Mar
13, 2003 — If
you know even a little bit about Irish history, you know that
Ireland is very different from England. Yet when I spent a
recent afternoon at the decidedly English Abbey Garden Tea Room
in Fairhaven, I felt as though I'd traveled back in time to
1995, when I spent a memorable vacation on the Emerald Isle that
took me to Dublin and Galway in the Irish Republic, and
British-ruled Belfast in Northern Ireland.
It probably had something to do with my tea companion. Kate
has been a buddy since college
— and my best friend since that trip to
Ireland, when I traveled alone to stay with her while she was a
graduate student at Trinity College in Dublin.
Kate was visiting Bellingham from Chicago and I thought the
short walk to Abbey Garden Tea Room from my home seemed like a
fitting excursion for her first full day in town.
Abbey Garden Tea Room shares its space with Paint
Expressions, a paint-your-own ceramic shop. I've had friends
celebrate birthdays and other special occasions at Paint
Expressions, spending an afternoon of painting with friends
followed by tea, sandwiches and desserts. On the day of our
visit, the downstairs painting area was empty.
We climbed the wooden staircase to the tea room, just a tad
disappointed that all the tables with upholstered, high-backed
armchairs were taken. There's something special about folding
yourself into such a comfortable chair to enjoy a meal. Instead
we were seated at a table cozied between a chair and a red
velvet-covered banquette shared by a trio of tables.
Abbey Garden Tea Room |
Location: 1308A 11th St.
Phone: 752-1752
Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through
Sunday; last tea seating at 4:30 p.m.
Serving: Tea sandwiches, soups, salads, and
other English-inspired edibles.
Menu items sampled: Savory tea $10.95
Abbey
tea $9.95 |
One detraction from an otherwise ideal luncheon spot was the
volume of a conversation held at the table next to us. The small
space didn't lend itself to quiet conversation on the day of our
visit. Let's just say that Kate and I learned more than we
wanted to know about the somewhat-sordid family history of one
of our fellow diners.
Aside from that
— and two attempts to request a glass of
water that finally arrived just as we finished our meal
— we had a delightful lunch. The food
was sublime.
To begin, of course, we chose which type of tea we wanted. I
ordered the Savory Tea, while Kate settled on the Abbey Tea.
Both options came with a pot of tea
— chosen from more than 20 varieties and
flavors
— tea sandwiches, fruit and other
exquisite edibles.
More than a half-dozen tea options are listed on the menu at
Abbey Garden. You can also order a la carte, choosing quiche, a
sausage roll, a Cornish or cheese and onion pasty, soup, salads,
a cheese plate, scones and a selection of desserts.
Shortly after placing our orders, our server returned from
the downstairs kitchen with two small ceramic teapots, which she
placed on our table and then topped with quilted tea cozies.
I love the ritual of tea and at Abbey Garden, it's more
formal
— and therefore, that much more special
— than at home: pouring the steaming tea
into a fine china tea cup, letting it steep, watching the swirl
of cream rise after being tipped into the cup, then using small
silver tongs to drop two cubes of sugar into the cup.
I found my cup of tea just right, although Kate
— perhaps because of her experience
living abroad and drinking tea with every meal
— found hers on the weak side. But I
think it's safe to say that the average patron at Abbey Garden
would be delighted with any brew.
Our server returned some time later with a three-tiered plate
stand holding two mismatched, fragile china plates. The top
plate held the six tea sandwiches we'd chosen between us and the
bottom plate a lovely array of sliced oranges, apples and
strawberries.
All of the sandwiches were astounding. Who knew something as
simple as a delicate tea sandwich could deliver such a powerful
punch?
Twelve small triangles of crustless white and brown bread
held, at turns, creamy egg salad, smoked salmon in a cream
cheese spread, cream cheese with cucumber and fresh dill,
curried chicken spread and watercress with cream cheese and
lemon. Not one was sub par.
If I had to choose a favorite, I'd go with the watercress and
cream cheese with lemon with its wonderful citrus undertones
— but I've been craving each of these
sandwich fillings since our Abbey Garden visit.
Kate's tea also came with a scone, served on a separate
plate, accompanied by a small glass bowl of thick, rich Devon
cream and a dollop of raspberry jam. One bite and Kate's eyelids
dropped in satisfaction. She declared it was the best scone
she'd ever had; I tried a nibble and instantly concurred. As
soon as it touched my tongue a rush of sugar sweetness flooded
my taste buds. The scone was light and wonderfully soft inside,
with a slightly crunchy crust.
My tea came with a choice of quiche, pasty or sausage roll.
I've enjoyed Abbey Garden's Cornish pasty before, flaky pastry
filled with beef, potatoes, onions and other vegetables. It's
fabulous, but I wanted to try something new.
The sausage roll didn't disappoint. Crumbly pastry was
wrapped around a fresh sausage, served with hot mustard and
steak sauce. The sausage roll made for a pleasing savory
complement to the sweet fresh fruit.
Abbey Garden offers a charming lunch that in many ways could
be right out of a Merchant and Ivory film. Although it isn't an
Irish eatery at all, pop in this St. Patrick's Day for a spot of
tea like that enjoyed in Ireland and Great Britain year-round.
The
Fine Print: I dine on my own dime. The opinions herein are mine
alone, not The Bellingham Herald's. Agree? Disagree? Please drop
me a line at StaceeSledge@hotmail.com.