six local
hosts
open their doors
for a
leisurely tour

Did you ever walk past an elegant old mansion in the city or drive by a quaint home in the country and wonder what it looks like on the inside? Or did you ever wish you could be invited in and treated as a guest. Just R.S.V.P to our invitation to tea, and we'll take you on a leisurely tour featuring several of these landmarks—some built more than a century ago, others developed in recent years to reflect architecture of the past. In every case, these homes have been given new life as tearooms. The owners have opened their doors to guests and embraced the history of tea, offering their own twist on the menu, presentation and setting.

As the light meal that falls between lunch and dinner, tea is actually a leisurely afternoon snack that traditionally includes little sandwiches, desserts and, of course, a cup of tea. We can credit our neighbors across the pond, as afternoon tea started in 18th-century England because of the long gap between lunch and dinner. Our hosts continue this ritual with friends, neighbors and guests - consistent with afternoon tea's origin of being enjoyed in the comfort of one's home.

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