Friends and Neighbors: Mansion offers more than iced tea

Published 2:53 pm Monday, April 11, 2011

Step inside Chelsea’s Tea Room in an antebellum mansion on South Thornton Avenue and you may think you’ve back in time in Victorian England. But a quick peek outside through one of the decidedly feminine windows reminds you’re still in Dalton.

So what is a fancy tea room, complete with a garden and gift shop in the back, doing in the middle of a small industrial town in North Georgia? Current owner Pam Slaton isn’t sure who originally came up with the idea, but she said business has been steady since the establishment opened 10 years ago this month.

A Dalton native who graduated from Southeast High in 1981 before attending Cleveland State Community College, Slaton worked in the carpet industry as a bookkeeper until 1996. She then became a stay-at-home mom, raising her and husband Jeff’s daughters, Hannah and Kenlee. When the kids began school, Slaton landed a part-time job at Chelsea’s — eventually becoming a full-time employee.

Slaton worked in a variety of areas, including the kitchen and dining room and as manager. She was no stranger to spending time in the kitchen.

“Growing up I spent a lot of time cooking, canning and freezing food,” said Slaton. “I cooked dinner so mom wouldn’t have to. I was also interested in vegetable gardens, too. There were always lots of vegetables from the garden and meat from my dad Oscar’s job as a butcher and his hobby of hunting wild game. In school, I baked a lot for cheerleading and the band. I was always designated to make cakes and cupcakes for their bake sales.”

Slaton bought Chelsea’s in 2006 and at first concentrated on serving lunch and afternoon tea only. She added catering after she noticed lots of out-of-towners coming through the area looking for tea rooms. Slaton caters all kinds of celebrations, including bridal showers, birthday parties, baby showers or any kind of special occasion.

The menu didn’t change much because of the sale, with Slaton keeping some staple recipes and adding some of her own. Chelsea’s on Thornton received Best Dessert in The Daily Citizen’s 2010 Reader’s Choice awards.

“We’re known for our strawberry cake, praline cake, mandarin orange cake, key lime pie, peanut butter pie and chocolate chip truffle cookies,” Slaton said. “In the summer we do a tomato pie. We also have homemade soups, salads, quiche, shepherd’s pie, panini, seasonal salads, chicken salad and 25 types of tea.”

That may sound like the perfect recipe for a girls’ get together, but Slaton says men frequent the restaurant, too. However, that wasn’t always the case.

“In the beginning, men were intimidated about coming to a tea room,” she said. “But businessmen like the quiet atmosphere for business lunches. We have a couple of rooms decorated with a more masculine feel, but they don’t really care anymore about where they sit.”

If they so desire, men and women are welcome to head upstairs to a European day spa for some pampering after they finish their meal. Services range from facials and massage to waxing. Package deals including lunch are available as well as packages for couples. Prices vary from $10 to $135. Spa services are offered Monday through Friday as well as evenings and Saturdays by appointment only. Those interested may call Lori Sellers at (706) 537-2544.

Not interested in getting pampered? You can walk around to the back of the mansion where you’ll find Bishop Gardens, which includes a gift shop as well as precise manicured landscaping. This area is owned and overseen by Pat Robertson, a longtime avid gardener. Robertson opened Bishop Gardens a couple of months after the tea room’s grand opening.

“I was helping get the house ready for the tea room and thought ‘Why don’t I start a garden area?’” Robertson recalled. “I built the space in the back for the gift shop and do all the landscaping around the outside, and also (do landscaping) for the public. I have a lot of decorative, garden-related items (in the shop), fountains (which can be purchased and installed), arrangements for Chelsea’s special events and custom silk florals.”

Although the spot is perfect for spending some time enjoying a leisurely stroll on a warm day after a good meal, Robertson said lots of visitors don’t even realize Bishop Gardens exists. And she said there’s always something to see.

“I have different kinds of plants that people don’t normally have in their yard,” she said. “I also have two different lines of patio furniture and shady areas. The tea room is formal, while the garden is just the opposite. You can sit over here and hear the church bells three times a day or just sit and enjoy the weather. People love to come in and chat.”