Stacey's Birthday Tea at the Beach with the Queen (wait - what?)

In between boat cruises, beaching and nice dinners, we found time for tea in Panama City Beach, FL at Willows Tea Room. Kim is beckoning us into the air conditioning.

We were one of the first parties to arrive to the sunny little tearoom a block from the beach.

Celebrating Stacey's 35th and Queen Elizabeth II's 90th Birthdays. Happy Birthday Stacey! Best friends since 3rd grade.

First course: leek and potato soup



Second course: The Willow Royale Salad - Romaine and baby spinach with chopped peaches, almonds, crumbled blue cheese and croutons with apple cider vinaigrette. Delicious!

The spread with a cuppa earl gray.

Third course: Finger sandwiches

Coronation chicken mini rolls, cucumber and dill cream cheese on wheat, prawn salad vol-au-vents, bacon wrapped maraschino cherries, parmesan baskets of smoked salmon mousse

Fourth and fifth course: Scones and Dessert

Chocolate Gateau with cream, chocolate and strawberry mousse. The Gateau was really sweet and rich. I loved the scones! Apple and rosemary scones with apple conserve and clotted cream - divine! Might have to recreate at home.

Full house:

The birthday girls - Stacey and Queenie with Sheri and Kimmy.

NYC tea at Lady Mendl's

At a rather non-descript location in Gramercy Park, if you look closely above the left blue hydrangea you will see a tiny teacup sign indicating that you have, indeed, arrived at your destination.

Welcome to the 1834 brownstone the Inn at Irving Place and the Victorian tea salon within, Lady Mendl's. An historic home with tables tucked into rich tapestry adorned rooms.

Notice the crystalized ginger on the table. This was served instead of sugar for your tea.

 First course:
 A palette cleansing melon, feta, basil amuse bouche

Second course:

 My veggie sandwiches included cucumber with mint crème fraiche on pumpernickel, crostini with butternut squash and arugula with Boursin and maple balsamic reduction, goat and fig on pumpernickel

Third course: Classic scone with lemon curd, preserves, and Devonshire cream

Fourth course: Lady Mendel's famous layer cake

Fifth course: Strawberry and chocolate macaroons, chocolate dipped strawberries, sugar cookies

Tea with a great friend and my sister from another mother - Stacy aka SheStacy in the house.

My review: excellent period ambiance - you feel like you are stepping back in time, the décor is very detailed and well done. Asking our bow tied server for this picture = awkward! "I don't take pictures." Um excuse me, we are paying a lot for these little delights and we aren't the paparazzi - we went to the Met Gala later that weekend, ahem. However, the hostess did take pictures although this is not the first take as we had the most befuddled look on our face after the server snubbed us. I had to ask her later to take another so we didn't look we saw a snobby well dressed ghost.