Tweet A beautiful mid-December day in Dublin, Ireland – sunny and about 42F or 6C – found me approaching the front entrance of the Shelbourne Hotel for “Festive Afternoon Tea.” We had reservations at this, one of Dublin’s most historic hotels, built in 1828 and the location where the Constitution of the Irish Free State [...]
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Tweet An unusually warm December afternoon found me in Chicago at one of the city’s premier luxury hotels, The Four Seasons, just off the Magnificent Mile. The hotel is in a high rise building above an upscale retail mall called The 900 Shops. The hotel’s entire lobby is richly decorated in fine-plush furnishings but, The [...]
Monday, November 30, 2009
Tweet How did tea drinking become so popular in England? Believe it or not, Portugal was probably most responsible. In 1662, when Charles II married a member of the Portuguese royal family, Catherine of Braganza, she brought tea with her as part of her dowry, and tea then became the official court beverage in the 1660’s. [...]
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Tweet When I arrived at Fortnum and Mason, it was after sundown and the right time for High Tea. High Tea is served later in the day and is a more substantial meal than the lighter fare that is commonly associated with afternoon tea. After entering through F&M’s oak doors on Piccadilly, I took the lift [...]
Friday, November 20, 2009
Although it was dark and overcast on this late November day in London, the air was unusually warm at 57F / 14C. Walking up Albemarle Street in the heart of Mayfair, I came to the unmistakable entrance to Brown’s Hotel. Built in 1837 by James Brown and his wife, Sarah, who were formerly butler and maid to Lord and Lady Byron, it was the first hotel in London that catered to “genteel” folk.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Tweet Afternoon Tea at The Ritz Carlton, Chicago reminds me of spending a relaxing afternoon in someone’s luxurious parlor or living room. The mood is unhurried, the atmosphere is elegant, and the overstuffed sofas and chairs just make you want to stay and never leave. In some ways, it reminds me of The Gallery at [...]
Friday, November 13, 2009
Tweet First of all, it’s clotted, not whipped. Secondly, it’s a rich and creamy dairy product that most people associate with England, but is now available widely around the world. Thirdly, it’s a luxury item that is usually spread on scones, desserts and fresh fruit, especially at afternoon tea taken in the English tradition. Clotted [...]
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Tweet If there ever was a luxury hotel that embodies New York, it’s the Waldorf Astoria. Of course it’s a landmark luxury hotel, but it’s steeped in so much history that it’s difficult to talk about New York without mentioning the Waldorf. From Guy Lombardo’s annual New Year’s celebrations broadcast from the Grand Ballroom to [...]
Monday, November 2, 2009
Tweet Ah, The Pierre, a luxury hotel in New York City and one time home to actress Elizabeth Taylor, Harrods owner Mohamed al-Fayed, and the French designer Yves Saint-Laurent. Charles Pierre, an immigrant from Corsica, began in the restaurant business in New York and over the years established social ties with some of Wall Street’s [...]
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Tweet The Plaza Hotel in New York City is a landmark and a Beaux-arts masterpiece, built in 1907 and occupying a prime piece of New York City real estate near the fabled corner of Fifth Avenue and Central Park South. While it normally offers a superb and elegant afternoon tea in its dramatic Palm Court [...]
Thursday, December 17, 2009
2 Comments