leches Cake (middle in picture below) was wonderfully rich and moist. The dried pineapple slice on top was a great addition. It leveled out all the sweetness with a little tang.

Peach Cobbler (right in picture below) was so refreshing. The crust was buttery and flaky. The filling was peachy and fresh and that sugar crumble! Yes, yes.

Tea at The Taschen exceeded all my expectations. A word to the wise: schedule your tea in advance. Seating is limited and it fills up quickly. They also offer a discount on the books for tea sippers. Go ahead and email them. You know you want to!