Afternoon tea at Bosie

Just before we said goodbye to the Big Apple, I had to trick Peter into going to Bosie Tea Parlor.

I tried to stay away from Starbucks the whole time we were in New York because all the other coffee shops in NYC has something different to offer.

Maple and bacon and peanut butter and jelly macarons were so freakin awesome I want them all!

I almost died at the sight of this!

Aside from a wide array of delicious pastries they have, they also have lunch and dinner items like soups, salad, quiche, panini, cheese platters and tea sandwiches. They also have an afternoon tea service which has become my instant favorite. 

We picked a corner table at the back of the teahouse. The place was perfect for either a cozy chat with friends, and intimate afternoon tea date and even a relaxing 'alone' time with myself. 

Freshly brewed pot of oolong tea for me and a cup of cappucino for Peter.

We also got an afternoon tea tray for two. Happiness!

Everything  was so yummy! I couldn't believe one could fit heaven in a three tier afternoon tea tray!

First tier had three kinds of tea sandwiches which were all oh so delicious by the way...Made to order cucumber with cream cheese and dill on white toasts, smoked salmon with red onion, lemon zest and cream cheese on pumper nickel and my favorite chicken breast with golden raisins and curried mayonnaise on multi grain.

Second tier had four macarons of my choice. I picked salted caramel of course, peanut butter and jelly, vanilla cheesecake and coffee. It also had four mini loaves of European tea cakes. Lemon, matcha tea, candied fruit and chocolate. Carb overload!

Of course I saved the best for last. Four petite scones topped with crunchy sugar pearls served with cream and homemade raspberry jam. I ate all the scones of course. Oh I so loved it! <3

Peter didn't mind because he's got all the leftovers boxed up. Oh how cute! 

Afternoon tea set

Remember my last post where I grabbed a picture of a gold tea set from an online store? Well, they are currently holding a ridiculously awesome sale on both their mall store locations and online stores. You can buy tea sets and loose teas for 30%-75% less than its original price. So I didn't pass up the opportunity and finally bought myself the Dore Gold teapot set.

I got it for 50% off and it comes with four matching cups and saucers. I paired it with sushi leftovers for a maximum Asian effect. 

I also bought 2 kinds of loose tea. I bought Golden Monkey and Phoenix Mountain Dan Cong. 

What I liked most about Teavana is the fact that every pack comes with specific instructions depending on the kind of tea. It tells me exactly the right measure, temperature and preparation for each variety. 

I bought the Golden Monkey since I saw it in the tea selection of the afternoon tea menu of The Plaza Hotel NYC. It's a perfect companion for a cold weather. Full bodied infusion with a very subtle scent of cocoa. Rich in flavor yet not overpowering. If it was vodka, it would have been Grey Goose. Smooth. 

Phoenix Mountain Dan Cong is a premium variety of Oolong tea. It has a roasted and nutty aroma with a mild hint of honey. I seriously couldn't decide which one is better than the other. 

Next on my list is to buy a three tier afternoon tea tray.

Homemade tea sandwiches, cupcakes, scones, miniature cakes, and a pot of freshly steeped tea. Now all I need is company. Who wants to join me? 

Afternoon Tea

Photo: Lorraine Anico

I used to be a heavy coffee drinker. I can proudly say that I am one major contributor in Starbucks' success. But just recently, Peter encouraged me to try drinking tea since the only tea I ever tried is sweetened iced tea. I didn’t expect to actually like it but I did. I started reading about tea and its varieties. I also learned about the English afternoon tea tradition and the more elaborate Japanese tea ceremony. Since then, I have always wanted to try out an afternoon tea service so I searched for an afternoon tea room I could visit here in Madison.

 Yesterday, I had a really awesome afternoon tea experience at Legacy House Imports Gift Shop and Tea Room along Lien Road in Madison. The Cape Cod style house offers a variety of quintessential quilts, jewelries, tea sets and other crafts which mostly came from various parts of Europe. The back porch of the house is converted into a Victorian style parlor which offers a very relaxing ambiance, just perfect for an afternoon tea experience.

Photo: Lorraine Anico

The 3 tier afternoon tea tray is $14.99. It includes four different tea sandwiches, tea bread, a scone and 4 serving of miniature desserts. The pot of tea is not included in the prize. I ordered a pot of Formosa oolong tea for myself which is a mixture of good earthy and subtle autumn leafy flavor. Peter on the other hand settled for Sencha green tea which has a rich, deep flavor but with a very refreshing green aroma.

Photo: Lorraine Anico

We devoured the tray from the bottom tier and worked our way up. The crustless finger sandwiches include cucumber with dill and cream cheese, crab salad, chicken salad and ham salad all of which are delicious and flavorful.

Photo: Lorraine Anico

The middle tier is my favorite. A slice of banana bread and a buttery warm apricot scone served with Devonshire cream, lemon curd and apple jelly. Aahh. Each bite screams heaven! I had to order two more extra scones that I can take with me at home. I also asked for more Devonshire. =)

Photo: Lorraine Anico

 And lastly, the top tier was full of sweet treats which includes pistachio cake, cream swan, mini pumpkin cheese cake and mini chocolate decadence which are all baked in-house. Devouring these little dainty desserts was a perfect way to end the tea experience.

I was relieved when Peter told me that he genuinely enjoyed it since I saw the hesitation in his eyes when we entered the tea room. I guess it’s to ‘girly’ for him at first. It’s funny how he ended up buying extra bags of loose leaf teas to bring home. Well, it seems that this is not going to be our last afternoon tea here. I'm already looking forward for more afternoon tea visits.