Tohono Chul Tea Rom

A very kind friend thanked me for an easy favor (which I was delighted to do) with a gift certificate to the Tohono Chul Tea Room. I've brunched, lunched, and had tea there before, but as it's been quite a while since I had the afternoon tea, I decided a tea date with myself was in order.

The assorted finger sandwiches (4 in total: egg salad, chicken salad, cucumber, and cheese) were quite good, although nothing out of the ordinary. The sweets (4 in total: a brownie, carrot cake, a nut-based confection, and a cranberry scone) were also quite good. I wish each was a smidge bigger, so I could gorge myself, although I left perfectly sated. My only complaint on the food: the scone was on the dry side, impossible to cut without shattering and too big to eat with your fingers. Precious morsels were lost to my clumsy knife. The pot of their Sonoran Sunrise Breakfast Black was delicious, but two and a half small cups just whetted my appetite--I could have easily consumed another cup or two. No offers were made to refill. On the down side: my first tea cup arrived cracked, and the fork was dirty. Just a simple dishwasher issue, but with the reputation the Tohono Chul Tea Room has, surprising.

Still, a recommendation for the tea room is offered. The atmosphere in the park is gorgeous, the historic structure which houses it just lovely, and the air of grace delightful. The Tohono Chul Park Tea Room wins hands down for atmosphere of all the tea rooms in the city.