By, Carol Fisher-Linn
… ooooommmm!
Ever wish you could just get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life for just a few hours? Not far away, not for a long time, but just a break – a sweet respite – a self-indulgent sliver of time to walk into another world and feel the tension drop from your shoulders and just say, “Ahhhh!” I have found you such a place. No, not a spa or an infusion, although both can be experienced in Ellicottville, and would do said job perfectly. I direct you to get into your car, take a peaceful, leisurely fifteen-mile drive into the countryside along route 353 into the Village of Cattaraugus. Just before you get into the center of the village, on your left is a grand, vintage white house with a sign out front proclaiming you have arrived at Azalea Park Decor. Turn in. Plenty of parking!
Not just another gift or antique shop, it is that and more. Walk up the steps of the generous porch and enter the first room (one of many) which invites you to slow down, take some deep breaths and simply absorb the ambiance. The instinct is to stop, to look around, to settle into the charming, welcoming environment and step away from the outside world. You have arrived. Welcome!
Azalea Park Décor and Alice’s Tea Room is the brainchild of mother/son team, Michelle and Jesse Fisher, long-time residents of Cattaraugus. Michelle, a stay-at-home, home-schooling mom, and her son Jesse (one of four siblings) were inspired to take their talents and the things they love and turn them into a business venture. Michelle has spent many years declining opportunities to go into friends’ homes and decorate them. She was simply too busy raising a family. Jesse, who loves to cook and is an antique buff, was between jobs, having decided that working for his dad’s Tree Service business was not his cup of tea. He and his mom stumbled across a few buildings in the village where they could both could give flight to their mutual and compatible interests.
At first, the idea was to open a Décor store, using both antique and new furnishings and provide a venue for 20 or so of their artisan friends. They settled on the old house knowing it had the cozy, homey atmosphere they were seeking. As they explored the building, they discovered a lovely upstairs room with so much personality it literally shouted, “Tea Room” to them. So now, the plan was expanded to include a tearoom, naming it after Michelle’s beloved grandmother and utilizing her antique tea table in the “Tearoom.” Encouraged that they could pull it off, the duo became proprietors of an establishment named after a beloved flower, Azaleas.
Well, it is an old house. What was/is one of the busiest, coziest rooms in your grandmother’s house? The kitchen, of course. Knowing how much Jesse liked cooking and baking, having grown up learning from his own grandmom in a kitchen much like this one, the idea of serving light meals was born. Jesse had been cooking and baking complete dinners since he was 10, even choosing to make his very own birthday cakes, so it was a no-brainer. Meals were added to the agenda.
So, here’s how Azalea Park Décor stacks up. It is set up just like grandmom’s home. Every room has its distinct personality and use with many of the furnishings for sale. The charming receiving room hosts a large wooden table and chairs, which also doubles for lunch or tea services. The living room, with its comfy sofa invites visitors to rest for a few moments and simply enjoy the view or review the purchases already made. One can, of course, purchase the sofa or table if they wish. Shelves throughout hold interesting pieces, art works, handmade crafted items, pottery, signs, plants, just as any home would have displayed. It’s difficult to remember one is in a retail establishment and not in someone’s home.
The dining area holds another table service for four for meals or teas. In the working kitchen, a small table is set for two and in the private room upstairs, everything is ready for tea for up to six persons. Meals are walk-in or pick up (go online to Azalea Park Décor to discover the kinds of wonderful sandwiches, salads, and desserts on their weekly changing menu). I can’t wait to get there on a day they are serving. Oh, and ask them about their very interesting assortment of sodas to drink.
Azalea Park is open Wednesday- Friday 10am-7pm, Saturdays 10am-2pm. They are located at 55 S. Main St in the Village of Cattaraugus. You can call or text to place orders to go – 716 637-8838 or dine in if there’s a table available! Their weekly menus can be found on their Facebook page. They also provide three different tea services, by reservation only. They will be closing this Friday at 5pm and will be closed from November 1-8 to prepare the interior for Christmas events. You can call any time to make reservations for tea. Plan to spend an afternoon.