Written by guest blogger Michelle Yaruta
Christmas tea at Kate Pearl Tea Room in Westminster, MD has become a holiday tradition for my family. We dress up, from the youngest, who is 10 years old, to the oldest, and make a day of it. The owners and employees of the tea room take great care in decorating, down to the last detail. The staff is always friendly and goes the extra mile to be accommodating.
The tea is served in courses and can take 1 and ½ hours to 2 hours. Every year the menu changes and the tea room can accommodate vegetarian patrons and those with allergies. The first course this year was an orange cheesecake dip, served with pretzels. This was followed by a chocolate chip scone, complete with clotted cream and raspberry jam. A salad followed with feta cheese, pomegranate, and raspberry vinaigrette. After this, was an apple cider beef stew and a holiday drink that was topped with a lemon and pear foam.
The main dish was a three-tiered appetizer, sandwich, and dessert presentation. The appetizers consisted of spinach puffs and bacon, sausage & stuffing meatballs. The next tier had a pork tenderloin on baguette, topped with cranberry. And the dessert was a mint meringue, a sugar plum cookie, and a chocolate-covered cherry made to look like a mouse. And just when you think you cannot eat another bite, a small scoop of ice cream with peppermint crumbles was served to finish up the meal.
As always, we left full and happy. Tea is never a disappointment and we will continue to go back every year. The menu is ever-changing so it never gets boring. In addition to Christmas tea, Kate Pearl Tea Room has special themed events throughout the year.
Multi Cultural Cooking Network 