WORDS Tara Crutchfield
PHOTOGRAPH Amy Sexson
Lavender‘n Lace Tearoom & Restaurant Florals, frills, and a quiet elegance permeate the atmosphere at Lavender ‘n Lace Tearoom & Restaurant in Lake Alfred. The family-owned tearoom is a whimsical world all its own. An ancient oak with twisted, wide-reaching limbs shades the side lawn. The outdoor garden blooms with flowers of every color and variety and a shimmering koi pond by which to reflect.
Tabina’s father, Hafeez, was a nautical captain in the merchant marines. He and his wife, Sehar, sailed the world, living in places like London and Djibouti before immigrating to the United States and settling in Polk County in 1989. According to Tabina, the family started from scratch in Lake Alfred. “My mother joined a partnership with a lady that owned the original Lavender ’n Lace at another location,” she said. When that location burned down, the Bajwa’s kept the name and restored the current space, a 1915 folk Victorian home, into a proper tearoom. One of the oldest buildings in Lake Alfred, the home previously belonged to a packing house owner, then a dance teacher, and became a funeral home before its tearoom transformation.
The brick-lined courtyard furnished with bistro tables is a paradisal place to listen to the garden’s wind chimes and enjoy a dish from their curated menu. Each room in the historic former residence is themed. Perhaps the most requested table is in the corner of the solarium, with sunlight pouring in through the wall of windows that overlook the lawn and white picket fence.
“Our family has always had a deep appreciation for the arts and rich cultural imports of world cuisine. [...] Like [Anthony] Bourdain says, ‘Food is everything we are. It’s inseparable from our personal history.’ The tearoom, more specifically, is an instinctive mix of my family’s petitioning for a better life and their love for creation. And hospitality and food service have been our way of demonstrating that while cherishing community and delivering honesty in a peaceful and idyllic setting,” said Tabina.
A LIFESTYLE DESTINATION We spoke with Tabina Bajwa, daughter of Lavender ‘n Lace owners Sehar and Hafeez Bajwa. You could say Tabina’s unofficial title is ‘wearer of many hats.’ She has a deep appreciation for what her parents have created and is joining them to put her touch on the tearoom.
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