The whole room smelled like flowers. We gathered around the tables to learn the European art of flowers from floral designer, and fellow neighbor, Teresa Rao, owner of Belle Pétale. In front of us was a glorious display of gorgeous, fresh, local flowers from Teresa’s garden and from local flower sellers. A small statue of the Eiffel Tower representing a part of Teresa’s inspiration – and soon to be ours. On the countertops behind us, a posh set up of Italian dishes, provided by Macaluso’s Italian Restaurant, wafted savory scents our way. 

 

This is what you can expect at a Stroll Neighbor’s Night Out. Time to relax, time to learn, time to socialize. All, in this case, in the attractive and historic setting of Tacoma’s Courthouse Square on A Street. The building has been there since 1910 and served as a courthouse and post office until 1992. Today, it houses a restaurant, a coffee shop, offices, meeting spaces, a ballroom – and there is still an operational post office, replete with historical mailboxes. Belle Pétale has a pop up space on the main floor, where Teresa showcases her flowers to visitors during the week. 

 

“I wanted to convert my floral passion, or hobby, into a business,” Teresa told us. An avid gardener, about 15% to 20% of the blooms from Belle Pétale are from Teresa’s garden, or sourced locally. It was in 2020,the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Teresa decided to start her business. She told us that it was important to her to share the beauty of flowers at a time when people needed happiness. Smiles all around during our Neighbors’ Night Out proved that her business model is solid. After telling us a little bit about her story, and her interest in Parisian or European flower arranging in particular – “I just love the romance of how they approach flowers” – we were invited to make a bouquet of our own from her selection of flowers.

 

In addition to always being locally grown (the furthest distance might be California), Teresa enjoys a seasonal touch. Anytime you see her selection, they will be flowers that are growing at that time of year. For this event, we were treated to summer blooms that came in part from Gig Harbor, University Place, and Teresa’s garden, including roses and hydrangeas. Teresa is a fan of using herbs in her bouquets as well, to add interest and scent. “The first thing everyone does when they get flowers is smell them,” she pointed out. On this evening, Teresa provided mint to add that special touch to our bouquets, each of which was created individually with as few or as many blooms as each person wished.  

 

While enjoying Teresa’s talk, we feasted on Italian meatballs, focaccia bread, broccoli, and Caesar salad, with tiramisu for dessert, all provided with love from Laura Macaluso and her kitchen at Macaluso’s Italian Restaurant. 

Similarly to Teresa, Laura prioritizes the best and the freshest ingredients at Macaluso’s Italian Restaurant. She and her staff work hard to provide a family atmosphere and to create the tastiest Italian recipes, with their own twist. We all felt like family on this evening as we enjoyed the food, the company, and the flowers. 

 
Let’s hear from those who attended: 
 
“Belle Pétale is awesome!” enthused Paula Vail. “The food looked amazing. Belle Pétale flowers were beautiful,” complimented Javon Thurmon. “Deliciosa!” exclaimed Veronica Trujillo. “Food was great. Belle Pétale was amazing. Beautiful flowers.” Neighbor Jane Berger, along with several others, liked the meatballs the best from the food offerings, while from the flowers available, she preferred the gigantic dahlias.  

 

In addition to giving attendees the gift of creating beautiful bouquets, Teresa also shared tips on how to best care for fresh flowers. Most people worry about how to extend the life of their bouquets. Teresa does the first steps by growing and providing only the freshest blooms. A way to help them last longer is to cut the stems at an angle, Teresa advised. Guest Janey Berger mentioned that she appreciated this tip. Yorleny Clapper also expressed thanks for the tips and told us that her favorite menu item was the tiramisu. “I loved the class. Teresa did an amazing job,” praised Veronica Bronkema, who, like all of us, enjoyed the fusion of fun, flowers, food, and learning.  

 

“Education, flowers, and meatballs,” were on Regina Jones’ list, summing up the event in three key words. “The food was amazing,” agreed neighbor Paula Murtha. “It doesn’t get much better than this,” said Celina Bredl. “Thank you!”