Harvest Tea at the DeGolyer Restaurant at the Dallas Arboretum is a treat. On the recent visit to the Arboretum, Super Sister, Friend Kim, and I treated ourselves to tea.
Our table was set near the fireplace. I liked it. I loved it. It was warm and cozy.
Beautiful Noritake chine – each piece was trimmed with cobalt and gold – was on the table. How elegant!
Be still my heart. It was a pleasure for Robert Nelson to serve our tea. Mr. Nelson is famous for his excellent service. (His picture is even in the Afternoon Tea at the Arboretum cookbook.) He makes the tea experience special with his impeccable manners, and his attention to details.
During the tea, we were offered three different teas to sip. Mango Mint Hibiscus Tea was served with the first course. This tea surprised me. Honestly, I was afraid that it would have a strong mint herbal taste, and I dreaded that. Was I ever wrong. The tea was light and flavorful with just a hint of mint.
After reading the menu card, we were more than ready for the tea to begin.
The First Course was Harvest Chicken Consumme with a Cheese Wafer. Very tasty!
For the second course, a tall silver three tier stacker was filled with savory Tea Sandwiches. We were offered Pumpkin Spice Tea with this course. At times I do not love flavored teas and coffees because the flavorings can taste fake. This was NOT the case with the Pumpkin Spice Tea. It was the perfect autumn tea. Luckily the teas are sold at the Arboretum gift shop, because I wanted to buy the Pumpkin Spice Tea to bring home. (We were given a coupon for 15% off our purchases in the gift shop – a nice touch.) We liked this tea so much that we never had the third tea choice – Earl Grey.
The top tier held Herbed Cream Cheese and Turkey with Orange Butter finger sandwiches. The Turkey with Orange Butter sandwiches surprised me. It was perhaps my favorite. The hint of orange with the turkey was divine. I want to try to duplicate that sandwich. The Herbed Cream Cheese was served on a fruit (maybe apple) bread. It was also delicious.
Tier two held Creamed Cucumber and Curried Egg Salad Sandwiches. The Creamed Cucumber sandwich was different in that it was slightly spicy. It might have been my least favorite. I loved the Curried Egg Salad Sandwich. Yummy!
The delicious Open Face Chicken Salad Sandwiches filled the bottom tier. They were attractive with the scoop of chicken salad that fit perfectly on the bread. Little slices of carrots garnished the tops of each sandwich.
Sweet Mother of Pearl. We were so taken by the vegetable garnishes on the savory trays. Carrots and squash were cut in ribbons to create “flowers” to decorate the trays. Grapes filled the centers of each “flower”.
The third course was another silver stand filled with Desserts. The Scones were served with Clotted Cream and Strawberry Jam. They were okay, but I have had better.
Mini Pecan Tarts and Apple Spice Cake filled this plate. Both were good, but at this point I had begun picking and choosing my sweets.
The Lemon Torte and Amaretto Brownie were fantastic. These were my favorites, and I did enjoy eating them.
What a wonderful day. Getting to visit with dear friends and having tea in a beautiful setting makes one feel blessed. Life is good.
Blessings to you and yours,
The teas are served daily with seatings at 11:00 am and 2:00 pm. You must have reservations 26 hours in advance.
To make your reservations over the phone or email, please contact Debbie Parker at 214.515.6511 or dparker@dallasarboretum.org.
The cost of the tea is pricy, but the price DOES include parking, entrance into the gardens, tax and gratuity. Not too bad for a memorable experience.