The St. James Tearoom Menu

The St. James Tearoom Restaurant Review:

Hostess Mary Alice Higbie has kept her British-style tea house thriving in the Southwestern desert on the strength of its food and lovely ambience. In its present location, each nook and cranny is named for a historical personage or estate and decorated accordingly (from Beatrix Potter’s Hill Top Farm to St. James’s Gate, the famed Guinness brewery in Dublin). The three-course tea, served on a traditional three-tiered platter, changes monthly, but it always blends old-fashioned and modern sensibilities: think lamb-and-sweet potato pasties, smoked chicken-blueberry salad, and honey-thyme panna cotta, as well, of course, as scones with clotted cream and lemon curd. It's paired with elegant teas and tisanes, hand-chosen by the proprietress for flavor and variety; in addition, Higbie offers a small selection of sparkling, dessert and fortified wines. Lingering over this meal for a full two hours while engaging in the lost art of conversation amid antique furnishings, artwork and striking flower arrangements is the ultimate in relaxation. Inquire about the special events hosted here as well, including seminars and costume parties; the annual Cigar Tea, with classic digestifs, is a local favorite.