I both like and dislike top 10 lists. I like them because they narrow down a big topic to something digestible and human-sized. I dislike them because they most often aren't MY top 10. They're incredibly exclusive...something I dislike all around.
So having given my disclaimer, Tea Guy Speaks recently pointed out this USA today list of top 10 tea spots in the US. What do you think? What would you add to the list? Have you been to any of these? I honestly couldn't believe it when I hadn't been to any! I've been to many tea rooms across the US; I thought surely I'd have crossed the threshold of one or two. (Note: I have been to TeaGschwendner in Chicago - just not the Halstead location. The visit was great!) I guess this just gives me new destinations.
One tea room that I would add to the top of any good list is the St. James Tea Room in Albuquerque, NM. Sincerely, this is the best tea room I've ever visited. The food is heaven, the setting is quiet and intimate - equally appealing to men and women, and the owner is a jewel. It is one of the things I miss most about NM!
7 comments:
I'm 0/10 as well. I have been to a tea room in Savannah, but I linked to The Tea Room's website and realized that was not the place I visited. Ah well.
Thanks for the link to that article. I have been to Tea & Sympathy in NYC, but that is the only one. And to be honest I really don't remember what it was like. So I will see if the description in the article jogs my memory.
I would have to agree that the St. James Tearoom in Albuquerque is a gem. Even the Four Seasons in Boston isn't as exquisite as the St. James. It's a must-visit for anyone passionate about tea.
Yippee, I've been to a place on the list! It's The Tea Room in Savannah, and it is among my top five all-time favorite tea rooms. I'm fortunate to have a friend who lives in Savannah, so I've had extended visits and even got to house sit there for a week, and The Tea Room consistently offers great food, service and atmosphere. (They also have one of the best gift shop selections I've ever seen in a tea room, which is always a big part of my tea room enjoyment.) MEP might have visited The Gryphon Tea Room, perhaps? It's another tea room in Savannah, and I hear a third has opened as well ...
Thanks Steph for sharing this list. With so many wonderful tea 'spots' in the US, it must be an impossible task to narrow it down to 10, particularly if you haven't had the chance to visit all the tea locations this grand country has to offer! Nancy
i have never, ever been to a tea room. there are a few opening up around me, and i really feel the need to visit one all of the sudden! it sounds lovely!
TeaHaus, Ann Arbor, MI
Lovely for some piping hot tea and scones on the side.
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