Edith Mae’s Tea Room

Located in an old Victorian home in Xenia, this Edith Mae’s Tea Room is a memorable experience.  The tea room itself is not run by the home owners but by a lady that rents out the space at the rear of the house as well as some side rooms for a Victoria gift shop.  Tea times are on a reservation basis Tuesday through Saturday and the gift shop is open those days as well.

There are plenty of antiques to admire while waiting to be seated and the room is surrounded by windows.  Plenty of Victorian hats for both men and women can be found along the walls and guests typically try them on and even wear them throughout the tea.

This was the most casual tea room experience I’ve had since there really wasn’t a big focus on tea.  We were offered hot tea or iced tea and the hot tea was an English afternoon tea that actually tasted kind of bland.  Instead of the traditional scones or biscuits we were served cinnamon rolls and a raspberry shortbread.  The tiered plate included cucumber sandwiches, ham and mustard bisquits, and chicken salad croissant on the bottom plate, fruit cups and watermelon slices on the middle plate, and pecan cone with cream filling, orange dreamcicle cake with a whipped topping and mini strawberry pies.  The food was delicious but not as “foo-foo” as other tea room food I’ve had.

Parking could be an issue as basically guests just find a spot along the residential street to parallel park.  We found it to be a little unclear where to enter the house due to lack of signage.

All in all we had a great experience and I would go back.  It was peaceful and fun. Some tea rooms have rules about a minimum age that guests have to be but Edith Mae’s tea room seems to be an environment that could be enjoyed by all ages.  I can imagine it would be a great spot for a little girl’s birthday party or bridal shower.

Savannah Tea House

I’m not a huge coffee drinker but I do enjoy a nice cup of hot tea.  While we were in Nashville we went to the Savannah Tea House. This tea room was featured in Southern Living magazine and was such a treasure! The cozy tea room is in an old historic house with lots of charm.  Reservations are definitely a good idea especially if you plan on going on Saturday. 

We had a blast picking out a hat or hair band to wear as well as what patterned tea cup and saucer to use.  We were overwhelmed with all the different tea choices and LOVED all the food.  The traditional high tea included a soup, salad, scones, finger sandwiches, and desserts.  We were stuffed with all the delicious and beautiful looking food!  The whole experience was just delightful and was a great place to take the time to visit with friends and linger over the food.

Ever Hear of Chider?

Nothing is better than something hot and tasty on a cold, windy day! I'm not the biggest coffee drinker but was looking for something hot while visiting a friend in Cincinnati. She brought me to Coffee Emporium. (http://www.coffee-emporium.com/) We went to the East Hyde Park location (one of five in the area). 

I knew the place was going to be good when the coffee shop was housed in a old lime green two story house with artistic landscaping and signage. The shop isn't very big. When you first enter the room is full of unique flavors of loose leaf tea leaves from floor to ceiling along one section of the wall. Along another wall are containers full of unique coffee bean flavors. Right above the fresh baked goods, was a dry erase board with the day's specials. Since I was overwhelmed with all the choices of hot drinks I looked at the board for some help!

The board listed a drink I had never heard of before: "Chider": a mix between Chai Tea and Apple Cider. I like both of those drinks so I thought "I'll give it a try." Am I glad I did, too!! It was super hot and oh so yummy.

After picking up our drinks we headed upstairs to a "study room" filled with tables and chairs. Although not very comfy you could tell alot of students come to study and it was pretty quiet while we were there. Local art filled the walls to give it a very warm feel.

Next time I'm in the Cincinnati area, I'm planning on going back either to that location or another one in the area to see what other new delicacies I can experience!

Do you know of any local Dayton coffee shops, I must try out?

Would you like some tea?

            
If you're ever in the mood for some good quality hot tea or just want to add a little culture to your life, swing by Central Perc in Oakwood. 

I've been twice.  Once on a Saturday morning to meet a friend for tea and a scone and once with family for the "traditional" tea.  The owners are from England and very friendly to customers.  In fact they seemed to have quite a few regulars come in while I was there. Some tea shops aren't the most welcoming to children but I saw cusotmers of all age welcomed in the shop.  The decor is laid back and warm with plenty of tables and chairs inside and outside. 

I took some out of town family to the traditional tea and they loved the experience. The traditional tea consisted of a three tiered plate filled with tea sandwiches, deserts, scones and a pot of our choice of freshly brewed tea.  The servings were very generous. In fact we took leftovers home in a to-go-box.

I have a friend (who is somewhat of a food snob :-) that stops by often for lunch and tea and absolutely loves the place.

If you're looking for a fun place to meet up with family of friends on a Saturday morning of early afternoon or just to expose yourself to something new, check Central Perc out.