ABOUT US

I guess I’ve always been a “foodie” and I blame my Mom and Grandma, because they were such great cooks! When mom decided to quit work to be a stay-at-home mom to us girls, she cooked home-made meals almost daily. I grew up eating fresh from the garden, homemade foods. She learned from Grandma, who was also an awesome cook and baker, and we had many home baked pies.

 

It was only after I moved away from home and went to University, that I tried Asian and Mediterranean foods, and I fell in love. After I had been working as a Recruiting Manager, I was introduced to both my husband and Indian food. Before we had kids, we ate out often. After having the twins, I cook often, and we eat many types of foods; a plethora of American, Asian, Mediterranean – you name it, if it’s yummy, we eat it.

 

I’ve always liked to cook – it brings back memories of loved ones. Only after the twins were born did I really take an active interest in learning how to make healthier foods. So much information is out there that can be confusing, and it’s been a passion of mine to research GMO versus non-GMO foods. I truly believe food is our medicine, and know deep in my heart the reason my grandparents had such long and healthy lives was due to them eating straight from their gardens, and remaining active for as long as possible. 

 

So when I came to a time in my career when sitting at a desk for 12 hours a day wasn’t healthy for me, I quit my job and immediately started working on opening a cooking school for kids. Rata2ee was born! We had been in business since 2014, working in home ec rooms in various school districts. All the while, requests for private parties such as our Cupcake Wars Birthday parties grew. So we started looking for our own space to conduct private parties.

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When I found out the previous owner of The Victorian Rose Tea Room in downtown Rochester was retiring, an idea hit me. After a few years of looking for that perfect location to hold our Rata2ee private events, we finally found it. And why not keep the tea room during the daytime hours! This was the perfect pairing of two great companies!  With a few small changes, we re-opened on Monday, January 9, 2017.  We have kept all your favorite recipes, the Victorian theme, and hopefully the clientele.  

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It is still a walk-in restaurant, but reservations are encouraged, to be guaranteed a seat. We have expanded our open hours somewhat, and added some vegetarian, vegan, and gf recipes. While we have kept some of the current tea selections, we also offer some new loose leaf teas that are served in pyramid bags. Check our newsletter for the flavor of the month! 

 

We continue to specialize in events such as baby showers, wedding showers, rehearsal dinners, corporate events, meetings, and other small group events. We also have some fun additions:

 

For Kids: Birthday Teas, Doll Teas, Tiaras & Teas, Princess Teas, Cupcake Wars Birthday Parties (a Rata2ee Event - call for details)

 

For Everyone: Sound of Music Sing-along, Mary Poppins Sing-Along, Tiaras & Teas, Harry Potter Themed Dinner, Alice in Wonderland Teas

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For Adults (Tea Parties & Dinners): Steam Punk, Downton Abbey, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Murder Mystery Nights, Game of Thrones Dinner, Outlander Dinner, Friends, Gilmore Girls,  The Office, Golden Girls

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Holidays: Mother's Day High Tea (4-course meal); Christmas High Teas (4-course meal); Valentine's High Tea

 

Call to reserve now, as dates are currently being booked for all kinds of events and parties. Don’t miss out!

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Please stay tuned for more information as we continue to renovate, grow, and take on new challenges. And thank you for all your well wishes and support!

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Sincerely,

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Tonia 

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