"world view with an edge"
|
"world view with an edge"
|
|
Features
Breaking News
Contributing Journalists
Worldwide Current Weather Reports from MeteoWeather.com
To convert Fahrenheit into Celsius, subtract 32, multiply by 5, and divide by 9.
|
Letter from the Editor May 2005 Dear Friends,
Tell me what could be greater than staying in a wonderful hotel having spa treatments every morning and tea in a beautiful garden or historic room every afternoon? The height of luxury, fun and being good to yourself. Here are a few of my tea experiences.
At the Ritz in London we just had tea, no massage, and it was glorious not only for the property and its history but the tea was perfect. Impeccable service and the exquisite Palm Court was jam packed with elite celebrants of birthday's, anniversaries and other grand occasions. The selection of little sandwiches was perfect including salmon and watercress all fresh and in copious amounts. The sweets and tea cakes are exceptional with a variety so clever that we ate every one. I amazed the staff with my unending capacity for clotted cream. Now we're talking real clotted cream not RediWhip or other feeble imitation as some establishments try to pass off.
They refilled the plate stand almost instantly of anything you had decimated.
The room is what you'd expect at Versailles and the flash of cameras, piano music and variety of languages make it a magical experience. There are five sittings every day 11.30am, 1.30pm, 3.30pm, 5.30pm and at 7.30pm including a Champagne Afternoon Tea. Make your reservation at least six weeks in advance and be on time!
At the Ritz, London there is a formal dress code in its public areas, gentlemen are requested to wear a jacket and tie when using The Palm Court or The Ritz Restaurant (Jeans and/or training shoes are not permitted in these areas). You are also not allowed to stroll around if just walking in off the street for a variety of security reasons.
The most bountiful tea I've ever experienced was years ago in the private home of an elderly widow that "let" rooms to women travelers on the Scottish Isle of Skye. Home made oat cakes weighing in about a pound each for starters, massive sandwiches, tea, of course, plus a huge tray of sweets. The selections went on forever. The winter off season had been quiet and here I was, a bright diversion in a dark rainy February.
Her breakfasts could have fed the Scottish guard. All my meals were served on a TV tray sitting in front of an electric or gas fire, the wind howling outside, rain lashing the windows and her friends calling to see if the "guest" was still there. Although I was booked for only bed and breakfast somehow I left having gained at least a pound a day.
We tried to make it for tea at the almost perfect (exceptional staff, rooms, dining, location...) Charleston Place Hotel, a wonderful property in Charleston SC, but in an effort to keep all items fresh, they require reservations. As it turned out the kitchen scrambled a bit and served up a wonderful display and selection of tea sandwiches, scones, house-made lemon curd, jams, with whipped cream and sweets, easily equal to any place that would have been expecting us. No complaints here. Tea is served everyday with a variety of live music in the Lobby Lounge and as mentioned reservations are necessary.
Charleston has a long history of tea, beginning in 1799 when French botanist, Andre Michaux, brought tea plants to grow at Middleton Place Gardens. During the start of the American Revolution, like Boston, the city was the site for "tea parties." Charleston leaders confiscated the British tea chests in the harbor, hiding it in the Old Exchange Building, later selling it to sympathizers of independence in order to purchase munitions for the Revolutionary war effort.
You may visit the Charleston Tea Plantation, open for tours from May through to October — it is the only tea farm in the United States. I was given a branch off a tea tree at Magnolia Gardens but although trying every growth scheme I could think of it still failed to root.
Charleston Place serves afternoon tea in the Lobby Lounge, Monday through Saturday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The price for Afternoon Tea is $17 for the Classic Charleston Tea at $21.50 for the South of Broad Tea.
I was lucky enough to attend an educational session on the art of making tea in New York at the Ten Ren Tea Shop in Chinatown. Unfortunately, we seldom get to experience the true ceremony and effort it takes to do in the absolutely correct manner. Little tricks like fluffing up the leaves several times with hot water, important but beyond conception in this days harum-scarum world.
Ten Ren is the largest, best known tea manufacturer in the Far East with over five tea factories and more than 100 stores in Asia and North America. Owned and operated by a third generation of tea producers, Ten Ren maintains the tradition of offering some of the best quality tea to discriminating drinkers, they have a wonderful and informative website, extensive mail order availability with many guarantees on the quality of their tea. Ginseng is another selling big item for the company. Retail stores in the U.S. are in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Flashing, Chicago, San Gabriel, Monterey Park, Maryland, San Jose, Seattle and Hawaii.
The Mark, of the Mandarin Oriental hotel group in New York City, has huge quiet luxury suites including some with balconies and a marvelous location on the historic Upper East Side. Just steps from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim, Whitney and Frick museums plus for shoppers, Issey Miyake, Ralph Lauren, Armani and Gianni Versace are within walking distance.
The hotels tea master, Mr. Ringo Wing Chung Lo's knowledge and skill, has been honed after a lengthy career in hotels and tea, and he advises guests on proper food and tea combinations, teas to revive the palate or aid in digestion, just everything one could want to know about tea. I hadn't thought about it before but tea is the world's most consumed beverage next to water.
Mr. Lo graciously assisted me in my choice of teas that afternoon and is also available during the dinner hour for patrons seeking guidance and compatible teas with different menu items. After a lifetime of tea study he was still so kind and no question too dumb or time consuming. It was such a peaceful luxury from the frantic pace of New York's streets.
People used to picture tea and tea rooms full of little old blue and white haired ladies or "Q tips" as they are sometimes called today - I find this quite funny. Now everyone from young or old, businessmen or homemakers enjoy and feel comfortable having tea.
Before joining The Mark Hotel, Mr. Lo worked at the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong, putting his renowned tea expertise to good use at the hotel's afternoon English tea service.
I was a little on the late side but the tea time wasn't over. It was a quiet afternoon with a few clients but servers were not around for quite sometime and when they did appear it was the surly banquet style attitude. The food was mediocre with nothing special outside of the information and personalized attention all customers received from Mr. Lo although I would stay in this hotel again in a minute for the rooms, location and Ringo Lo, tea master.
We arrived at the elegant Victorian Richmond Hill in Asheville, NC for about the last 45 minutes of tea service. You would have thought it was the Oklahoma dust bowl and locusts had run through, the beautiful antique dining table was virtually licked clean of even fallen crumbs. But before long the harried waitress was refilling platters as fast as she could.
One sits at tables in the dining room or on the porch, circling the main table picking out treasures. I was famished and had to restrain myself from going into the kitchen and helping speed things up. During our all too short stay, everything we had was wonderful (wonderful home made cookies) and the staff at Richmond Hill has more patience then anyone could believe.
High on a hill, over looking the verdant Asheville area and blooming gardens throughout the landscaped grounds the setting couldn't be surpassed. The Mansion is loaded with antiques and very special bedrooms for guests. I stayed in one of the adorable croquet cottages.
Stop here for dinner at Gabrielle's Restaurant, recipient of the prestigious AAA Four Diamond Award. Even if you're not staying in the Inn, enjoy wonderful food, service and atmosphere. The piano music is delightful.
The historic Willard Hotel in Washington DC had just started its afternoon tea service when I visited. A bit of tweaking and things will be fine. I felt with one waitress they were a bit understaffed, also there are no refills which means if you like a particular sandwich and want hundreds you're out of luck. The cream is whipped cream not "real" clotted and some of the sandwiches had dried to the toast level. The lemon tart was wonderful and scones fair but I had this feeling that someone from anywhere but the UK or Europe and was a bit shy on "real" teatime experience may have been in charge.
A wonderful harpist played quiet music but if you need to have a serious conversation select a table away from the music. The acoustics in the Willard Hall are perfect - too much so in this instance. The location in a wide well designed and opulent hallway "Peacock Alley"of the historic property is fine except for the traffic going by. No chance of intimacy here. It is possible that they may move to one of the dining rooms.
Meanwhile soon the spa will be open and my dream of a wonderful historic hotel, gorgeous rooms and suites, in the perfect Washington DC location will offer a multitude of spa services and spectacular teas under one roof.
I doubt Laura Bush has it as good just a few feet away.
Keswick Hall at the foot of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains just outside of Charlottesville is an intimate - 48 room - luxury hotel of grand European style set on 600 acres.
Here again the dream of tea and spa is easily achieved. Every great spa treatment you can think of is available and then race to the afternoon tea. I was a bit embarrassed having just left the spa with about 5 minutes till tea ended. Slithery in lotions, hair askew - even more than normal — and without earrings! Lesson learned; Leave time to get it together after spa treatments and before tea is over.
Tea and all the lavish accompaniments are served every afternoon. Circle your wagon near the tables and sideboards laden with treats, then sit by a nice fire in winter or any number of Laura Ashley styled areas overlooking the infinity pool or grab a cue for a game in the snooker room working off the second round of pastries.
Special visits including cooking lessons "Table for Two's" are available.
In London, at the very special Red Carnation property, Montague on the Garden, we struggled to get back in time for tea each day and finally made it once. This charming intimate hotel has two conservatory areas which overlook the peaceful private gardens and allow one time to relax and enjoy their traditional afternoon tea, served between 3pm and 6pm each day.
The Montague High Tea includes homemade finger sandwiches and tea pastries or slightly lighter is the Cream Tea with homemade scones and Devonshire clotted cream. Now this was real clotted cream and it isn't much lighter if you double up on the portions!
One evening having my dinner alone in the Blue Door Bistro and tired of eating out, I begged for scones and clotted cream much to the horror of my waiter. Luckily a waitress didn't think it was odd at all and went about filling the request. My second course was chips AKA French fries! Well that was really beyond this waiters comprehension. Another evening we enjoyed really fantastic fish and chips and the buffet breakfasts are more than adequate to send you on a days site seeing adventure.
There are any number of charming areas around the lobby including the conservatory to ensconce yourself like a true Victorian and enjoy your tea.
The Montague is so serious that they are proud members of The Tea Council Guild of Teashops.
We can't forget cruise ships. I remember a trip through the Panama Canal ages ago that had a donut making machine pumping them out every morning and after a few of those I couldn't even consider afternoon tea and snacks or staying afloat in the pool.
The most recent of my high seas adventures was on the wonderful Radisson Seven Seas Navigator from New York to Bermuda. Of course with the constant care lavished on guests, a full tea could be at any moment 24 hours a day at any number locations including your suite. We spent one afternoon poolside enjoying a tea style light buffet while the gentle motion of our ship and pleasant conversation with other guests made for a most relaxing time. Here it was also easy to combine a series of spa treatments, run to your cabin for a quick fix up and on to tea.
Well that's a short synopsis on some of the teas I've experienced. Perhaps one of the reasons they started afternoon tea was for people like me who work all night and like to take little naps around 3 or 4pm. Sustenance tides me over that time, maybe the secret to a 24 hour work day.
A new teapot museum is on the horizon for North Carolina including wonderful treasures we saw in Conwy, Wales, I'll keep you posted on that development.
Happy Trails,
Mary E. Gallagher
|
