Afternoon Tea With SST@3

Second Sunday Tea at 3 is a group that meets once a month for afternoon tea, usually on the second Sunday.

In November, we went to Crown & Crumpet's Tea Stop Cafe on Post Street, in the New People building across from Japan Town. There are more substantial items available, but we all had the afternoon tea.

The full tea tray before we demolished it

Sandwiches served with salad

Scones and Crumpets, of course

An assortment of sweets for dessert

The full menu is available online

The Famous Teapot Clock

A steaming cuppa

Separate Tea Menu

On January 8 we went to Lovejoy's, now under new management, but still the same excellent tea service. The menu is available online.

J.K., Cynthia, Sue, Sierra, Susi, Candice 

Tea for One  

High Tea for four

The Queen's Tea includes everything on the High Tea menu, plus a crumpet and a petit four. Scone and crumpet are too much for some of us, but the petits fours can be ordered separately. When we were almost finished, our waiter brought us a tray of crumpets because they had made too many and didn't want them to go to waste. We somehow managed to polish them off!

Close-up of the Checkerboard Shortbread Tea Biscuit

Top Tier For One

 

Everybody's teapot is different

Lovejoy's is known for
its mis-matched china

Decaf chocolate truffle tea
with milk and sugar

Sandwich and Crumpet

     

The walls are festooned with tea towels and thank-you
notes from children who enjoyed the tea service

Our May outing was to Imperial Tea Court at San Francisco's Ferry Building. Cynthia, Susi and Sierra took the ferry over from the East Bay. It was a nice, sunny day, so I walked from home. Cynthia had arrived early to check out Dandelion Chocolate's new Ferry Building location, but unfortunately they had a water leak and had to close the kiosk. I went by after our tea experience and they were open. I was no longer hungry enough for a Frozen Hot Chocolate, but I did buy some bars to take home.

If you prefer a cold drink with your tea snacks, there are Iced Tea and Ginger Ale sections on the menu.

Hot tea is served in a heavy red teapot, with a white porcelain cup.

The menu includes both Dim Sum and Entrees. The Shrimp Dumplings are served with a bowl of dipping sauce.

Shrimp Dumplings, seasoned with Jasmine Green Tea

There are more substantial entrees for larger appetites.

Teahouse Spicy Noodles

Fresh Steamed Buns and Tea Egg

Close Up of peeled Tea Egg

Vegetarian Steamed Bun

Cross Section of Vegetarian Steamed Bun

Pork Buns

Home-Style Curry

Imperial Tea Court is a delightful experience. You can sit at the outside edge, as we did, and watch the crowds go by, or move inside for a more private tea.