Afternoon Tea at Chicago's Peninsula Hotel

~ The Lobby ~

As we approached The Lobby we could hear the beautiful music of a 3-piece string ensemble playing in the balcony.

A lot of people were enjoying Afternoon Tea - including several men.  Tea is not just a ladies' beverage.  Real men drink tea!

We were escorted to a table next to a window overlooking a lower terrace.

~ My place setting ~

A knowledgeable server explained the teas offered.  Their supplier is Mighty Leaf Tea.

 We opted for the Traditional Afternoon Tea instead of the Champagne Afternoon Tea.

Two scones were offered to each of us - a Traditional Scone and a Mandarin Orange Scone.  Lemon Curd, Clotted Cream and Jam accompanied them.

~ Two tea lovers - Linda and Me ~

I ordered Orchid Oolong tea from Taiwan, and it was very good.  FYI - they don't decant the tea before bringing it to the table, but they do refill the teapots with hot water upon request.

Linda ordered China Black Mandarin Rose Petal Tea.

Alex brought our three tiered server to the table.

~ On the bottom tier were savories/sandwiches ~

The middle tier held a round of roasted Butternut Squash with Walnuts and Parmesan Cheese.

The top tier held desserts.

For a closer look and descriptions:  Cucumber sandwich with Watercress and Cream Cheese; Chicken Salad with apple, celery, strawberry gelee, and candied walnuts, Pain de mie [French for soft white bread]; Poached Lobster and Shrimp Brioche garnished with Ruby-red Grapefruit, Fennel, Scallion and Lemon Aioli;  and Smoked Salmon with Citrus Cream Cheese, garnished with Beet-cured Salmon and Trout Caviar on Whole Wheat Bread.  They were all delicious but our favorite was the Lobster and Shrimp Brioche.  Towards the end of the tea our server returned to ask if there was anything we'd like seconds of, and we said one more Lobster and Shrimp Brioche, please!

Round of roasted Butternut Squash with Walnuts and Parmesan Cheese.

Almond Apricot Cannele; Caramel Brownie; Pistachio Cherry Choux;  Red Currant Macaron; and Lemon Raspberry Tart.  Everything was SO good!

As we looked down on the terrace our server said it would soon be transformed into an ice-skating rink.

Shortly after we finished our Afternoon Tea it was time to board the bus and make our journey back to Portage, MI.  In one day, Linda and I had experienced a nostalgic tea at Macy's, a trendy tea at Argo, an elegant tea at the Peninsula Hotel, and a fun tea tasting on the bus.  I don't remember when I've consumed so much tea within a 11 hour time period! I highly recommend all three establishments.

Our bus pulled into Meijer parking lot around 11:00 p.m.  We got in our car and drove across the street to our hotel and contentedly crawled into bed. Thank you ChocolaTea for providing such a wonderful experience, and thank you, Linda, for inviting me to go with you in the absence of your daughter.  Since all good things must come to an end, we returned home Sunday afternoon.

I hope you've enjoyed traveling vicariously on the trip.