www.drbombays.com

It was a lovely afternoon for a walkabout in the Candler Park neighborhood.  We were having dinner at Dr. Bombay’s Underwater Tea Party and decided to arrive early and explore the area.

Our first stop was the Flying Biscuit Café  to ask about the neighborhood and see if anyone had any recommendations on things to check out while we were in the area.  A young ladysitting at a table by the front door with her two little ones heard us talking and said enthusiastically that we had to stay because the food was SO good!  If we weren’t on our way to dinner, we would have stayed for some biscuits… we’ll be back!

Our next stop was Balance Design.  A cute little shop with a great collection of furnishings, art, accessories and various things.  We were greeted by a lovely young lady who explained a bit about what they do.  If you’re planning a room makeover, home or office renovation or re-design… check them out!  They can help with all your design needs.

Next stop… Candler Park Market.  A little neighborhood market where locals can stop and pick up essentials (including plenty of beer and wine options).  We were pleasantly surprised by the Deli we found in the back of the store.  A quick perusal of the menu made our taste buds wake up and sing “I want some please”… hot and cold sandwiches, burgers made with local grass-fed beef, soups, salads and pastries.  The loaves of bread looked so good and fresh baked.  I had to ask if they bake their own bread fresh on-site.  She said they do not but they’re supplied by local vendors.  Their bread supplier is Alon’s Bakery… no wonder the bread looked so good!  And she said their bagels are supplied by Emerald City Bagels.  If we weren’t on our way to dinner, I would have gotten a grassfed beef burger for sure!  Mouths watering, we sauntered on but… we’ll be back!

Next stop was Fellini’s.  Loved the big fountain and outdoor patio/seating!  Stopped in and asked if they have any gluten-free pizza options.  He said no, but they do have salad!  Gluten is more easily tolerated if you eat salad with it, right?!  If we weren’t on our way to dinner, I would have ordered a slice of vegetarian and a salad… we’ll be back!

We continued down the street a couple of blocks to Candler Park.  We leisurely strolled the park taking pictures, chatting with folks and enjoying the beautiful weather.  We had fun people watching… there were people walking dogs, kids playing in the playground, golfers out on the golf course, quite a few swimmers in the pool, guys throwing frisbee in a large, open grassy area… it was awesome!

We exited the park, rested on a park bench for a few minutes and watched traffic go by… then strolled back down the street on our way to dinner.  We passed by La Fonda Latina.  We didn’t go in but saw a few customers coming and going with happy looks on their faces… looks like another place we’ll have to come back and check out!

We finally arrived (very hungry) to our dinner destination, Dr. Bombay’s Underwater Tea Party.  We were there for the monthly fundraising dinner called A Taste of India which benefits young female scholars in India.  The dinner is held on the last Monday of each month.  Check out The Learning Tea to learn more and purchase tickets.

This was our first visit to this quaint and charming little tea shop and we had a blast!  The food was delicious, guests had fun browsing the bookshelves, reading excerpts from books and even purchasing books to take home (for $1 each, proceeds benefit the scholars). 

There was a party of ten seated next to us who were celebrating a birthday… and a party of four who just seemed to be celebrating life!  The volunteer hostess and servers were totally awesome!  As was the bartender who served up the beer and wine. Toward the end of the evening, we strolled to the back patio  and were glad we did.  It was lovely with candles and string lights twinkling in the night. 

It was a really good time and for a really good cause.  I’m asking all of my friends and family for any old cell phones they may have lying around so I can drop them off on my next visit (donated cell phones are distributed to people in need so they can make emergency phone calls).  I also want to pick up some of the darjeeling tea and a bag of locally roasted coffee by Firelight Coffee Roasters!

If you find yourself in the Candler Park area, stop by Dr. Bombay’s for a pastry and a cuppa.  While you’re there grab some books, drop off your old cell phones, leave a donation… and feel good knowing your contribution makes a difference!