Monday, May 18, 2009

Pinkies Up!: Tea Time at the Arboretum





Sunday was perfection.  What a day for an outing!


The sun was shining - sparkling even - and a cool breeze had blown all the heat and humidity to Houston (I think).  My sweet Momcat had arranged for tea at the Dallas Arboretum in honor of our friend B.J.'s birthday, and the three of us headed over to those gorgeous gardens on the shores of White Rock lake around noontime with visions of marigolds and ivy and tiny crustless sandwiches dancing in our heads.

After taking a leisurely hour to wander through the Arboretum under the cloudless sky, we made our way to the DeGolyer Garden Café for afternoon tea.  With sunshine streaming through picture windows and the soft sounds of a piano player in the distance, we then nibbled traditional tea-time treats while sipping from delicate china cups and catching up on all the gossip.  How civilized!

We began with the café’s Signature Zucchini Dill Soup.  Light and fragrant and ever-so-slightly creamy, it tasted just like spring.

Next we enjoyed a tiered tower of tiny sandwiches, including turkey with herb butter on rosemary bread, chicken salad on wee little croissants and creamed cucumber wedges, which were the hit of the afternoon.  I’d never tasted a cucumber sandwich before – had only heard of them on those PBS specials with folks who wear ascots – but I was surprised by their delicate and refreshing flavor.  They were an ideal match for warm sips of Apricot Orange, Strawberry Vanilla and Peach Ginger tea.


Finally, another picture-perfect tray appeared bearing mini-cheesecakes, amaretto brownies, chocolate-covered strawberries and light, buttery scones.  Slathered with strawberry jam and clotted cream, those warm scones were just the right touch at the end of such a delightful meal. (See that hand lurking in the background?  Even prim and proper ladies get impatient while waiting for fussy bloggers to figure out their cameras...)

While we did spot a few gentlemen enjoying tea in the dining room, I’d say this is a treat best enjoyed with your girlfriends – and enjoy it you will.  We left relaxed and chit-chatty, and took a spin through the gift shop before heading back home.  To top off the perfect day, Momcat and the birthday girl (see below) both found adorable souvenirs, and I bought myself the worlds’ greatest hat (think Hunter S. Thompson meets Tommy Bahama).  


To arrange an Afternoon Tea with your ladies-who-lunch 

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oi. Parabéns por seu excelente blog. Gostaria de lhe convidar para visitar meu blog e conhecer alguma coisa sobre o Brasil. Abração

Momcat said...

C&S - what a perfect description of our perfect day! Love the pics! (And, as you know, I usually HATE pictures of me!)

On a side note, the previous comment would indicate that 'little bloggy' is officially international. Woo-hoo!

Unknown said...

Tea is so fun! I've been meaning to try it at the Arboretum for a while. Now I really want to go!

The J.R. said...

Was there a Mad Hatter?

Classy&Sassy said...

OMG - Mom, are you listening? I didn't even think of that JR. Mom loves to wear hats, and I can't believe she didn't wear one to tea just so that we could call her "Mad Hatter" ;)

RobinBrant said...

Looks like so much fun!

Momcat said...

My pink cowboy hat would have been the perfect accessory - can't believe I didn't wear it!

Actually, I didn't see any ladies wearing hats. Did you, C&S?

Classy&Sassy said...

Nope, didn't see any. And I didn't find my awesome hat until after tea. Sigh.