If real men don't eat quiche it's because they've never been to Piccadilly Parlour.

Owner Claudia Zacharko has worked in the restaurant industry her whole life and decided it was time to open her own eatery. The opportunity came when she discovered Piccadilly Parlour 8 years ago.

From the outside it looks like a cute little shop. Beautiful hanging baskets draw you in to peek through the lace curtains trying to get a glimpse as to what's inside. As you enter, it's like walking into someone's dining room. A mismatch of tables and chairs all covered with lace tablecloths and place settings different on each table. China cabinets and buffet tables surround the room and a small corner area has a wardrobe full of dress-up clothes.

As I walked in, Kendra greeted me with a smile and seated me at a table set in blue and white. Tea Cups and flower adorned napkins, even a bowl of sugar cubes. They take their tea serious here and Claudia proudly served me an icy cold glass of one of her favorites. Green tea with ginseng, lemon, honey and mint. It was nearing ninety degrees outside so I couldn't wait to take a sip. Oh my. Are you sure this is tea? No bitter taste. Naturally sweetened and the perfect blend. This tea is so refreshing, I love it. Claudia said it's quite addicting and popular, but the customer favorite is the Raspberry Tea. My eyes must've widened because she jumped up and said, "can we bring you a shot of that". Well, of course you can. Out came glass number two. One sip and what a delightful tea. The raspberry is not hidden behind the tea, it's definitely the first thing you taste and it is good.

Even though it was hot outside, the tea cooled me off so I could enjoy a cup of Lentil Soup. Piccadilly Parlour offers two soups every day. The Lentil Soup came with a little bowl of oyster crackers. At this point I realized I was being taken back in time to growing up at my grandma's house. She always had tables set beautifully, I used to sneak sugar cubes and now oyster crackers. I didn't think people ate them when they grew up. The soup had few ingredients but was packed with flavor. Lots of lentils, small bits of carrot and celery in a wonderfully, rich broth. It was piping hot and I couldn't stop eating it.

If real men don't eat quiche they should get to Piccadilly Parlour. The quiche is delicious and will satisfy even the manliest of men. Claudia smiles, "We're the only place that makes homemade quiche." I tried two different slices and they're wonderful. Both have this flaky, buttery crust and silky egg concoction. The Harvest Quiche had broccoli, cauliflower, yellow squash and cheese. So creamy, so full of flavor, golden brown on top, perfect in every way. I also tried a spinach, tomato and mushroom quiche that was just as good. Claudia tells me the quiche of the day is made with whatever is in season. It can be zucchini one day, broccoli the next, pretty much anything goes with quiche and it's a great dish any time of the day.

With a name like Piccadilly, you have to serve afternoon tea with a plate of mini bites. A beautiful two-tiered tray placed before me was filled with both sandwiches and dessert. An array of little tea sandwiches, with the crust cut off, egg salad, cucumbers, cream cheese on a sweet walnut bread and more cut in triangles, circles and squares, garnished with a tiny pimento or a small sliced olive. The top tier was the dessert tray. A giant chocolate covered strawberry, a slice of orange tea bread and a mini cheesecake. Perfect light bites available in different combinations and sizes. You can have tea for one, two, three! It's a wonderful afternoon break.

The Rosamund Salad is number one for salad lovers but my favorite is the Oolong Oriental Chicken Salad. Both start with beautiful, fresh romaine lettuce topped with grilled chicken. The Rosamund has slivered almonds and a homemade raspberry vinaigrette and the Oolong has cashews, water chestnuts, oriental noodles and mandarin oranges. My favorite part, the sesame dressing. It sweet and sour with a soy sauce base. It's so good and perfect with this grilled chicken salad packed with lots of crunch.

Another specialty is Lady Claudia's Croissant. A golden buttery, soft croissant is filled with Piccadilly's own creamy chicken salad (tuna is also available), lettuce and fresh sliced tomato. Pretty to look at, the croissant is cut in two, served with a cranberry, pineapple relish and fresh fruit.

I continued eating from plate to plate when Claudia announced that when I was done eating, let her know because the last dish had to be eaten warm. I was curious so in the kitchen she went. Out came two giant, golden, warm scones with raspberry jam and cottled cream. The smell was amazing. I dropped a spot of jam on the scone, then a plop of cream and cut off a piece. Wow. Talk about melt-in-your-mouth. The scone was light, a moist crumbly inside, golden sweet outside, the sweet jam and the cool cream. What a treat. Another flashback. I remember my grandma taking a cold steel bowl from the fridge. As it hit the counter it would steam up on the outside and then she would hand beat the contents vigorously. It turned into the sweetest cream and I got to lick the bowl. That was 40 years ago. And today, Claudia has found a way to my heart and my past.

The restaurant is available for private parties with an average of three booking every week. Garden club luncheons, holiday parties, baby or bridal showers. Her favorite? Children's tea parties. They love the dress-up area. Skipping around with a bright pink boa and lacy dress dragging on the floor as they visit table to table, sipping their tea from a fancy cup. It's a place where everyone is special no matter your age.

Piccadilly Parlour is so much more than tea and little sandwiches with no crust. It's a wonderful place to relax, enjoy a wonderful meal and to reminisce. You're greeted with a smile and you'll leave smiling. It's a quiet retreat, a place where Claudia wants you to walk through the doors and "forget about what's going on out there". Even the food makes you just sit back and enjoy every bite. It's almost as if you don't want to leave. It's a very special and unique place, with a very special owner.