Sunday afternoon I dropped hubby off at the airport and decided to check out downtown Seal Beach. I saw this really cute shop called the Back Porch and then noticed a tea room, the Fairy Tea Cottage, right next door that was actually open on Sundays. I decided to check it out.
The tea room was plain and simple with lace tablecloths draped over a solid tablecloth. These were covered with a glass top. You also had a choice of hats to wear for your tea experience!
The service was nice. The tea (Fairy Tea Special Blend) was delicious. I chose the Queen of the Fairy Tea which included: Traditional pot of tea; Homemade scone with Devonshire cream and jam; Soup of the day or garden salad; Assorted Fairy Tea Cottage sandwiches; and choice of dessert.
The way they served each of these items was different from my other tea room experiences. Each, course I guess we’ll call it, came out one at a time. I want you to notice that in the above description of the Queen of the Fairy Tea, there is only one item that is plural – sandwiches. No three tiered plates with little miniature goodies on each plate. I received one scone – nice sized – but only one.
The soup was from the Soup Kitchen and they donate an equal portion to someone in need through their food banks. I thought that was a great touch! I just wish I had the sandwiches at the same time so I could enjoy the soup and sandwiches together.
The sandwiches were very tasty and they had a great variety of interesting combinations. I was hoping for the same variety in the scones and the desserts.
When I finished trying the different sandwiches, the dessert tray was brought around and I had the choice of one LARGE dessert. I wanted to try all of them and I think it would have been nice to have that opportunity. I wish the desserts were offered just like the sandwiches – a variety and bite sized!
So, all in all, it was a nice experience – just some things I would definitely do differently if I owned the place.
Above the Clouds 
Beautiful photos. That is a lot of little sandwiches. Is this one of the new picasa collage choices? I like that center square option…
The flowers in the tea cup are sweet.
I also like the idea of having miniature desserts. You get to try them all without stuffing yourself. And I often find after sandwiches and soup that a large dessert is just too much.
Maybe you should open a shop?
Wow Lana……..I love what you are doing with the collages now. The post was interesting too but my eye was especially drawn to the collage stye.
Kathy b
I found your post while searching for lace tablecloths. Wow- I love the collage you did. It really brings the delightful atmosphere to the front. After the other comments, I went back up to the photos and really studied them. What a find!