Monday, January 30, 2012

Then and Now at Victorian Rose Tea House


The Victorian Rose is the first tea house I visited in the early days of my "tea journey"  [1998], so it is a place of significance to me.  Over the years I have sat at quiet, cozy tables with family members or dear friends enjoying pleasant conversation over a pot of tea and tasty food, while life's busyness slowed down and time seemed to be temporarily suspended.  
 

The tea room, established in 1995, is located inside an early 1900's house at 118 W. 3rd Street, in Rochester, MI - just a quick 30 minutes from my house. 


The house is decorated with family heirlooms and fine china.  Someone has aptly said, "It's like stepping back in time to go to grandma's house for lunch!"


The Grilled Chicken Victorian Rose Salad  is mixed greens topped with dried cranberries, mandarin oranges, pecans, and a grilled chicken breast, dressed with their own homemade raspberry dressing.   I ordered this on my first visit, and it's still on their menu today.  It is one of their most popular menu offerings.

A traditional English Afternoon Tea consisting of a three tiered server with savories/finger sandwiches, scones, and bite-sized desserts isn't offered, but scones with specialty butter and dessert selections can be ordered  à la carte.  A pot of tea from an array of tea bags is also sold separately.

Below is my firstborn granddaughter, Tiffany Jill.  I took her to the Victorian Rose on her 8th birthday in July, 1999.  The pink hat was courtesy of the tea room.  She had fun trying on several hats that were almost as big as her! ;-)



Tiffany and I returned to the Victorian Rose in December 2011 - 12 years later.  She's 20 years old now and a junior in college, and beautiful - both inside and outside!  [Grandma's have bragging rights!] 
 

Amazing what 12 years does - Tiffany turned into a beautiful young lady and I turned into a "mature" grandmother!  I feel very blessed that God has allowed me to watch her grow up, so I won't complain [too much] about the effects of time!




I love the way tea brings people together!


On our recent visit I ordered the Loretta Chicken Pie - a flaky pie crust encasing chunks of chicken and vegetables, topped with a tarragon cream sauce accompanied by the Victorian Rose House Salad.


Tiffany ordered their Quiche of Day - a bacon quiche which was also accompanied by the Victorian Rose House Salad.


6 comments:

  1. Tiffany is a beautiful Young lady. It is so nice she enjoys having tea with you. You are making wonderful memories together.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your granddaughter is just beautiful! So glad you're training her in the pleasures of teatime. Now you've got me craving that Victorian Rose house salad!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Phyllis,
    Last summer my daughter and I along with two friends visited the Victorian Rose Tea House. I have some great pictures of that day.
    The food was delicious and we enjoyed ourselfs so much.
    Nancy @ Two Cottages And Tea

    ReplyDelete
  4. Your granddaughter is beautiful! Loved reading about the tea at the Victorian Rose Tea House too. I will be a mature grandma right from the start as my children are almost too old to have children. But you better believe I will still share tea with this little one when it shows it's beautiful face.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Its so nice to know a tearoom has been able to stay around that long. I'm always so afraid that my favorite ones here won't make it. What a nice memory the two of you have from this place. And from your descriptions of the food served, with photos, I can see why its still there.
    Val

    ReplyDelete
  6. I've been to the Victorian Tea House a couple of times visiting my aunt in Waterford. Very cosy and welcoming. so wonderful that you can share time and memories of being there with your lovely granddaughter. The photos are very special- thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for visiting my blog. If you would like to leave a comment, I'd love to hear from you!