Six

Today this little blog turns 6! Six years ago I originally started this blog to talk about all things relating to afternoon tea. Over the years, the blog has gone through some changes but there will always be that underlining essence of drinking tea served in fine china while eating little crust-less sandwiches and dessert. A couple of years ago I decided to commemorate my "blog-a-versary" by having afternoon tea someplace new each year. I started this in 2011 but some how I didn't do it last year, maybe I forgot or maybe I was just busy.

This year I remembered and planned ahead. My pick this year was the Rendezvous Cafe inside the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. I read some reviews prior to picking this spot so I was really excited to have tea here.

There is only one tea set here, the Victorian Tea for $35/person. The tea selection is pretty small but it covers a decent range with a couple of offerings of black, green and herbal teas.

I have to be honest and say that this was one of the worst tea service I've ever had and I've had many. The sandwiches were uninspired, as were the desserts. I didn't really enjoy any of the food. Nothing stood out in my mind. If not for the nice company I was with, I would have been in a foul mood as this place was a long drive from the OC in some really knarly traffic. If you plan to come here, make sure you make a reservation. Also, please note that they are very strict about their tea set. Apparently, they prepare all their food in "sets" so you can't really ask for extras of anything. I know this because I asked them to sub out one of the sandwiches and they made it seem like a chore and half to do so. By the way they were reacting when I asked for this, I did not think that I would actually get a substitution but eventually they did bring me a couple of cucumber sandwiches. I was really surprised by how bad the food was and how strict they were with their food. I was just expecting so much more from a restaurant inside a hotel with such a glamorous past. I can honestly say that I will probably never come back here for tea. It's too bad because I love historical hotels and I really wanted to like this place.

Rendezvous Cafe (Biltmore Hotel)
506 S. Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90071
213-612-1562

The Iced Milk Phenomenon! (Half & Half)

I'm going to venture out on a limb here by saying that by now I believe that most Southern Californians have probably had a boba milk tea or two. If you haven't, you should. I'm not going to go into what a boba is or isn't because there are already lots of posts out there describing the anatomy of a boba drink. Yes it's true.

What I am going to talk about in this post is a new phenomenon in the milk tea/boba universe. Let me explain. In the beginning, there was tea. Then milk was added to tea to give it richness and body. Then if that weren't enough, they added boba (tiny chewy jelly-like beads). And it was good. Well, not good for me since I am lactose intolerant, but good for everyone else that wasn't. Big names like Tapioca Express and Lollicup dominated this domain for many years. They still do.

Then one day "iced milk" came on the scene and changed the milk tea continuum. I don't know when it happened exactly but probably somewhere around the time of cute spoons from Yogurtland but before Ice Fluff (and that's a whole different post). Half & Half, the new kid in town specializing in iced milk quickly developed a cult-like following. It doesn't always look so calm and quiet like the photo below. We came on a Sunday afternoon and was surprised to find a rather short line. That never happens. Never! There are currently 3 locations in the San Gabriel Valley and there are lines coming out of all 3 locations. Always. No matter what time of day you go. It is worse if you go during prime meal hours.

From the time you step into line to the time you actually get your drink in hand, you can expect a lapse time of 45+ minutes. Yes, people wait for this and come back again and again. I hate waiting. So this is a nightmare to me. I only ever come here with my family since I cannot even drink this elusive iced milk.

The first thing you will notice about Half & Half is that their drink cups are wider in circumference and shorter in height. Sure it's a good marketing idea but these cups do not fit into your average car cup holders. Thinking about drinking this on the drive home, forget about it. Plus they are awkward to hold since they are so wide. It's a two-hander for sure.

The other thing you will notice about Half & Half is that their entire drink prep area is very closely guarded by privacy glass. Want a peek? Too bad. I'm surprised they didn't get mad at me for taking all these photos. Felt like I got away with something. This is the pick up window. The only place where the inside meets the outside. When a drink order is ready, the small curtain is lifted and everyone crowds around it like they are about to win a prize. Not your turn? Well than stand back. You can almost hear a sigh of sadness as the curtain is once again drawn close and the waiting continues.

So this is what everyone waits for. In particular, the milky drink in the front of this photo. It is milk...with ice and caramel and boba. And this is what people wait 45+ minutes to get. I would like to tell you that the wait is justified but I can't because I've never tasted it. But those who have informed me that it is special. Judging by the long lines I can't help but to think that I am somehow missing out.

Half and Half (Tea Express)

3007 Huntington Dr, Ste 104
Pasadena, CA 91107

(626) 844-1889

Afternoon Tea at The Rose Tree Cottage!

Does it seem like all I do is have afternoon tea because I really want you all to think that I do this all the time but in reality this is quite a rare treat for me. This past Sunday I had afternoon tea at the first tea house built in California. The first!! The Rose Tree Cottage is as close to English afternoon tea as you will get here in California. It is afternoon tea the way it is meant to be...proper and ceremonious. We drove through some older parts of Pasadena that I don't travel to very often. Lots of construction going on in that area so it may have a new look soon.

It took some looking around to actually find it since it is actually a large house in the middle of a residential area and covered by large bushes. When we finally spotted the British flags, we knew we had arrived.

My lovely sisters and (not-pictured) BIL accompanied me on this fine afternoon to the Rose Tree Cottage to help me commemorate my Blog's 4th blogday and my first blog posting. Doing what else but have afternoon tea!

Picture this! We get to the front door of this large house and ring the door bell, a few seconds later an elder gentleman dressed as a butler and a young lady dressed as a maid greets us at the door. He ask if we needed to freshen up before tea but I was already fresh as a daisy so we passed on the freshening up part and was lead to our corner table. My sisters tell me that they cannot take me anywhere. But I tell them that I am the one taking them here...touche!

They have a strict no-photography policy here because every once in a while they are visited by dignitaries and celebrities and they want to ensure that they these people get some privacy, so I "borrowed" these photos from Yelp.

The meal started with a glass of non-alcoholic sparkling cider of some sort. It was really good. It was clear in color with a piece of raspberry floating in it. Next up was the pouring of the house tea. They only serve one kind of tea here and that is English Breakfast, which was fine with me because I love that tea. You can get it either with or without milk. You can drink as much as you like. Just don't ask if you can have Boba with it.

Then the finger sandwiches come out. Top tier is Yorkshire pie (stewed beef in a pastry shell), we were advised to eat this first while it was still warm. The meat was tender and very flavorful. From what I can remember, the sandwiches included buttered cucumber, chicken mango and egg salad asparagus. One side of the sandwich was regular white bread and the other side was wheat. It made for a nice presentation. I think my favorite was the egg salad. I dare say it is the best egg salad I've had yet. I liked the savories very much.

Source

[no photo] The second course was warm currant scones served with a mixed raspberry jam and Devon cream. The scones were biscuit-like and crazy good. My favorite by far! Everyone agreed that the jam was amazing.

Finally they bring out this little plate very much like this one here with Petit Fours, butter cookies and our plate also had little squares of toffee bread pudding. So good! There is a gift shop on the other side of the house that sells almost everything used during the tea service from the China to the scones to the bread pudding. You just need to heat and serve.

As a note, if you decide to come here, please keep in mind that they have a set menu. They serve afternoon tea their way. Don't come expecting a large selection or to pick and choose. There are places that offer this option but this is not the place. Keep an open mind. Relax and let them serve you. Aside from feeling not proper enough to eat here, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience. I will wear a large hat next time. Maybe some pearls. Yes it is *that* kind of place.

They have three seatings, 1:00pm, 2:30pm and 4:00pm.

Source

I feel blessed to have such amazing people in my life to share all this with. Thanks guys!

Rose Tree Cottage

801 S Pasadena Ave
Pasadena, CA 91105
Neighborhood: Pasadena

(626) 793-3337

Afternoon Tea at the Palace Hotel

This is the kind of post I live to write. If for no other reason than the fact that it is about having afternoon tea.

***I think I may have mentioned this before but I first started this blog because of my love for afternoon tea. In fact my URL is called "www.loveaspotoftea.blogspot.com" even though my blog name is I'd Rather Be Eating. Yeah, it never occurred to me to make the two match.

Back to the matter at hand! Tea! So as I was saying I must have been English in my last life or a Queen...

Photo credit to Sister K

...because I simply adore having a nice spot of tea. That's why I'm so glad that Sister K talked me into coming here. Well technically I found the place but had originally not wanted to spend so much on tea but then Sister K reminded me that we were on vacation and how often do we get to do this. Umm, almost never. At least not at the Palace Hotel anyways.

Ah Palace Hotel! Swoon!

A display of the Royal Tea set which includes champagne.

Look at the amazing natural lighting in this place!

We settled on the Garden Court Tea set since I was running the next morning. No bubblies for me!

 
I was still jazzed to be there.

The scones were good. I can't say that they were the best I've ever had but I enjoyed them.  

This is going to sound strange but believe it or not, this was the first time I tried the lemon curd and it was amazing! I've been served this stuff in the past but have never even tasted it because I don't like lemon desserts and figure this would taste like a lemon dessert but it was slightly sweet and slight tart. Let's just say it was so yummy on the scone. That jelly stuff on the left was another story. It was weird and I didn't care for it.

Tea sandwiches - Sliced Turkey, Smoked Salmon, Prosciutto, Cucumber and Sliced Bosc Pear! The sliced Bosc pear was the best of this lot.

Just so lovely here!

Sweets!

This was Sister K's plate of sweets. I don't think she cared for these, plus she said that she was full. 

Me on the hand...well I think I ate this entire plate. My favorite was the raspberry tart in the back. The other pieces were just okay. Overall, it was a lovely afternoon and I enjoyed it immensely. I would definitely come back if I get the chance. If you have little ones that enjoy playing tea party, this is a wonderful treat for them. When you order the Prince and Princess tea set, they being your little one a tiara or crown and a candy scepter. So cute!

Also, this has nothing to do with afternoon tea but it was on this trip to SF that I discovered the usefulness of the OpenTable iPhone App. It is a real time saver. Check it out!

Garden Court (Palace Hotel)
2 New Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 512-1111

Blast from the Past // My Trip to New York in 07 // Day 2

Missed Day 1 of this trip?

After getting a good night sleep, we were up early the next morning to head back to the airport to catch a short flight to NY. It had stopped snowing but it was still cold as heck. We grabbed a couple of hot beverages at the airport and wanted for our flight.

Finally, we were NY bound. Actually, we decided to fly into Newark and stay in Jersey since the hotel prices were way cheaper there and just use public transportation to get into New York each day.

When we landed at Newark Airport, we quickly hopped a shuttle to our hotel in Jersey, unpacked, hopped another shuttle and two trains into New York City. Yeah, it was a pain in the rear to do this. If I ever return, I think I will just stay in the city. The train from Jersey to NY took us directly to the station where Madison Square Garden was located. There was a game going on that night at the Garden so it was super crowded. 

After many hours of traveling, we finally made it! And boy was it cold!

I think this was the Garment District.

Sister J doing something that only fans of the show "Heroes" would know. 

We went into this large toy store in the middle of Time Square and saw this peanut doll. At the time I didn't know what this peanut doll had to do with NY but then as we started wandering the streets and came upon vendor after vendor of food carts selling everything from hot dogs, to cheese steak sandwiches to candied roasted nuts, I quickly realized the nut connection. I still dream about those roasted street nuts. So good! We ate so many of it while we were there. I even tried to bring some back but they are just not as good as when they are fresh.

Then it started to get dark outside.

One of the places on our list of must-see was Teany, a vegetarian/vegan restaurant and tea shop. So we headed there for dinner. It was located in the Lower East Side which was quite a bit away from Time Square. After walking in the rain for 30 minutes to catch the subway, we miraculously found it in what seemed like an unsavory part of town. Especially at night time.

Teany use to be co-owned by the musician Moby, maybe that is still true. A while back it was closed down because a fire broke out over night due to an electrical problem. I think it has since reopened.

These little scrap metal robots are just so neat. I wish I had one in my kitchen.

We checked out the menu.

And the specials for the day.

I ended up ordering the afternoon tea set. Sister J ordered a Teany-chino, which I think to this day is still one of her favorite drinks.

Check this out! I wish I would have snapped more close-ups of the food. The food was surprising good for being vegan. I would eat there again! Too bad it is so far away. I don't know when I will get to come here again. 

Light display in front of the Macy's building.

Macy's window display. I hear this is a big deal in these parts. The detailing of these pieces are incredible.

I'm just being mischievous.

We walked over to the Empire State Building and thought that we would go up to check it out. Unfortunately, you had to pay and I believe they told us that visibility wasn't that great that night so we skipped it. Plus, we had a long journey back to Jersey via public transpo.

Final Day in NY to come...