Provided / Starr Restaurants
Stephen Starr’s Rittenhouse bar and restaurant, The Dandelion, is known for its afternoon tea, which runs from 3 to 5 p.m. weekdays, so it’s no surprise that the local hotspot is celebrating International Afternoon Tea Week from August 12 to 18 with more variations on the high tea tradition.
Although Irish author and social critic Jonathan Swift originally wrote about it in his satirical etiquette guide,A complete collection of noble and witty conversation’ (1738), the ritual observance of the custom of afternoon tea was not translated into everyday practice until the 1840s. It was then that Anna Maria Russell, the seventh Duchess of Bedford by Queen Victoria, began the refined custom of serving hot tea and light meals as part of an afternoon relaxation. Over time, the British made it an afternoon break and the tea custom became commonplace.
Nevertheless, high tea has always had a special status among the British aristocracy and all “ladies who lunch”: it was served with delicate, elegant finger sandwiches, pies and bite-sized pastries as a snack to accompany the upscale high tea.
“We are a traditional British pub just steps from Rittenhouse Square. Everything in our restaurant is homemade and inspired by traditional English restaurants,” said Mark Crookston, GM of The Dandelion. “We really strive to recreate an authentic experience and give guests a real taste of how one might enjoy afternoon tea in England – right here in Philadelphia.”
High tea is served regularly at Dandelion, and they even serve specialty cocktails that feature tea from the Mad Hatter Tea Party menu selections, such as English Breakfast Tea and Darjeeling Early Grey. But the International Tea Week celebration at Dandelion in August goes a step further, with food and drink specials during regular afternoon tea hours, an outdoor scavenger hunt in Rittenhouse Square (Tuesday, August 13) where a hidden teapot offers an invitation to complimentary afternoon tea for two at Dandelion, and launch team members dressed in Victorian costumes.
“This is a truly unique experience that you won’t find at many restaurants in Philadelphia,” said Crookston of The Dandelion. “We’re always looking for fun and creative ways to connect with our neighbors and guests, and hope everyone enjoys the excitement of searching for the hidden teapot on Tuesday.”
Matching special teas such as “The Dormouse – High Tea for Tots”, served for children with grilled cheddar sandwiches and dark chocolate ganache brownies – and the “Posh Nosh Tier”, Executive Chef Liam Geoghegan brings some of his very special dishes from The Dandelion menu to International Afternoon Tea Week.
“These are some of our most popular menu items, creatively transformed into tea sandwiches,” Geoghegan said of high tea bites like her chicken and duck liver parfait (with grape chutney, fraiche, cucumber, cornichons), her steelhead trout crudo (with lime crème fraiche, radishes, olives, trout roe) and her famous roast beef (with watercress, Madeira shallots, lemon truffle dressing). “This allows our guests to enjoy a lovely afternoon tea while savoring the unique flavors we offer throughout all of our meals, but in a charming, tea-sized format.”
