Editorial
Front Page - Friday, June 25, 2010
River City Roundabout
A taste of ‘jolly ole England’
Erica Tuggle
In the tearoom of the English Rose, a portrait of the Queen and of Prime Minister Winston Churchill rest above the fireplace. The tearoom, located on the corner of Market and W. 14th Street is
- Erica Tuggle
Bangers and mash, Knicker-bocker Glories, Cornish pasties and chocolate flakes may not be the typical items of a Chattanoogan’s palate. But they are part of the expansion of cultural dining experience that the English Rose Tearoom offers its guests.
The English Rose Tearoom on Market Street serves the perfect brunch or after work nibble with items any good Harry Potter fan will have heard of. They may not be the typical local fare, but will delight even the most experienced tea drinker. Established in 1997, the English Rose is located across from the Chattanooga Choo-Choo in the foyer of what was once the Grand Hotel in the 1890’s, when the railway passengers were looking for a place to lay their head for the night. The English Rose has been designed to be an authentic British tearoom that brings English traditions to Scenic City.
Flying outside the English Rose is an American and British flag side by side, and once you step inside, the two cultures continue to join in an amicable fashion. To get to the tearoom, you pass through a tea shop filled with all manner of tea supplies as well as imported candy bars, cookies and even the English version of Heinz Salad dressing.
Once we’d entered the tearoom, courteous manager and server, Clare, gave us several options for seating either beside the staircase of the former Grand Hotel, a window seat looking out on Chattanooga’s Southside, or next to the fireplace where overhead a picture of the Queen of England as a young woman looks regally about the room.
We chose a table in front of the staircase, beside a rack of keys for the “loo,” and a speaker where we could better hear the classical music that was playing. It was time to relax and have a pot of tea.
Although their lunch selections of Cottage Pie, Cornish Pastie and Steak Pies were tempting, our tea party went with the larger of the two sampler tea packages: the Victorian Tea. Included in this package (served all day) was a pot of piping hot tea; six assorted finger sandwiches; a plain or raisin scone with Devon Cream, strawberry jam and lemon curd; an assortment of four English biscuits (cookies); four English cheeses with crackers and a choice of dessert. For each person sharing in these tea samplers, it was only a dollar more.
The china for these goodies was beautifully decorated in roses of pink, red and yellow. For the tea, milk and sugar were on hand, but the tea itself was tasty straight from the pot – after allowing it to cool, of course. The finger sandwiches were a mix of cheese and tomato, cream cheese and cucumber, salmon and cucumber, and egg and watercress. We chose the plain scone, which was complimented wonderfully with the sauces, especially the Devon cream that was like an unsalted, creamy butter. Cookies of chocolate, plain and ginger were alongside rye, wheat and white crackers with which the cheese was nestled. The Brie cheese was my favorite and the two cheddar cheeses were also savory. There was a white cheese I suspected to be goat cheese that I decided to leave to my other tea party compatriots.
We chose the Knickerbocker Glory for our dessert, which encompassed an elegant glass filled with fresh watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, bananas and honeydew melon topped with vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, whipped cream, sliced almonds and a cherry. It was layer upon layer of healthy, not so healthy, but all very tasty goodness.
We drank all of our tea and cleaned our plates. The English Rose tearoom offers other beverages besides tea and has homemade soups served with a hot, crusty roll for those looking for a familiar dish. The tearoom can be rented for bridal showers, baby showers, etiquette classes and other parties. They also offer special party teas for groups of eight or more as well as private party rentals of the tearoom. They are open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Chattanooga Visitor’s bureau offers a 10 percent off coupon on their Web site for the English Rose Tearoom. Just search “Tea Room” under dining.
The owner of the English Rose Tearoom is Angela originally from Southern Rhodesia, which is now Zimbabwe. She began a career in nursing where she traveled extensively before she and her husband, Paul, settled in Chattanooga 22 years ago. Ever since then, the establishment of the English Rose Tearoom has increased its following so that it is now ranked in the top 20 in the nation. It’s no wonder tourists and locals find the relaxation and unique foods a draw. These tea parties are something that everyone can get on board for.
Email Erica Tuggle at reporter@hamiltoncountyherald.com.
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