I love that quote.  Author Chaim Potok said that.  And I have to agree. What is more fun and happy than afternoon tea?

My mom and I have this tradition where we go to the Drake Hotel in Chicago every year and have tea at the Palm Court.  It’s an opportunity to have some mother/daughter time and talk about Christmas lists, when to bake our holiday cookies and what to serve for Christmas, all while being served a beautiful tea service with little finger sandwiches and sweet treats and lots and lots of tea.

Tea is an experience.  A process with very specific rules.  Therapeutic tea I call it.  Your tea pot arrives with the tea of your choice.  Then they pour hot water over the leaves and you sit there waiting like a lady for your tea to infuse.  You just sit.  And wait.  No one to rush you.  Nothing to do, but chat and enjoy the other person(s) you are with.

Then you pour it slowly in your cup, using the little tea strainer of course.  See that up there?  Use the tea strainer!  I implore you.  Don’t ask how I know this.  Just trust me on this one.

Our favorite tea is the Orange Dulce.  It’s naturally sweet with citrus flavors that I could drink all afternoon.  And I do.  If you look away for one second, you will miss the perfectly dressed wait staff scurrying around with silver carafes full of hot water to magically fill your little tea pot, over and over and over again.  And then again.  Did I mention I end up drinking a lot of tea on this day?

The best part about tea at the Drake is the little pots of jam and clotted cream that they serve to have with your scones (they even have gluten free scones and finger sandwiches, yeah!).  But what exactly is clotted cream?  Sounds like cream gone bad right?  But it’s not, it’s this divine, sweet, creamy spreadable yumminess that makes any plain bread instantly better.

Do you drink your tea with milk?  I don’t.  Should I?  Tell me.

My favorite time of year to go to the Palm Court is during the holidays.  They change up the fountain with white, sparkly twigs, okay branches (the thing is giant), decorated with pretty ornaments.  It kind of looks like the water from the fountain froze in mid-air.  The little cherubs are still there, riding these water-spewing fish.  I am a little disturbed by them, I’m not going to lie.  First of all there are four of them and they all seem to look really happy with this evil stranglehold on the fish…never mind.  Forget I said anything.

That’s my mom enjoying her tea and finger sandwiches.  The finger sandwiches are dah-rling.  There are itty bitty lobster rolls, mini spinach and cheese quiches, and small chicken sandwiches with a swiss cheese and strawberry jam topping.  Also, tiny smoked salmon sandwich and of course, what is high tea with out wee little cucumber and dill cream cheese sammies?  Look!  No crust.  That’s fancy.  🙂

And yes everything is small, and dainty, and cute.  I almost don’t want to eat them.  Look at my gluten free chocolate cupcake?  Isn’t it darling?  Okay, maybe only I get excited about miniature chocolate cupcakes.  Yeah, didn’t think so.  You want that cupcake don’t you?  The Drake also has managed to serve the softest, best gluten free chocolate chip cookie as well.  I don’t know how they did it, but it’s super delicate.

Tea to the English is really a picnic indoors. – Alice Walker

I also, appreciate the Christmas carolers that walk around the Palm Court serenading everyone. How cute is that?  And let’s not forget the harpist.  Come on!  A fountain?  A harp?  Carolers?  Miniscule sandwiches?  Who am I?  I am having so much fun.

Go, have tea at the Drake.  It’s a fun tradition.  Have a tea at home and make a cucumber sandwich, but make them small and speak with an English accent, that’s fun too.  What traditions do you keep?

-Kallie