As I did with my Rhode Island write-up last winter, I'll break this up into a couple of different posts. It helps to keep it more manageable for your reading.
I headed out Saturday morning and made a quick swing through Lexington and had a kind of lackluster chai from Peet's Coffee & Tea. I've generally had good experiences there so I was a little disappointed. Watery. Oh well. I knew there was far more tea in my future.
On this beautiful sunny day I was very happy to be heading to the coast. My first destination was a place I've had on my list for years now - The Wenham Tea House. More formally "The Exchange at The Wenham Tea House" is billed as the longest continually running tea house in the country, opening its doors in 1912. It was originally run by the Ladies Improvement Society to raise scholarship money for local children. (A portion of the profits still support this cause.)Wenham is a really lovely town. There was something truly idyllic about the area around the tea house. However, it is actually kind of tricky to find the entrance. It's the street that runs in front of the church, across the street from Wenham Museum and Wenham Town Hall. I thought it was the church parking lot at first and had to turn around. You can either park in that area (except for the spaces reserved for the jewelry shop) or pull through into the few spaces nearer to the shop.
The building is a pretty white dormered cape with a white picket fence and plenty of windows overlooking the side yard. You enter the shop into a gift shop - kitchen items, some teaware, bags, other home decor items. There is a clothing store, "Irresistibles," that is adjacent to this space. Walk straight through this gift shop area and you will reach the hostess station. To the right is the bakery which stocks baked goods, gourmet foods, and ready-to-go meals.
The dining space is simple, yet nicely done. White washed walls and lots of windows. Simple but elegant tables and chairs. I was also distracted by the beautiful roses on the trellises just outside the window. There were a few tables and chairs outside, perhaps for people buying items in the bakery. The music choice was perfect - soft and relaxing, but not distracting.The staff could not have been friendlier. The waitress first brought me cornbread prepared in an individual sized cast iron skillet. A nice touch. The menu was an assortment of soups, salads, sandwiches, and a few other entrees including fish dishes, crepes, and quiche. I ordered the lobster bisque, a half sandwich and tea. I was surprised there was no tea menu, but was told by the waitress that they had a lovely assortment of tea bags. That made me sad. Unlike when I went to the Concord Inn, the tea bags were at least presented in a nice wooden box (from Metropolitan Tea Co. Odd since they didn't seem to have tea from Metropolitan.) and they were sorted by type. I didn't have to dig through a basket and hope to find something at the bottom. The teas offered were primarily from Davidson's but there were a few Lipton (EEK!) and "House Recipe" (SYSCO food service) mixed in. I chose a Spiced Pear tea - beautiful scent with a slightly lackluster flavor that was bettered slightly by a touch of sugar. It was pleasant, not perfume-y or overdone. The water was served in a nicely shaped Old Amsterdam Pottery Works pot.
For most of my visit, the next youngest customer was certainly twice my age, but it didn't feel uncomfortable of that the space was dated. I think it was just that I came in so early. Later in the meal a group of younger people came in for lunch also. I noticed that I was the only one in the room who ordered tea (other than iced tea).
One customer mentioned that she'd been coming for more than 40 years. She was disappointed with some of the recent changes since the shop changed ownership last year. I chatted with her for a bit on my way out. She said the food used to be absolutely amazing and incredibly priced. She said her last visit had been quite poor but she was happy the day I was there. She mentioned that they had removed the sideboards that used to be in the dining room that held teaware and desserts, coffee, and tea. She felt their loss detracted from the atmosphere. It seems that it added space for a few more tables.
I inquired about afternoon tea. There are three options: Cream Tea (scone and tea), Light Tea (scone, sandwich, macaroon, and optional bisque), and Full Tea (full complement of sandwiches and pastries). Happily, they serve loose tea at their afternoon tea (Elmwood Inn Fine Tea). Options included Darjeeling, Earl Grey, Serene Green (a blend of China green and chamomile), and a proprietary Yunnan blend called "The Exchange." Afternoon tea is served Thursday - Sunday from 2:30 - 4:15.
On the whole I had a really nice experience. The space would be fantastic for a shower or celebratory meal. I would be very interested in trying their afternoon tea to see how their loose leaf service is. A nice experience on the whole in a beautiful town.
Next post - Rockport and Gloucester
P.S. An off-topic note: I found the most amazing yarn shop in South Hamilton, just a couple of minutes down the road from the tea house called Cranberry Fiber Arts. Oddly, their site and their web address make it sound like a quilting shop too. It's not. It is a yarn shop with an amazing selection and wonderful staff. Definitely worth a trip.
Taken from http://teapages.blogspot.com/
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