Tea Culture - Cultural Center and Private Club - The Empty Boat, Santa Cruz, CA

The Empty Boat: A Tea Cultural Center and Private Club

Squid Row Alley #7

Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Sponsored by:

Chaikhana Tea Culture

317-A Cedar St.

Santa Cruz, CA 95060

phone: (831)423-4200

The Empty Boat: A Tea Cultural Center and Private Club opened its doors with an invitation-only catered affair on Saturday, June 9, 2007.  David Wright, owner of Chaikhana Tea Culture, arguably the best place in Santa Cruz to buy loose, whole-leaf, single-estate tea, has now opened this eagerly awaited membership club for tea lovers.  The event was, not surprisingly, very well attended and there were plenty of smiling faces accepting gratis pours of ever-flowing vintage 1999 aged bingcha pu-erh (Sorry, if you're gasping!) and an expectional 2004 Organic Hunan fine-cut loose-leaf pu-erh.   Bi Luo Chun Green, Organic Keemun Black, Eight Immortals Oolong and Organic Kukicha Green were also served gratis.

The Empty Boat informational brochure states that the space is "dedicated to the Art of Tea" and it is clear that Wright wanted to wait until everything was artfully prepared for a picture-perfect opening.  Even the weather was picture perfect, which was fortunate since one of the best features of The Empty Boat is its marvelous roof-top patio area with seating under a sky of giant, tan, cantilevered market umbrellas.

The Empty Boat is brimming with dark, interesting East and Southeast Asian wooden furnishings and embellishments jauntily juxtaposed against the tell-tale signs of the historic past of the space which have been allowed to survive.  Much effort was given to the eclectic interior decoration of the establishment.

The entrance hall has glass cabinets with antique tea-themed artifacts followed by entry into a tea bar area.  Two tea servers competenty prepared multiple types of tea while on-lookers sat at the bar or at seating around the tea-accessory laden room. 

An intimate "living room" downstairs, called "The Pu-erh Room", has seating for small groups around a beautiful, low, imported East Asian gong-fu tea service table with small, low stools.  This is the kind of table that is designed so that the tea server may rinse the utensils directly at the table.  The rinse water and any discarded tea is poured onto the surface of the table.  The liquids then flow through openings in the table surface into a waste catcher for later discard. This allows the tea server to continously prepare tea without leaving the guests as long as there is source of fresh, hot water present.  A table-side electric tea kettle serves this purpose.  The tea table and other consignment furniture, art and statuary are available for purchase.

There is a small room between the ground floor and the roof-top patio that was used as the food presentation area for the open-house.  In the short term, this area will be used for staff breaks, according to Wright.

There is a brick patio out back that was not used at the opening.  It has the feel of a mystical, secret garden.  When it opens for use, it will be an interesting place to sip tea. 

The Empty Boat will undoubtedly become "The Place" to go for tea in Santa Cruz.  Membership in the club is reasonably priced at $35.00 per month or $384 per year, as of this writing.  Members receive discounts on classes, lectures and special events as well as the Chaikhana Tea of the Month.  Members also receive complimentary tea service from the tea bar while at the club.  Guests may accompany members but will be charged a daily fee for full membership priviledges such as tea service.  Members may bring and serve their own tea or choose from a selection of Chaikhana Tea Culture teas and tisanes.

Members are encouraged to use the facilities for private functions, classes and events during hours when the center would be closed otherwise.  Arrangements may be made for center staff to serve tea.  

The first instructional effort will be a nine class series on "Cooking with Herbs and Tea" with Benjamin Zappin, L.Ac. of Five Flavors Herbal Pharmacy and David Wright of Chaikhana Tea Culture (no website).  The series begins on June 20, 2007.  Registration is open for the entire series or for individual classes.  The class size will be small.  Further informaton on this series can be found at the Five Flavors Herbal Pharmacy Events website.

The Empty Boat does not allow the use of cell phones or computers on the premises.  Cell phones must be turned off at entry.