Blumberg-Kason - All the Tea in Chicago

All the Tea in Chicago
Second Edition

Copyright 2008 by Susan Blumberg-Kason
ISBN 978-1-4243-3050-8

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced
in any form without permission in writing from the
publisher. Although the author and publisher have checked
all the information in this book, they accept no responsibility
for any inconvenience, loss, or injury sustained by
any person using this book.

Designed by Joy Olivia Miller

Printed in Ann Arbor, Michigan
by Malloy Incorporated

Published in the United States by Des Voeux Press

Des Voeux Press

1529 South State Street
Suite 8B
Chicago, Illinois 60605

www.desvoeuxpress.com

In memory of my father, who drank loose leaf tea exclusively before it was popular in this country and taught me to drink tea;

AND TO:

My mother, who introduced me
to afternoon tea and shared many a pot
in cities across the world;

Love and Wabes, the apples of my eye;

Joy, who made this and the first
edition possible; and

Tom, who makes it all worthwhile.

I guess I knew a good thing when I saw it. When I wrote the first edition to All the Tea in Chicago in 2006, I claimed in the introduction that Chicago was one of the best cities in the U.S. to drink loose leaf tea. Since then, tea has taken off in the Windy City even more than I could have predicted. The second edition of All the Tea in Chicago 0is written for the same reasons I decided to write the first edition: Chicago is a great tea city; tea is more popular in the city and across the country than ever before; and scientists are continuing to find health benefits to drinking tea.

Why a second edition to All the Tea in Chicago? The first edition sold out much quicker than I or the retail stores and restaurants expected. I needed to supply these vendors with more copies, but also had another issue to facethere were simply dozens of new tea houses and other sellers of tea in Chicago and its environs that werent in existence when the first edition was printed. And, at the suggestion of fellow Chicago tea writer, Ceil Miller Bouchet, I am including commentary and recommendations for specific teas in the listings of this book.

The layout of this book is similar to that of the first edition. The first section is devoted to the hotels and restaurants that serve afternoon tea. I have renamed this section simply Afternoon Tea since more than just hotels serve it now. There are plenty of cafes and tea houses that offer scones and sandwiches which rival those at the best hotels on North Michigan Avenue.

The second section lists the tea houses and restaurants across Chicago and the surrounding suburbs that serve and sell loose leaf tea. For this edition, though, I have also included shops that sell high quality packaged loose leaf tea. For the tea houses and restaurants, again I have limited my listings to only those establishments that serve loose leaf tea. I have come across several cute and comfortable tea houses, mainly in the suburbs, that serve tea in tea bags. Because most restaurants do serve tea in this fashion, I have decided to omit those places. Loose leaf tea is a higher quality tea than that which is found in tea bags, which uses scraps and remnants of tea leaves. In the afternoon tea section, though, I have included Ethels Chocolates even though they serve Tea Forte tea sachets, which uses a higher quality tea than what is used in most tea bags. I like their tea for two truffles and tea service, so have made an exception to the non-tea bag rule here. Ive spoken to restaurant and caf proprietors about the tea bag issue. It is my hope that they will switch to serving loose leaf tea in the future so everyone can enjoy a proper cup of tea!

Asian bubble tea has grown in popularity in Chicago even more since the printing of the first edition. I am including a revised and expanded section about Asian bubble tea in the third section. Some new cafes, as well as some older ones that werent listed in the first edition, are found in this section.

The fourth section lists websites where you can buy loose leaf tea and tea accessories. With todays demanding schedules, many people prefer to shop online at their convenience, which is often during non-business hours. Many of these online tea shops have excellent toll-free customer service numbers.

Finally, Ive kept the glossary and the indexesboth alphabetical and by areain the fifth and sixth sections, respectively. As with any guidebook, the information is current as of writing so please call the tea houses or restaurants ahead if you need to know when they are open, if they still accommodate private parties, are wheelchair accessible, etc.

As always, enjoy this book and all the tea in Chicago!

SECTION ONE

A fternoon tea originated in Britain to hold people over between lunch and a very late supper, and is found in former British colonies across the world. In my early travels to Canada and New ZealandBritish Commonwealth countriesI first tasted scones and tea sandwiches, washed down with cups upon cups of tea. Little did I know that afternoon tea was also served in my hometown of Chicago, mostly at the posh hotels along North Michigan Avenue. Twenty years later, more and more hotels in Chicago as well tea houses and restaurants have established afternoon tea as their own traditions.

ICONS

Use these icons to learn more about each entry at a glance:

child friendly

wheelchair accessible

available for private parties

near public transportation

wifi

Besides individual pots of loose leaf tea, afternoon tea service usually includes plated tiers of scones, finger sandwiches, and cakes and pastries. The scones are traditionally served with lemon curd, strawberry preserves, and clotted cream, which is thick, whipped butter. The finger sandwiches usually include cucumber, egg salad, and thin slices of meat and salmon. Sometimes afternoon tea menus will not specify vegetarian alternatives, but most do have a nice selection of vegetarian sandwiches and other savories. Its best to call ahead to confirm. Afternoon tea can be a satisfying alternative to lunch or dinner, and is a great way to enjoy the atmosphere of a five-star hotel without paying five-star prices. Afternoon tea prices average $25.00 per person at most downtown hotels and average $20 per person at free-standing restaurants and tea houses. Its best to call the hotels or restaurants in advance to check the price and hours of afternoon tea service, and because many afternoon tea venues require advanced reservations.