Feeling English at Teatime in Arizona

Mom and Me Having Tea at the Arizona Biltmore

Sigh. It was just over a week ago that our minds and hearts were flooded with images of the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, now the Duke and Duchesse of Sussex. I drank English Breakfast Tea and nibbled on scones as I watched the coverage and yes, I even donned a fascinator to accessorize my silk pajamas. Didn’t you? There were so many reasons to be enchanted by this marvelous show of pomp and elegance, love and inclusion. I think most of us wanted to feel part English, part Black and oh yes, part royal. At least for a day.

The Recent Royal Wedding

It all reminded me of two exquisite teatimes I shared with my mother in Arizona, one at the charming English Rose Tea Room in Carefree, the other at the resplendent Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix. Mom and I dressed the part on two different occasions and even donned large picture hats that I had transported in an over-sized shopping bag as my carryon piece of luggage from Colorado. We savored every sip and tasty treat and indeed we felt oh-so British. It was most memorable and I know we have both thought about all the fun we had during these two special outings many times over.

English Rose Tea Room Lunch

“There you go, mum,” the server said to Mom at the English Rose Tea Room as she placed two exquisite porcelain tea pots in front of my mother and me. I didn’t dare be so gauche as to turn anything over here but there’s little doubt that our tea and lunch were served on the finest English bone china. Owned and operated by an Englishwoman, Jo Gemmill settled in this little Sonoran Desert town many years ago and then later opened a tearoom here in 2002. (That’s one way to assure oneself of having a proper cup of tea at the ready.) 

Having tea here–whether for lunch, brunch or an afternoon tea service–makes you feel as though you’re sitting in the middle of an English country garden. Of course the AC was cranking the day we were here, since it was well over a hundred degrees outside. But inside, amid a bouquet of floral patterns that festoon almost everything–from the tablecloths to the tea cups–of this quaint space, we felt like we were guests at an English country cottage. Mom and I delighted in our very English choices of Hampshire Chicken Salad and Cottage Pie and were pleased to discover that the food was as fresh and homestyle-ed as the décor. 

The Very British Exterior of the English Rose Tea Room

An institution for sure, there’s no doubt that the English Rose Tea Room ranks as a destination tea salon for (mostly) ladies of all ages. Mom and I noticed many mother and daughter tables, some that had gathered together in small groups with girls as young as five or six. The scene felt festive, largely because most of the gals were wearing hats. (A bit of a cheat, since I later realized that they must have dipped into the trunk of hats that Jo makes available to her clients. Oh well, at least they embraced the spirit of a traditional English teatime.) 

Queen Elizabeth

On my way to the ladies’ room, I discovered lots more fun including a trove of English memorabilia such as photos of The Queen and Princess Diana, oh-so British-looking prints of birds and flowers and stacks of other dear collectibles from across the pond. Mom and I perused many of them on our way out yet focused our shopping on a fine assortment of teas and biscuits also specially curated by Jo for this sweet little tea boutique. 

Twas a lovely time shared at this tea salon. Would love to go back some day for another spot of tea or perhaps to peek in on one of Miss Gemmill’s special etiquette classes for children. It’s important to know the correct use of a knife and fork and napkin–just the sort of thing that Miss Markle learned before her big day.

The Lobby of the Arizona Biltmore

The Stately Arizona Biltmore

Over at the Arizona Biltmore, a Waldorf Astoria Resort, Mom and I were thrilled to take part in an 89-year-old tradition of Afternoon Tea at this historic, Frank Lloyd Wright-designed property. As we sat primly with our hats perched upon our heads at a grand tea table draped in crisp white linen within the stately lobby, Mom and I reflected upon the many people that had delighted in tea in this very spot for close to a century. It’s not surprising that high society vacationers from the big cities wanted to recreate the same level of sophistication and elegance in this grand hotel that they had grown accustomed to back home. Forget the fact that drinking a pot of steaming tea in the middle of the desert might seem odd; it’s widely believed that drinking a hot drink in a hot climate will help to cool you down. Just think of all the people that consume tea in the tropics and other far flung deserts.

Supreme Elegance at the Arizona Biltmore

No worries in any event, for the Arizona Biltmore has also perfected the art of making a perfectly brewed glass of iced tea. With a tea sommelier on hand to help you enjoy every bit of your tea journey here, you’ll be encouraged to smell your tea first. (Ahhh, there’s nothing like aromatherapy.) Then you can watch it be flash chilled before your eyes. 

“The coldness is wonderful,” I said to my mom. 

“Yes, and this berry tea tastes so sweet there isn’t even any need for sugar,” Mom said.

Here we were enchanted by a full-on tea extravaganza. The sommelier encouraged us to try a variety of teas, cold and hot, herbal and black. One, a rooibos called African Solstice, had been brewed for forty-five minutes in the back before it even reached our table. From color to taste to smell to how these silky liquids glided down our throats, drinking tea here proved to be an elevated experience that awakened all of our senses.

We gorged ourselves on three tiers of treats both savory and sweet, each a work of art that had been skillfully prepared within the kitchen of this legendary hotel. From little finger sandwiches garnished with sliced cherry tomatoes to scones accompanied with real Devonshire clotted cream and English preserves to homemade wafer-like confections that had been filled with chocolate ganache infused with hazelnut truffle tea, each treat appeared and tasted fit for a queen. And that’s just how we felt. OK, maybe I was feeling more princess-like and I couldn’t help but chuckle because I thought Mom’s jaunty tilt of her hat made her look more like The Queen Mum. 

It’s good to put on some airs from time to time, particularly within magnificent and authentic settings. Yes, English teatime rings in as a fantastic ritual, particularly when it’s done right in fine establishments such as the English Rose Tea Room or the Arizona Biltmore.

There are almost as many rules about having tea as varieties of tea in the world. Most of what you need to know is summed up very well at British Tea Etiquette:  How to Drink it Downton Abbey-Style. It doesn’t mention, however, what goes on below the table. Now enough of those naughty thoughts–I’m referring to how a lady is to cross her legs. It’s recommended to cross them at the ankles and keep your knees together. Now sit up straight and enjoy the moment. Having tea was a tradition born by a royal some two hundred years ago in England and it’s important to maintain the respected decorum.

In case you haven’t guessed, I’m a tea lover. Hope you’ll check out some of my other tea stories, which include Teatime with Dad at Denver’s Brown Palace Hotel and Appreciating Tea in D.C.