Tea Party!

Yesterday, Molly, Claire and I indeed "took some time for tea" at Lovejoy’s Tea Room in Noe Valley (www.lovejoystearoom.com).  We were truly transported to your English grandmother’s country house for tea and crumpets.  What a tea-rrific place!  Mismatch china to perfectly clash with the mismatch antique furniture, lace and doilies as far as the eye could see.  A mixture of tables full of families, giggling girls like us, and the one standout all-male table.
The Earl Grey and China Rose Petal tea was bottomless, and the sandwiches were crust-less and triangular. Our favorite was the Pear & Stilton sandwich. With two thirds of our party convinced we remembered what Stilton was (me claiming "mild, like a white cheddar" and Claire sure it was "not strong at all"), it turns out to be of the stinky, strong blue variety! The scones were pretty much authentic (according to Claire, an actual Scottish person) and the Double Devon Cream was richer than butter.  Having become a self-proclaimed coffee snob since moving to San Francisco, Lovejoy’s took me back to my days of living with English gals, who would not really consider themselves fully hydrated if they didn’t have at least one cup an hour.
After we finished what the menu referred to as “Light Tea,” involving about 15 cups of tea and 12 pounds of butter, we headed across the street to Lovejoy’s Attic, where you can purchase tea paraphernalia, including (to Claire’s delight) Branson Pickle and McVitie’s biscuits.  And what tea party would be complete without trying on kitschy English party hats?
Afterwards, because for some reason the caffeine in tea doesn’t make your head spin around until you’re sleepy in the same way that coffee does, the three of us were fueled with enough tea energy to take our wallets over to Fort Mason for the Renegade Craft Fair (www.renegadecraft.com), a place which needs no explanation.  As if the day needed more terrific-ness!