My Vintage Tea Party
Ramblings and Reviews From a Lover of Tea and All Things Vintage
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!
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After two tea related posts in a row, I figured it was time to do an outfit post featuring a couple of my vintage-inspired items. Aside from the clothes I wear to work, I try to incorporate at least a little bit of mid-century charm into my outfits. I work at my local library checking in and shelving books in a back room, and there is quite a lot of dust and sharp edges lurking around every corner and mystery...stuff...on the surfaces of books and DVDs. In short, it can be dirty and not the best environment to wear some of my cuter things. I did wear some of my nicer outfits when I first started, but one day I snagged one of my favorite sweaters on the corner of a metal bin and from then on I decided I was going to be more selective about what I wore; at least until I acquired a much sought after library assistant position (where most of my time would be spent at a desk). The weekends are when I feel like I can wear my vintage inspired leisure wear without fear of ruining it. Recently, I discovered the brand Freddies of Pinewood, which is based in England and specializing in 1940s and 1950s style jeans and tops. I just don't feel like myself when I'm in regular pants, and modern jeans are simply not an option for me; I would feel like a slob. I am so glad I came across Freddies and took the plunge and ordered some. They are unbelievably flattering, have that true vintage look, and are fantastic quality! I love that they allow me to add some vintage flare to my leisure time outfits without sacrificing comfort. I currently have three pairs and I plan to buy more. Pants: Freddies of Pinewood clamdiggers Top: Talbots. Basic, solid color cotton shirts are invaluable and versatile Shoes: The children's department....I have small feet Belt: Dollz and Dames in New Orleans Purse: Ordered from Disney Store Japan Headband: Urban Outfitters I have such a soft spot for anything cute. While a lot of my wardrobe is vintage inspired, I also have plenty of items featuring Disney characters, cats, teddy bears, etc. etc. I suppose I like to mix vintage with "kawaii" sometimes. Don't ever feel like you have to limit yourself-- you might love vintage but still love cute. If you like it, wear it!
Today's tea review will be of a black, Bohea (pronounced boo-hee) tea by Oliver Pluff and Company. This particular blend was made especially for the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum, which is where I bought it along with a couple of other blends that I will be reviewing in the near future.
Although I would be willing to bet that few of you have ever heard of Bohea before, it was quite a popular black tea blend among the British and the American colonists during the 17th and 18th centuries when tea was becoming the next big "thing." I know that most people probably think that England has been taking tea since the dawn of time, but it actually did not make it to the west until the 1600s. But I digress. On the night of the Boston Tea Party, chests of Bohea, Congou black tea, Souchong black tea, Singlo green tea, and Hyson green tea were hoisted over the sides of British ships and dumped into Boston Harbor. All of these teas came from China, as we did not have Indian teas until the 19th century. To give you an idea of just how popular Bohea was, of the 340 chests in total, 240 were filled with Bohea. Being the history nerd that I am, I wanted to "taste history" (for lack of a better phrase) and see for myself if this favorite of fine ladies and gentlemen of the 1700s was worthy of a permanent place in my tea cabinet. The short answer is: yes, I would buy this blend and keep it around. If I had to describe its flavor in one word, it would be "smoky." It is rather odd that I like Bohea as much as I do, because as a general rule, I don't like smoky teas. I once tried a Lapsang Souchong and immediately poured it down the drain after the first sip. It tasted almost like barbecue sauce. However, the smokiness of the Bohea blend is more subdued and pleasant. Aside from that, I wouldn't say it is a particularly strong blend-- which I tend to prefer to lighter bodied teas; but I think the unique flavor makes up for what it lacks in body. In closing, I would recommend this blend to someone who is looking for something "different" from a run-of-the mill black tea. I don't believe someone with little to no experience with tasting different varieties of teas would like it very much, if my dad's reaction is any indication. He likes strong, sweet black tea (we are Southern, after all) and he recoiled at the smoky scent of Bohea. But if you are like me and love to be adventurous when it comes to tea, by all means give it a try! 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. Greetings, readers! I go by the name of Jordie, and I am a tea obsessed, history loving young lady who just happened to be born about 60 years too late. My heart truly belongs to the past-- particularly the 1940s and 1950s. I love the glamor, the elegance....I just love it all! I have a bachelor's degree in history and am currently a graduate student studying Library and Information Studies, focusing on archiving. Tea is a way of life for me. I am by no means an expert on the topic, but I do like to think I know more than the average person-- I've spent many an hour studying its history and rituals, and familiarizing myself with the different types; so, much of this blog will be dedicated to reviews of some of the many teas I've picked up on my travels and the tea rooms I've visited around the United States. I also will be including some vintage lifestyle and "outfit of the day" posts, as I take pride in my vintage-inspired wardrobe. Of course, I hope that one day I will be able to do another pinup photo shoot like the photos of me below and in my "About Me" section to the right. Even though I might not really live in the mid-century, I try to include aspects of those decades into my everyday life. Thank you for your time, and I hope you enjoy My Vintage Tea Party! ~Jordie Photo by Angela Karen of Birmingham Bombshells
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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
February 2017
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