High Tea at the Heathman Hotel

From mountains to extreme donuts, it was my first trip to the Pacific Northwest, specifically Portland. When travelling for work your time isn't really your own and you'll never know what you'll see in a new city. Having an opportunity to check things out is always a bonus, but even more so when it's tea time!

Even though I had already eaten lunch, I had a couple of hours free in the afternoon and The Heathman Hotel was only four blocks away and happened to have an open table for afternoon tea!

Notice the man in the red in period attire :)

Take a peek behind the curtain it's almost time for tea



Tea was served in a two-story mezzanine
separate from the restaurant.

The room had beautiful woodwork and a
blue and gold velvet staircase

A beautiful spot for tea - I sat in one of the round booths under the window

The tea served was from Fonte Coffee & Tea Co.
I enjoyed a vanilla black tea with
Madagascar vanilla beans.

Classic cucumber sandwich, a deviled egg with chive aioli,
and goat cheese crostini

The Heathman scone was served with mascarpone instead of
Devonshire, which was a an interesting Italian twist.
I also enjoyed Lanai banana bread.

I tried one bite of each dessert as I had already eaten lunch
lemon bar, Haupia - Hawaiian style coconut cake,
Parisian opera cake, Devil's food chocolate tea cupcake
and I skipped the homemade marshmallow

All in all a very enjoyable tea respite. There was only one other table enjoying tea, which made me kind of sad that more people weren't taking advantage of such a wonderful tradition.

 

Until my next tea adventure! Hint, it involves an Empress!

Autumnal Tea at Jackie's

Today Jackie hosted afternoon tea. Her menu featured the flavors of fall. We were reminiscing that she has hosted many fall gatherings over the years and we always leave wanting one of her recipes.

 

The Autumnal Tea Menu:

~Cucumber sandwiches

~Pasta salad with feta, capers and tomatoes

~Strawberries with pumpkin cream cheese spread

~Ginger snaps

~Lemon poppy seed scones

~Pumpkin bread

~Pumpkin tea

~Early gray tea (Mad Hatter vintage)

 

Homemade pumpkin bread

     

Cookies & scones

 

 

Jackie makes the BEST
cucumber sandwiches

 

 



The table was set with her grandmother's china and real silver with deep purple napkins. 

Take a seat; there's a lot to eat!

Jackie had beautiful sunflowers on the table, which she gave to Emma for her birthday. Also in honor of Emma's birthday, and her favorite garden creature, I made hedgehog rice crispy bars to surprise her. During the tea party conversation a new term was introduced by Kimmy for Emma to use in many a situation: hedge hogging around (uh oh Barry!)

Pinkies up! Emma, Tiff, and Andrea

Homemade butternut squash and roasted pear soup

 

My mom and I



The hostess - Jackie

Mary, Sheri and Kimmy

Andrea sitting in the sunshine



The birthday girl! Happy Birthday Emma!

 

Tea at The Plaza

Walk along Fifth Avenue past Bergdorf Goodman, stop just short of Central Park and you will arrive at New York's "most fashionable address" - The Plaza Hotel.

 

Join Kim for a walk on the red carpet draping your designer handbag and shopping bags on your arm entering the grand lobby on your way to the Palm Court.

 

This grand hotel opened in 1905 and began serving tea in 1907. F. Scott Fitzgerald set important scenes here in his masterpiece, The Great Gatsby. The Beatles stayed at the hotel on their first New York visit in 1964. And Kim recalled that Carrie Bradshaw ran down the hallway where the pianist was playing with cake in one of the Sex and the City episodes.

 The table is set. It's time to sit for tea.

 

 

You are surrounded by mirrored doors, large palms, marble columns, and socialites. 

 

I sipped The Plaza's Earl Gray tea while Kim enjoyed the Afternoon tea blend.

 

Perched overhead is an 1,800 square foot luminous stained glass lay light.

Amidst the opulent old world luxury, the French flatware, white linens and china were modern and simple.

 

 

The Classic tea is served.

I sampled truffled quail egg and cucumber sandwiches while Kim enjoyed upscale fare including Maine lobster, Sturgeon caviar and smoked salmon.

Taking time for tea.

Scones were baked fresh and served warm with lemon curd, double devonshire cream and preserves.

 

Decadent dessert completed the experience: Pate de fruit, sacher torte, lemon tea cake, hazelnut napoleon and French macarons.

 Admittedly, I am a shopper, but on this trip I only purchased a couple of things, one of which was this cookie jar of The Plaza. I couldn't resist this castle to house my cookies! 

Goodbye Plaza, our carriage awaits.

 

We simply had to find Alice sitting on her mushroom in Central Park with the March Hare and Mad Hatter before we left the city. 

 "Oh my ears and whiskers, how late it's getting!"

Flowers and Fairies

You are invited to tea in Emma Lee's garden:

Welcome to the garden tea party and enjoy the lovely day - sunshine with a cool breeze in the air.

Emma served tea with her new floral dishes. (I know one person that will recognize these plates :). Her tablescape featured flowers, fairies and "fairy dust."

                                                            Fairy garden & a lovely cup of Earl Gray

We had two special guests. This is Jackie's little guy - Connor and Emma's dog - Sydney.

  

 Tiffany and Emma

 

Fruit bowl - who says we don't eat healthy at tea party?

Here comes the carbs:  

 tomato pesto panini

coconut and lemon poppy seed bread

blueberry scones

shortbread cookies

Enjoying the day

The whole group: Connor, Tiff, Emma, me, and Jackie.

 jalapeno Gruyere pasta and fairy cakes.

Emma has lots of cute mini gardens - this one even has a little pepper plant.

What's this? I spy gnomes and a Hamm's beer sign = a gnome beer garden.

Barry has a garden too!