In Search of Tearooms

Hi, I'm new and I hope I'm posting this in the right area. I'm searching and have been for quite some time, for a nice old fashioned ladies tearoom.
We're talking hardcore Nancy Drew circa 1932 style chicken salad and creamed this-that-or the other on waffles.
I live in Pittsburgh PA, and through this site, I've found one such place in MA that I intend to visit for my birthday.

I know, I'm about 70 years too late in asking but...what the heck.
So if anyone knows of such a place, please pass it on!

Here in Baltimore we have a place that fits the bill exactly. It's the Women's Industrial Exchange. Specialties of the house would be that 1932 style chicken salad served with, get this, tomato aspic, homemade lemonade and some retro type dessert. It just re-opened last month after a major renovation mostly to electrical and mechanical systems. It is written up on this site by the Sterns. Do a search of Maryland restaurants. Just don't wear your Steelers outfit when you lunch there.

The Woman's Industrial Exchange is an excellent recommendation. I have the Stern's remarks typed up in a folder on Baltimore area restaurants:

Woman's Industrial Exchange
333 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD
Phone: 410-685-4388

For breakfast or lunch, $

From Eat Your Way Across the U.S.A. by Jane and Michael Stern (1999):

"There isn't a nicer restaurant anywhere for an old-fashioned ladies' lunch: chicken aspic, deviled eggs, and biscuits, for example, served by a staff of uniformed, kindly waitresses in a dining room unchanged for decades. Or you can choose a mild chicken salad sandwich on white bread, meaty croquettes with gravy, or fine-spiced crab cakes. Accompany the dainty fare with a glass of lemonade, top them off with layer cake or meringue pie. Then, when you're done, you can buy jams, jellies, and handwork made by deserving local women, who have been beneficiaries of this stalwart institution since it started serving meals in 1882."

quote:

Originally posted by pogophiles

A nice place for this type of food and setting is "Martha's At The Plantation" located on the grounds of the historic Belle Meade Plantation in Nashville. Read a review of the restaurant at this link: http://www.nashvillescene.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?story=Back_Issues:2002:May_23-29_2002:Columns:Food

Plus, don't forget the Satsuma Tea Room in downtown Nashville.

"Younker's" tearoom in Des Moines. Not small by any means, but a very elegant setting which takes up one of the top floors above the downtown Younkers department store (access through the department store). A pianist at the baby grand provides appetite soothing atmosphere.

The food is excellent and very reasonably priced. Open only for lunch and only on week days.

Check this site out...

http://www.teamap.com/?OVRAW=tea%20rooms&OVKEY=room%20tea&OVMTC=standard

quote:

Originally posted by JimInKy

The Woman's Industrial Exchange is an excellent recommendation. I have the Stern's remarks typed up in a folder on Baltimore area restaurants:

Woman's Industrial Exchange
333 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD
Phone: 410-685-4388

For breakfast or lunch, $

From Eat Your Way Across the U.S.A. by Jane and Michael Stern (1999):

"There isn't a nicer restaurant anywhere for an old-fashioned ladies' lunch: chicken aspic, deviled eggs, and biscuits, for example, served by a staff of uniformed, kindly waitresses in a dining room unchanged for decades. Or you can choose a mild chicken salad sandwich on white bread, meaty croquettes with gravy, or fine-spiced crab cakes. Accompany the dainty fare with a glass of lemonade, top them off with layer cake or meringue pie. Then, when you're done, you can buy jams, jellies, and handwork made by deserving local women, who have been beneficiaries of this stalwart institution since it started serving meals in 1882."

This place has just reopened after being renovated...........the newspaper article assures us that they still have their famous specials!

We are enjoying a tearoom renaissance in our part of the country but most of them have opened up in old inns or homes within the last 5 or 6 years and don't have the history or menu like the Women's Industrial Exchange ot Mary Mac's in Atlanta. I've been to and enjoyed both of them.

I'm sure Nancy, Bess and George would not mind having lunch at one of the newer tea rooms. One I particularly like is the Garden Angel Tea Room in the village of Blandon PA.

Thank you so much to everyone! I now have enough tearooms to take me through the rest of the year.
Time to break out my sporty frock, call my chums, hop into my roadster and...happy eating!

If you're coming to New York City, don't miss Tea and Sympathy, run by a delightful Englishwomen. It's tiny with wonderful English comfort food such as bangers and mash (sausage and mash potatoes), Welch rarebit, high tea with scones, sandwiches and "puddings" and lots more.

The first chapter of the Sterns' book Square Meals is called Ladies' Lunch and has recipes for you to be able to recreate your own tearoom lunch, if you get snowed in or something.

Try Venice, Florida, which is a charming town with two or three tea rooms located in the downtown area.

Watts Tea Shop in Milwaukee WI has been around since the 1920's, I think, and they serve all of the traditional goodies. Egg salad sandwiches and sunshine cake are perennially popular. (And you've got to love a place that still offers etiquette classes for children.) It is written up elsewhere on this web site.

If you find yourself in Maine, Mcnabb's Tea Room in Boothbay is delightful.

quote:

Originally posted by MissMcAllister

Hi, I'm new and I hope I'm posting this in the right area. I'm searching and have been for quite some time, for a nice old fashioned ladies tearoom.
We're talking hardcore Nancy Drew circa 1932 style chicken salad and creamed this-that-or the other on waffles.
I live in Pittsburgh PA, and through this site, I've found one such place in MA that I intend to visit for my birthday.

I know, I'm about 70 years too late in asking but...what the heck.
So if anyone knows of such a place, please pass it on!

Hello MissMcAllister, I am from the Pittsburgh Area and have visited many TeaRooms locally. If you are interested, (I know you have received many new places to visit from this site but...)I would be happy to tell you of the places my friend and I have found in the Pittsburgh area. Each year for our birthdays we treat each other to a ladies day out, full of conversation and sweets. Maybe there is a place in the Pittsburgh area you have visited that we haven't found yet. Please let me know. Thanks for your time. KaLee



quote]Originally posted by MissMcAllister

Hi, I'm new and I hope I'm posting this in the right area. I'm searching and have been for quite some time, for a nice old fashioned ladies tearoom.
We're talking hardcore Nancy Drew circa 1932 style chicken salad and creamed this-that-or the other on waffles.
I live in Pittsburgh PA, and through this site, I've found one such place in MA that I intend to visit for my birthday.

I know, I'm about 70 years too late in asking but...what the heck.
So if anyone knows of such a place, please pass it on!

Hey KaLee, I'd LOVE some Pittsburgh connections! I know very little about the area since I'm new here and missing California like anything.
Hi RubyRose. I like that image of snowed in ladies, in crisp organdy creating their own oasis of tea, cinnamon toast, and daintiness

In Atlanta Mary Mac's Tea Room is the place to go. Lots of old fashioned Southern cooking......I've never been, but will probably go before I leave Atlanta. It's a legend in this city.

Hi there, I was at Taste, a tea room in Williamsburg a couple of months ago. I highly recommend it. They are known for their scones. There is also a new one in Wallace, NC. I'm so glad to see them sprouting up in small villages in our state. Happy hunting!

quote:

Originally posted by MissMcAllister

Hi RubyRose. I like that image of snowed in ladies, in crisp organdy creating their own oasis of tea, cinnamon toast, and daintiness

That vision could be reality tomorrow, when I am having 3 guests for a tea lunch at my house. No cinnamon toast but a little bowl of creamy gingered carrot soup, 4 kinds of tea sandwiches and 3 varieties of bite-sized desserts. For Christmas, my daughter made me a large supply of those decorated sugar cubes. Now that's daintiness for sure.

Miss McAllister, Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. Here are some of my favorite Tea Houses in the Pittsburgh area:

The Johnston House
PO Box 785 907 Route 228
Mars, PA 16046
724-625-2636

Sewickley's Victorian Tea Parlour
431 Beaver Street
Sewickley, PA 15143
412-749-7828

Lavender Hill
7505 Saltsburg Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15235
412-798-0701

Sunnyledge Hotel
5124 Fifth Ave
Pittsburgh PA
412-683-5014

The White House Inn
1540 Evergreen Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15209
412-821-8505

McGinnis Sisters Tea Room
4311 Northern Pike
Monroeville, PA 15146
412-858-7000 x7 (ask for Karen)

I'm not sure what section of Pittsburgh you live in, but these locations are within 30 - 45 min from my house. I hope you get to enjoy some of these places. Please let me know if you visit them and tell me what you thought of them. I'd love to hear from you.

KaLee


quote]Originally posted by MissMcAllister

Hey KaLee, I'd LOVE some Pittsburgh connections! I know very little about the area since I'm new here and missing California like anything.
Hi RubyRose. I like that image of snowed in ladies, in crisp organdy creating their own oasis of tea, cinnamon toast, and daintiness

For proper tea, try the Cafe at the Frick in Point Breeze.

If you're not politically opposed, you can take a tour of Clayton afterwards for $10.

We have a relatively new tearoom here in New Paltz - its been open about two years. I think it is sort of anglo-Irish and I've heard good things about it from some of Gail's friends who like that kind of place. It is on Plattekill Avenue
just up the street from the bank on the corner of Main St.

Cheers, John

There are several tearooms in the Portland Maine area.
I know of one just north of Falmouth, on US 1, and another very nice quaint one in Freeport Village.
Here is a link....

http://www.teamap.com/states/state_ME_Name.html