It was a warm fall day in October and I had a table reserved by the window at Craftsman & Wolves. I was out to try their new afternoon tea, launching a year after the shop opened up in the Mission. Already a fan of the rebel, I was excited for the tea experience and happily photo-documenting what I ate.
Pastel blue and chocolate-colored ceramics by Heath Ceramics match perfectly with Craftsman’s modern treats. A postcard was provided with a menu on the back for the tea. Items change based on season.
As they always say, you eat with your eyes first and everything at Craftsman & Wolves is visually stunning, this tea spread included. You can get the stand at pot + pantry, a nearby kitchen boutique, that I highly recommend visiting after stopping by Craftsman & Wolves. Update 3/27/13: pot + pantry is now an online shop
I started at the bottom tier and worked my way up to the sweets at the top. The little Weck jars had salted cod rilettes paired with mini brioche toasts. I like salt so this was a highlight for me. To the right, a thin slice of rye bread made in-house has a spread of smoked butter and topped with a seaweed called laver, lobster mushrooms and paper-thin radish, a modern update to the tea sandwich. There were also baby beet root madeleines, pictured in the full tier photo.
The middle tier had a combination of savory and sweet
On the left another stand out, simple but delicious, silver dollar-sized buckwheat crumpets that I spread with clotted cream and lemon curd. On the right, a maple bacon scone with a nice crisp golden top. It was a large size for afternoon tea and could have been a snack on it’s own.
For the finish, a sweet trio: caramelized hazelnut financier, apple pate de fruit and chocolate praline tile. The pate de fruit was the winner for me. It was like biting into an apple and had the right amount of sweetness. I think I’d prefer the financier in the loaf size that they have a la carte so I can really sink my teeth into the moist cake. The baby was okay. The chocolate sable cookie was nice and the little white chocolate Jackson Pollock adds a whimsical touch. I just wanted a bit more of the caramel filling.
Oh before I forget, can’t have afternoon tea without the tea. They serve Naivetea which specializies in oolong teas. I was clearly there for the food because I can’t remember what blend but it came in a beautiful glass pot. I look forward to going back again, perhaps in the spring when different ingredients are incorporated into the menu.
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