A Visit To Dollies Tea Room

When my mom first mentioned to me that she wanted me to go with her to the birthday party of someone who knew me when I was a baby, I figured it would be interesting to catch up with someone who knew me way back when. When she told me we were going to a tea room, I was mildly intrigued. I’d never been to one before.

We went to Dollies Tea Room. It was a neat little setting. The other three ladies were already there. We had a beautiful place setting and as soon as we got there, we were offered the house tea. Our server said that it had a floral taste, and it did, but it wasn’t overpowering.

Now, I should state for the record that I don’t drink tea. There’s just something about it. I’ve never cared for it. My mom LOVES tea. I’m sure she got that from my grandma. I, on the other hand, love coffee. I was there for the time spent with the ladies and the atmosphere.

Our first course was a tomato bisque soup that was really good. I ate all of it. Next came a pear cranberry salad. They were perfectly portioned. We were given a menu of tea selections and when I told a different server that I was more of a coffee drinker, she gasped out loud. Literally. lol I laughed and asked her which tea would get me the closest to coffee. Her recommendation was the white chocolate raspberry. I figured I liked those flavors so what could it hurt.

Yea, even with sugar and cream I couldn’t drink a full glass. I tried, really. It smelled heavenly. I felt terrible, being we were in a tea room, but I ended up just drinking water. It was for the best. =)
One of the gals, Reba, was spectacular. I was fascinated by her. I’m thinking she was close to her 80s and a very proper southern woman with an extremely quick whit who absolutely beamed the love of Christ. Well, when we all started drinking our teas she made sure we knew that the aroma was part of the experience and I had to agree.

Reba also prayed for our lunch which was sweet and heartfelt. When she finished she said to my mom, “Jane, be happy, that was one of my shorter ones.” It wasn’t short, but perfect in length in my opinion. Not sure why she said that to my mom. hahahahaha I wish I could’ve written down every quip she said. She is a woman whom I wish I could be like.

After we finished our salads, we were brought our tiered lunch. Ok, I have to say, I was surprised at how much finger foods can fill a person! Reba and I shared a 3 tiered server and my mom, Lana, and Linda shared one. Well, Reba and I were down to our last tier while the other three ladies had plenty of food on each tier still. We weren’t going to let anything go to waste.

With our scones, we had lemon curd, which I’d never had before, but this was amazing! There was also something called clotted cream and while it doesn’t sound appetizing, it tasted like whipped cream. The cucumber sandwich was small and light, and had a pink ribbon wrapped around it. By the time the last plate was cleared off, I was full! On finger food!

While we waited for our food to settle, I walked around the store looking at the handmade jewelry being sold as well as the kitschy tea items. I loved that there were various devotionals available for sale, too! I found a gorgeous red, glass tear drop necklace for only $9.99. I wasn’t going to get it right at that moment, and the ladies really liked it. I put it back and planned on getting it when we left. I mean, there were only 3 tables of ladies there. Well, after I went to the bathroom, the necklace was gone! GONE! Ugh, I scanned all of the tables, but didn’t see it. I think the ladies at the table behind us grabbed it because they were the ones who saw me trying it on. Must’ve modeled it well. (sad panda)

Our last item was a small scoop of sorbet to cleanse the palette. It was very icy, where I was thinking a sherbet, but it was really delightful. The servers were fun and helpful. One of the gals, Mary, began sparring with Reba with their antics and we were all laughing pretty hard by the time our meal was finished.

No, we weren’t the quiet and demure table that you’d expect in a tea room. Heavens, with my laugh nothing is ever quiet. 

Once we finished our main course, we had a bit of free time. I strolled around and took pictures of the tea room. It really was delightful. They’ve been in business for three years and in this economy, they’ve done really well. They’re ranked #6 in Maryland!

Not only do they have lunches, they host fun events like a Ladies Night Out and May Day in Annapolis. Every month their menu changes so it’s a treat every month!
Mom and I have already decided we’ll be doing a tea room again when my oldest daughter comes out next time. My 2nd daughter won’t be able to make it out here for quite a while, but I hope she can go with us one of these times, too because she loves tea!

Have you ever been to a tea room? What was your favorite part?