Mar 4: Art Tea

Many places around South Florida feel arty. But as far as I know there's only one arty spot in town that offers tea. It's a new shop I just discovered - well, actually a friend discovered it and brought me with her. Anyhow, it's called Paul's Gallery and Teahouse and this storefront is a true find. Out of the way, tucked in among Fort Lauderdale's hidden nooks and crannies just off A1A. Paul's Gallery and Teahouse reflects the personality of its owner who, predictably enough, is named Paul. His full name is less expected: Paul Plaintaganuwong. From Bangkok, Thailand, he is a gentle young man who's also a talented artist, with his own canvases on the walls all around this delightful shop. That's part of its appeal. But only part.

When I stopped in the first time with my friend, Gaby, I immediately felt comfortable and welcome. Paul came over and shook my hand, then sat us down at one of the pleasant couches situated around his store. Very quickly, I began to feel as if I wasn't in any kind of retail store at all, though. This relaxing environment was more like being in someone's pretty, modern home.

Gaby ordered tea and lichee ice cream. I ordered a macchiato. It was raining when we met and the couch in back of Paul's shop felt like the perfect cozy spot for a chat between close friends. Paul's paintings are on sale there, vibrant and contemporary mixed media pieces that seem as hip as Paul himself. He's a cool kinda guy - even keeps a piano and acoustic guitar in his store to play when the mood strikes him. The service is excellent, as you might expect at a small, very personal shop of this type. But Paul's service can go above and beyond, for sure. That's what happened when Gaby realized her parking meter was running out. She was fumbling for quarters, then went outside only to discover that Paul already had fed the parking meter for her. He had seen her car and didn't want Gaby to get a ticket. How nice is that? To find Paul's Gallery and Teahouse, you need to look for it among two long rows of stores on the west side of A1A a couple blocks north of Oakland Park Boulevard. The address is 3304 NE 33^rd Street, Fort Lauderdale and the phone is 561-685-9744. Only in business about two months, Paul's place is open from 1-10 p.m. Monday through Friday and 4-10 p.m. on weekends. It takes a bit of effort to locate Paul's Gallery and Teahouse the first time. But it's worth it.