Boston Tea Partay

As the plane took off over St. Paul I couldn't help but snap a photo as the Fall colors were nearing their peak.

I flew to Boston for a work event, but managed to maximize my time to play tourist a little as well. There is something magical about the first time you visit a city. I love when everything is a new discovery even if what you are discovering is more than a century old.

My colleague, Emily, and I enjoyed tea in the 1895 McKim building at the Courtyard Restaurant of the Boston Public Library in Copley Square. America's first public library.

We took shelter from the rain and our table overlooked this central Renaissance-style cloister courtyard with arcaded gallery and fountain.

Once seated you are provided with a hardcover book.

The inside reveals the menu and tea selection.

I enjoyed my classic selection of Earl Gray. Emily ordered the lemon herbal for her very first afternoon tea.

A view of the tea room.

Our three tiered tray arrived carrying sweet and savory delectables.

Plain and currant scones served with a berry marmalade, Devonshire double cream, and lemon curd. Divine!

The sweets and petit fours were too much to complete. Fresh fruit tartlet with vanilla cream, glazed lemon poppyseed cake, raspberry thumbprints, devilish chocolate 'sinclairs' and the best French macaron I've ever tested - pistachio and salted caramel.

So many sandwiches!

-wild mushroom butter and watercress

-cured onion, fine herbs on rye

-Roquefort spread with walnut jam

-cucumber and hard egg yolk on pumpernickel 

Emily also had some non-veg options:

-lobster salad with chestnuts

-smoked salmon

-deviled chicken and espelette pepper

Emily and I enjoying the tea service.

After all those treats we perused the oldest library in the country.

Such a beautiful place to study. Notice the coffered ceiling of the great Bates Hall reading room.

The Abbey Room 16 panels depict the quest for the Holy Grail.

Throughout the library are murals by John Singer Sargent.

A final view of the courtyard.

We also checked out some sites, because sometimes you wanna go...

We stayed at the Omni Parker House - the longest continuously operating hotel since 1855. We actually had dinner at Table 40 where JFK proposed to Jacqueline Bouvier.

Malcolm X was a bus boy at this restaurant and Boston Cream Pie was perfected here. It's a spongy cake that while beautifully presented I was not fond of.

The hotel was also home to Charles Dickens who first read A Christmas Carol here.

Boston is full of history and it's compact enough to walk almost everywhere.

A stroll through the Public Gardens.

Make Way for Ducklings...

Trinity Church 1733

And a Starbucks with a whistling kettle!

Steam pours out the spout! Seriously! My life is complete! Thank you Boston!

Mad for Tea in Ohio!

In honor of Mad Hatter Day join me as just outside of Cincinnati is a magical place...the BonBonerie! This way!

The BonBonerie is the most charming eclectic bakery/cafe/tea room. Let me tell you about it over a cup of BonBonerie blend - black tea with a note of vanilla. (Admittedly not my favorite tea blend, but does any tea hold a candle to earl gray cream?)

Up and down, winding turns, rooms that led to other rooms, upstairs, downstairs; I channeled my inner Alice falling down the rabbit hole. Art, clocks, and teapots lined the doorways and walls.

I sat in the cafe and ordered the tea lunch. 

~The Savory~

Soup: I savored a light broth-based butternut squash soup with walnuts & fresh parsley.

Sandwiches: Like a mouse I nibbled four delectable Crustless tea sandwiches. 

1. The BonBonerie makes a housemade veggie cream cheese it had a savory cheesy flavor with a nice bite from vegetable pieces. 

2. Boursin cucumber

3. Egg salad on multi-grain

4. Date nut bread - thick cold bread with a creamy filling. Not a favorite but this one was done right.

Quiche:

I loved this mushroom caramelized onion and Swiss quiche. It was unique - flat, not eggy, crispy crust. The texture & flavor were more reminiscent of a pizza than a quiche. 

~Sweets~

Three petite desserts were served.

I liked the raspberry crumble bar. However, the peanut butter chocolate bar was too thick & heavy and the shortbread thumbprint cookie was dry.

The tearoom was closed but I snuck down the little staircase for a peek and it is sooo wonderland adorable!

I couldn't leave without a visit to the bakery (not pictured) but the raspberry chocolate covered scones that Stacey & I enjoyed the next morning were to die for!

There is a reason every table was full at this lovely establishment! 

Next stop Columbus! After a two hour drive I met up with one of my best friends, Stacey, it was so great to spend time with her. We packed the weekend with fun - an elegant dinner at Lindy's in the German Village with Mary Beth, Fran & Kenny, kayaking at Trapper John's on the The Big Darby Creek, afternoon tea, the Columbus Park of Roses, shopping & dinner at Brio.

We enjoyed afternoon tea at Mozart's piano cafe.

It was nice that Mozart's had a pianist playing during tea - true to their name!

Originally seated inside it was such a beautiful day we moved outside to the patio.

Stacey had the peach black tea & I sipped my usual earl gray.

First up mini scones, apricot & plain, with raspberry preserves & a non-traditional Devonshire cream - it was really liquidy.

The canapés 

Stacey nibbled cranberry chicken salad, smoked ham & Swiss, tomato & provolone, cucumber & dill, smoked salmon, and portabello with cream cheese.

The vegetarian version. Egg salad, three cheese, pesto tomato, spinach, tomato & feta and my favorite was the smallest sandwich in the middle - bread, cheese, mushroom, tomato & olive. One interesting bite.

Loved the delicate cucumber & tomato roses on the sandwiches.

Hungarian goulash served with focaccia for Stacey.

Cream of mushroom soup for me.

Dessert!

A rich chocolate cake with Mozart's bust. Shortbread heart tea cookies & a marzipan peach with raspberry filling. (You are either a fan of marizpan or not - we were the latter - tastes like you are eating sugar.)

All in all a wonderfully mad weekend of fun and not one but two teas! 

Painting the roses red! 

Enjoy this lovely mad day with a cup of tea!