Nestled in the yellow house on Washington Ave across from Lefty’s is Tranquility Teahouse, a café with a mind toward wellness—and my newest find in Ketchum. Opened in December of 2012, (artfully planned on 12/12/12) this crazy-cozy restaurant is many things to many people. To me, it’s a fabulous late lunch spot conveniently open from 8am to 9pm in the summer, 11-5 on Sunday. Peter and I are always on the lookout for a new lunch venues for our Saturday late lunches which come after a much deserved late sleep and hike. Our options are few and far between around tea time, so I was thrilled to find them open in the late afternoon and in addition to tea, serving excellent beer, wine and food. 
Tranquility has reinvented itself with a total remodel making it extremely inviting inside. It has an open layout with a bar for tea tastings that is the focal point of the room. You’ll also find tea-centric accoutrements and wellness products, such as handmade Matcha bowls and whisks, jewelry, crystals and other unique boutique items. Owner, Pam Colesworthy has done a fabulous job with the interior design of her restaurant. “I wanted to create a community gathering space, that provides a sanctuary for general wellness and learning,” said Pam. “I got the idea for the restaurant when I was meeting a girlfriend for tea on a Saturday afternoon, and our choices were slim,” she explained. “I thought, it was a business Ketchum needed, and ten months later we opened.”
Pam partnered with Chef Tobin Jutte when creating the menu for Tranquility. Simple but varied, it’s all natural and healthy without sacrificing taste. After scanning the menu for a few minutes, Peter and I ordered at the counter and then found a table outside on Tranquility’s welcoming deck. We began with sun dried tomato chevre with crostini ($4.50), and then Peter had a Cobb Salad ($14.95). I ordered a Roasted Turkey Panini with provolone and cranberry ($8.95) on rosemary garlic bread. The crostini appetizer with chevre was fabulous, simple and wonderful—truly how can you go wrong with cheese and bread? Peter’s Cobb Salad was a work of art—big chunks of roasted turkey and smoked bacon with arugula , quartered hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, slices of avocado and large chunks of blue cheese were hidden treats. Drizzled balsamic vinaigrette finished the salad to beautiful effect. My Turkey Painini was sizzling hot, with those perfect panini grill marks, oozing provolone cheese on the sides. Kale chips adorned the plate and complimented every bite of panini. What a great way to eat your kale for the day! We shared a bottle (it was Saturday after all!) of Serenity Sauvignon Blanc ($20) and were thrilled that Tobin recommended it. We chatted about wine with him and felt pleased with the overall friendliness and knowledge that each staff member we talked with possessed.
Be sure and stop in at Tranquility Tea House for tea, gluten-free pastries, an elegant and tasty meal or wine and beer. Don’t miss their 5-5-5 Daily Happy Hour, where 5 wines are for sale for $5 at 5 pm. The numbers don’t lie! Treat yourself to Tranquility and call it a day!
