Bret
User's reviews
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Great Galena Peddlery
This is not a tea room, so there is not an afternoon tea to be served (at least not the last time I was there). I was very saddened by the fact that Bernadine's at the Stillman Inn had closed, the first and best of the tea rooms I've visited. Fortunately, just a few blocks away is one of the best tea merchants I've ever visited. The shop is very quaint and aromatic, brimming with high quality teas, spices, and fragrant herbs. In fact, the tea is among the finest I've ever tasted. My advice is to settle down in one of the many historic B&Bs Galena has to offer, and have your hosts brew a pot of tea using the loose leaves you brought from the Peddlery. There are local bakeries that make scones, and certainly a half pint of lemon curd and cream could be scavanged somewhere. Then enjoy a truly grand experience in the palor from which the same pleasure was probably experienced when the house was built. Bret Bolingbrook, IL
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Russian Tea Time
I have been going to the Russian Tea Time for many years now, and had always gone for the food and excellent tea. It seems that for only a few years now, they have been serving an afternoon tea as well. They have a sort of 'house' or Russian tea, which seems to be black tea with a hint of currant. The cuisine is Russian, and the food is outstanding. The last meal there would rate as the best restaurant meal of 2006 for me. I cannot rate the afternoon tea, but we ordered a scone out of curiosity, and it was among the best I've ever had. I enjoy the house tea so much that I've never sampled any other, but I'm sure they are just as good. The restaurant is practically next door to the Art Museum and Grant Park, so it could not be better situated. The prices are reasonable, and the atmosphere very good. Give it a try, and by all means sample the food, it's the main attraction. Bret Bolingbrook, IL
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George Watt's Tea Shop
This place is located in downtown Milwaukee, very central to the many attractions in the city. The tea room is located on the second floor of George Watt's, an upscale department store, and is cleverly situated so that one must wind their way through the entire store for access. This is presumably done so that people are drawn to the store items on route to tea. The tea room is very elegant, and the presentation superb. All the sandwiches were delicious, as were the desserts. The scones were almost like cake they were so fluffy and light. I prefer my scones denser and more biscuit-like, but these were so delicious that it didn't mind a bit. My main issue with the tea room was their selection of tea, which was quite limited. There were only two 'real' tea blends, and the rest were tea blended with spices or herbs. I am an avid indian spiced, or 'chai,' tea lover and grind my own spices for use with quality strong black tea. So naturally I have an aversion to pre-blended chai teas, and the menu included one, which the waitress recommended since it was one of their most popular. My wife ordered the chai tea and it tasted terrible. I had the Welsh Breakfast blend and my father had the Green Tea. I must say that both of these choices were excellent and I enjoyed my tea thoroughly. My recommendation for this and any other tea room is to avoid the spiced or other herbal tea blends and go for the real tea. Overall then, I did enjoy my experience at George Watt's very much. The chai blend was actually only a minor flaw, and I would gladly go back to enjoy another tea. Bret Hall Bolingbrook, IL