CityView Magazine

Dining Out Above | McDuff’s Tea Room downtown is open for lunch and afternoon tea. Ann Marie and Bobby Joe Swilley enjoy a meal and a hot cup of tea. Tea for two Afternoon tea on ‘Combat Alley’? Absolutely By Margaret Fisher 18|Special Issue • 2009 S oldiers once dubbed this stretch of Gillespie Street “Combat Alley.” And not even 10 years ago, folks laughed when John and Renate Jenkins dared to dream of a downtown tea room. If they could only see it now – McDuff’s Tea Room & Emporium flourishes as a full restaurant and gift shop. Browsers who stroll through the emporium are surrounded by nearly anything having to do with tea and the comforts that go with it. What kind of tea would you like? The Jenkinses probably have it among the hundreds of teas in stock. Outside, lace-covered windows and a patio with carefully arranged potted plants beckon visitors to come inside. Breathe in the scents and stroll past a myriad of cups and saucers, jewelry, hats and decorative accessories – new and vintage. Then enter the tea room. The restaurant is open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. A dinner of the chef’s choosing is offered on fourth Fridays. But it’s a genuine treat to come for afternoon tea. Besides offering more than 20 teas, including a delicious rose petal tea and Southern sweet tea, diners are treated to a three-tiered tray of exquisite delights such as various quiches, pastries, delicate sandwiches and scones with a creamy dipping sauce, such as raspberry crème or lemon curd. Sandwiches may be filled with pimento cheese or cucumbers and seasoned cream cheese. Puff pastries in the shape of a teapot may have albacore tuna salad or chicken salad with walnuts and apples. A variety of cookies and dessert bars fill the trays. Afternoon tea is literally a meal in itself.

• Cover