Tea House Back in Business

JIM FAIR
Published: Sunday, September 30, 2007 Updated: 7:33 am

The Tea House at Lake Lanier is a favorite dining location for many in the area.

The first time Patty Otto drove around Lake Lanier, it was to buy a lodge.

Otto had lived in Charleston, S.C., and was moving to the mountains.

She noticed a restaurant set back from the road fronting a lake, with houses and docks to her left and right and a mountain straight ahead.

'I've always had my eye on that restaurant,' Otto said.

Now Otto owns it. She bought the restaurant formerly owned and operated for 25 years by the Kerhulas family.

The Tea House at Lake Lanier, a subtle name change from the former Lake Lanier Tea House — which closed two years ago — is open, and the storytelling is as much a part of the ambience as the fine-dining menu.

Jeanne Seaman said she plans on returning to dine where she once celebrated family occasions.

'I took my daughter there for Thanksgiving, and I remember the nights they had lobster and clambakes,' she said.

One not-so-subtle change is the addition of air conditioning.

'The breeze off the lake helped, but we didn't think about the heat in earlier days,'

said Mitzi Lindsey, who frequented the restaurant until it closed. 'It also wasn't as hot then as it is now.'

The apartment above the bar — which David Niven is said to have lived in while visiting Polk County during his acting career — is gone. The log cabin exterior and polished interior show the historical significance of The Tea House. 'There's nothing I'd rather do than watch the sunset or full moon over the water,' Otto said.

Word-of-mouth of the restaurant's opening less than two weeks ago has brought back customers of two generations past to reminiscence and enjoy the dining experience.

Otto has hired Marshall Watkins as executive chef and Jesse Koeth as general manager. Both previously worked at Gerhard's Cafe in Spartanburg.

Otto made some changes to make the restaurant more customer-friendly. A new menu will be launched this week, with stuffed quail among its items.

Otto also owns the Hare and the Hound in Landrum and the El Chile Rojo restaurants in Landrum and Tryon. She said discussion about buying the Tea House began during a visit with her sister at the Bantam Chef near the entrance to Lake Lanier.

'I was always fascinated with the location,' Otto said. 'This restaurant is something from the heart. I want to see its full potential met as a destination.'

Lindsey remembered the Tea House as the place to take visitors.

'Everybody who came to town to visit us, we took them to dinner there,' Lindsey said.

Otto said customers have come in with pictures taken at the Tea House, telling stories that touched their lives.

'One person brought me the recipe used for French dressing here from years ago. I was only 6 or 7 years old at the time. I'm having some pictures being framed now that are historical to this place,' Otto said.

As Otto sat on the patio and talked about the history of the Tea House and her effort to get it registered as a historical landmark, a young couple parked their car across the road. The young man took a photo of the girl looking into the distance across the lake.

'They didn't even glance over here or turn around to look at this place,' Otto said. 'They have no idea of the history this place has had.'

And that is the reason Otto wants to ensure that the history of the Tea House is preserved.

'I just want a new generation of people to enjoy this place. I want to keep those people's memories alive.'

More information

Owner: Patty Otto

Address: 351 E. Lakeshore Drive, Landrum

Cuisine: Fine dining

Hours: 5-10 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday. Sunday brunch 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Phone: 864-457-5423