My Vintage Tea Party
Ramblings and Reviews From a Lover of Tea and All Things Vintage
For those of us in the United States, yesterday was quite an exciting day! Everyone in all 50 states were able to see at least at partial solar eclipse, but many, as I did, traveled to the "Path of Totality" in order to experience a total solar eclipse. The path ran from the Pacific Northwest downward to Charleston, South Carolina. My dad and I agreed that this event was something that we did not want to miss, so we made plans to drive up to Athens, Tennessee to catch the total eclipse. It was an experience I will never forget, and I feel so fortunate to have been able to travel to see it. We began our journey on Sunday, and stayed overnight in Chattanooga. Since we arrived around lunch time, I convinced my dad to take me a place I found online called the Wildflower Tea Shop and Apothecary-- as the name suggests, it is not quite a tea room in the sense that it does not offer a full afternoon service, but it offers a large selection of teas and a few pastries to enjoy the same way one might at a neighborhood coffee shop. The inside was spacious and uncluttered, with a quiet, calming atmosphere. There were wooden tables and chairs to sit at, and one sofa and two arm chairs around a coffee table one could also sit but unfortunately that area was taken. I think it would be nice to have a couple more seating arrangements like that because in my opinion, it is much more relaxing to take tea at a low table in the style of a true afternoon tea. The selection of teas was very impressive-- there were about 3 pages of black teas, white teas, green teas, and herbals and I had a difficult time choosing. I finally settled on a green Darjeeling, which I had never tried before. It was nice, but I still prefer the usual black Darjeeling. All orders are placed at the counter, and your tea is brought to your table when it is ready. I saw a few shelves behind the counter stocked with tea pots, so I assumed that the tea would be brought to me in one of them along with a tea cup. However, mine was brought in a mug. I was rather disappointed because there's just something about pouring my own tea from a pot that's therapeutic in a way-- I get to see the steam and smell and see the color of the tea. Of course, I would have been much more disappointed (displeased, even) if it had come in a paper cup like Starbuck's. It is true that the material your cup is made out of can affect the taste of the tea, and paper cups just will not do. Along with tea, I got one of their gluten free donuts with matcha icing. It was incredible. It's a good thing there were only two left (one for me and one for my dad), or I'm afraid I would have eaten another one...and then paid for it later when the sugar hit my system. Too much sugar makes me feel positively awful. I can definitely see myself being a regular customer of this tea shop if I lived in the area. It would be great to be able to pop in on a whim when I was in need of a pick me up, and there were so many kinds of tea to choose from I would try a different one each time. Their tea is also available to purchase in bulk, and I was very tempted to pick some out to buy but my tea cabinet is quite full at the moment. I do wish we had a place like this where I live. There just isn't anywhere other than a coffee shop to get a cup of tea and sit down and relax. Next time I am in Chattanooga, I will certainly be revisiting Wildflower and pick some of their teas to take home and try. I also highly recommend it for anyone wanting a very casual tea experience!
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Well everyone, I have returned to the land of eternal humidity. As promised, here is a review of the tea room my mother and I visited in Boston on Mothers Day: Rowes Wharf. Actually a restaurant, this establishment is located inside the Boston Harbor Hotel and hosts afternoon tea services on a regular basis. Being Mothers Day, tea was actually being held in a different room instead of the restaurant, which was a nice surprise. We had a nice view of the harbor as you can kind of tell from the picture. The had placed pink rose petals on each table, which I thought was a very feminine and classy touch. No fancy china teaware, though, so that was just a tad bit disappointing. I'm just a sucker for a daintily painted cup and saucer and matching pot. First, I must mention that they were more than helpful when it came to my dietary restrictions (the whole gluten free thing). The tea sandwiches were prepared with gluten free bread, and I got a small selection of gluten free sweets so I didn't have to feel like I was missing out. The tea selection was rather small and basic; the usual Earl Grey, green tea (they did have jasmine green tea so they get good marks for that!), herbals, and so on. One issue I did have with the tea menu was their placement of Orange Pekoe under "flavored teas." I have probably mentioned this in another post, but Orange Pekoe has nothing to do with actual oranges. I asked the server for clarification about whether it was actually flavored orange or if it was mistake (if it had been a mistake, I would have ordered it because I love Orange Pekoe, but I hate fruit flavored teas as a general rule). I didn't get a really clear answer, because unfortunately he seemed very confused and not knowledgeable about tea at all. So just to be safe, I went with an oolong. One of my biggest disappointments when going to a tea room is not being able to have a real discussion about the types of teas with the staff. I suppose the tea service here was more meant for the novelty of having afternoon tea....I especially got this feeling when I saw "high tea" somewhere on the menu and this definitely was not high tea. Gosh I sound snobbish. Moving on! Here is our spread! They put all of my food on separate plates so there was no confusion as to what was gluten free and what wasn't. I really appreciated that. The sandwiches were smoked salmon with caviar (which I actually liked....wow), whipped egg, and some strange salty substance on top of a cucumber slice. I forgot to ask what it was. There was also a small sprig of lettuce with bacon, but I traded that for my mom's smoked salmon. The sweets I ate were amazing. I didn't eat the macaron because it was berry flavored and I don't do fruit, and I also passed on the coconut pudding. So in the end I had a gluten free scone, chocolate chip shortbread, chocolate cake, and a couple bites of the little meringue dessert that looked like a large Hershey's kiss. I am quite sure I ate entirely too much sugar and carbs. It was a very nice and relaxing experience, and definitely one of the more casual afternoon tea events we have visited. And that is by no means a bad thing-- I love experiencing them all whether they are fancy or low-key. I had really, really wanted to have tea at the Boston Public Library too but our schedule just didn't allow for it. I am still sad that we missed it, but I suppose that just means I'll have to go back someday!
Due to a serious lack of tea rooms near where I live, I really only get to experience them when I travel. However, sometime last year I was browsing the internet for a list of tea rooms in my state and stumbled upon the tea room at the Smith-Byrd House Bed and Breakfast. This hidden gem is located just an hour away from me in Prattville, Alabama-- still not close enough to be able to just pick up and go whenever I feel like it, but not hours away either. After months of not being able to find a suitable weekend to make the excursion, March rolled around and so did my birthday, and I decided that a trip to the tea room would be the perfect gift to ask for from my boyfriend. Seeing as how I adore the late Victorian era, I could not wait to go have tea in a restored 1880s bed and breakfast. It truly is a beautiful house, and when I stepped inside I felt right at home. The tea room itself does not seat very many people, so it is highly recommended that you make reservations well in advance. I must say, the first thing that really impressed me was their selection of tea-- over 100 blends! Needless to say, it took me a while to make up my mind which one I wanted to start with. You are able to try as many kinds as you like when you pay for a pot of tea, and that did help although there was no possible way for me to try all of the ones that caught my eye. In addition to tea, my boyfriend and I ordered lunch, scones, and a selection of small desserts. I am sorry to say that I don't remember what I had, just that it was very tasty. The scones and desserts were also delicious, and I'm afraid I had too much sugar as I felt a bit jittery after all the tea and sweets. The staff was very warm and friendly, however one thing that I would certainly change if I ran the tea room is the servers' attire. The servers in the tea room all seemed to be younger girls, perhaps late teens and early twenties, but none of them looked as if they made any attempt to dress nicely. With the Victorian feel of the house and dining room, it would have added an extra level of class to have servers at least in something a bit nicer than t shirts and jeans. As is usually the case with tea rooms, the Smith-Byrd House sells their teas in case you want to take some home. Before all was said and done, I think I left with about 15 1-ounce samples. Their selection includes both plain and flavored whites, greens, blacks, reds, and herbal blends so no matter what your tea preference is, you will find plenty that suits your taste. Also, be sure to stop by the gift shop for Downton Abbey merchandise, recipe books, and other lovely tea accessories. I do wish I lived closer to this tea room, as they sometimes host tea tasting classes and events that I know I would thoroughly enjoy. In any case, I'm sure I will be visiting the Smith-Byrd House again, as it was a very delightful experience! This is my other half, Stephen. I'm so glad he enjoys doing things like this with me!
As for my outfit, I decided to go with the Lolita style for my birthday. As I mentioned in my review of afternoon tea at the Taj in Boston, I had the opportunity to visit a second tea room while vacationing there. Abigail's Tea Room is located in the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum and is a very casual dining experience. My mother and I saved this for our last full day in Boston, and it was actually one of the things I was looking forward to the most. I love history museums, and I love interactive history museums even more. For those of you who are not familiar with the Boston Tea Party museum, it's a small museum that allows you to board a replica ship and throw pretend tea chests into Boston harbor. It really is an experience-- all of the employees are dressed in 18th century garb and stay in character, allowing tourists to get in touch with their inner rebellious colonist and participate in the famous events of December 16, 1773. However, I will move on to the tea room since this is not a review of the museum itself. I do try to stay on topic. Abigail's Tea Room (named for John Adams's wife, Abigail) was charming in every sense of the word. The inside looks very much like a cozy 1700s tavern with wooden tables and chairs and waitresses in their period accurate dresses. Each table is set with an old-fashioned board game (actually, the "boards" are fabric but you get what I mean) to encourage guests to socialize and stay and enjoy the atmosphere. Do not go expecting a fancy afternoon tea experience with dainty finger sandwiches and bone china; do expect to enjoy a full meal, drink your tea from a mug, and politely stuff your face with a tasty dessert. I opted for a chicken salad croissant and the tea tasting, or as it is sometimes called, the "bottomless" tea mug which allows you to drink as much tea as possibly can. For those who want to take a mug home with them, you can also purchase a "bottomless" mug that comes with a souvenir mug featuring the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum logo. The tea selection was very impressive, and I loved that the waitresses were knowledgeable about each kind. Nothing is more frustrating than going to a tea room and asking questions about their teas, only to be met with a series of "ummm....I don't know"s from staff. I believe there were five teas when I visited, all set up at the back of the dining room in large brass urns accompanied by a brief write-up of each kind. All of the teas they featured were blends thrown over into Boston Harbor on the night of the Tea Party. The benefit of getting the "bottomless" mug is being able to taste each blend and decide which you wanted to take home, as they sold all of them and many, many more in their gift shop. My favorite ended up being the Congou (apparently pronounced kung-fu), the highest quality black tea of the selection. It is similar to an English Breakfast blend with none of the smoky flavor of Bohea, which I bought to take home, or Souchong. The only tea that I did not try was Souchong because I knew already that it do not care for it at all. Unfortunately, they did not have a small pouch of the Congou-- only a large tin, so I did not end up purchasing it as I just don't have room in my tea cabinet for many more tins. The other teas available for tasting were Young Hyson and Singlo green teas. Of the two, I preferred the Young Hyson and bought a small packet which I will review soon. I can honestly say that I was not disappointed with any part of Abigail's Tea room, aside from a brief run-in with a less-than-enthusiastic employee...but that's beside the point. If any of you ever find yourself in Boston, I highly recommend both the museum and the tea room. Even if you aren't a lover of history like I am, I believe it is still an enjoyable and delicious experience worth having. Bonus picture of me after I rebelliously threw "tea" into the harbor. Onward to Abigail's!
I cannot express how excited I am to formally start my blog! I finished up my summer class on Monday night, so I will finally have time to begin posting on a regular basis. To begin, I was going to do a "two in one" review of a couple of tea rooms I had the pleasure of visiting while on vacation with my mother in Boston this past May, however I think the post would end up being too long so I will stick to one for today and do the other one in a separate post. As I mentioned in my introductory post, I love tea. A lot. Luckily my mother does too, and every year when she and I take a trip together we always make a point to visit a tea room (or two...or how ever many we feel like). For the past few years, we have happened to be on our annual "Mother Daughter Vacation" on Mother's Day, and what better way to spend Mother's Day than relaxing together while taking tea in an elegant salon? This time, it was afternoon tea in the French Room at the Taj Hotel. "Elegant" does not even begin to describe it. In my humble opinion, atmosphere is everything when it comes to tea rooms-- it can set the mood and determine whether your tea taking experience will be whimsical (much like the Crown and Crumpet tea room we visited in San Francisco many years ago), high class, or casual. The Taj delivers a high class experience with all the bells and whistles that one would expect from afternoon tea at such a swanky hotel. Personally, this kind of tea experience is my favorite. With my love of the Victorian era, I like to feel like I am a high class lady in the 19th century taking my tea in style.
We opted for traditional afternoon tea fare, with a selection of finger sandwiches to start with and then scones and small desserts. I thoroughly enjoyed the smoked salmon and shrimp sandwiches, so I ended up eating both mine and my mother's and I gave her the ones I didn't like. I have...particular taste. Both the sweet and savory treats were served on a silver, three tier stand and laid out in an aesthetically pleasing fashion (I am all about aesthetics). My favorite detail was the lovely silver strainers that were placed on each tea cup. For those of you who might not be so familiar with making tea, these strainers are used when loose leaf tea is added straight to the hot water in a tea pot, and when you are ready to pour your tea the strainer catches the leaves so they don't sneak into your cup. I love it when tea is served this way, as I prefer loose leaf tea and the strainers that sit on the tea cup are just so pretty and dainty. I don't refuse to use tea bags, there's just something about preparing and drinking tea the traditional way that makes me happy. Maybe I'm a snob, but there are worse things to be snobbish about I suppose. The French Room itself is an enclosed area, whereas many of the other fancy "tea rooms" I've been to have been more open, visible spaces. I really have no preference, but places like the French Room are more intimate and cozy-- much like taking tea in a private parlor. This was certainly one of my favorite tea rooms, and that is saying a lot since I have visited my fair share of them across the country. Hopefully I will find myself in Boston again someday, and if I do I will surely have to make a point to visit the Taj again. |
About Me
Greetings, readers! My name is Jordie, and I am a tea obsessed, history loving young lady who just happened to be born about 60 years too late. Archives
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