Glenwood Tea Room serves up a perfect balance

A LADY WHO LUNCHES

Over the past few months, the lesson has played forth in many different ways that we should enjoy the people, places and things we adore, while we have them. That applies to eateries, too. Fortunately for us, as talk of the Glenwood Village Tea Room closing circulated last year, Kera Hamilton and her husband, Jarred, stepped in to keep the Highland treasure open and thriving.

They have found a beautiful balance in keeping everything we love, while adding their own special touch. The menu still features our anticipated soups, sandwiches and salads, all made with the tried and true recipes found in the restaurant’s cookbook. The noticeable changes are the slightly shorter name, Glenwood Tea Room, and slightly expanded menu.

Don’t let the words “tea room” deter you. This is not just your grandma’s place to wear a fabulous hat for tea, although on occasion we ladies still do, and it is great fun. You do not have to know about, or even like, tea to enjoy their menu. Kera said that “they have something for everyone, and there’s no reason to feel uncomfortable.”

My beau can attest to that. On a recent visit he was quite impressed with the hearty BLT he ordered. Glenwood’s Maple BLT ($11) features mounds of maple-baked bacon, greens, provolone cheese, tomato, honey, mustard and mayonnaise sandwiched between thick slices of toasted Milton’s Multigrain wheat bread. Always the explorer, he also likes to sample the latest teas available, hot or cold.

Last week he ordered the Chicken Rice Crepe topped with a Béchamel Sauce & Mini Regal salad ($14.75). Chicken, garden rice, mushrooms and carrots are served in a light crepe shell topped with béchamel sauce. It is served with a cheddar scone and spring greens, apples, mozzarella and walnuts topped with lemon-pepper sweet cream dressing.

When he hears about The King’s Favorite Sandwich ($14.75), featuring baked chicken layered with bacon and provolone on a toasted croissant, it will probably be his next choice.

I am usually an adventurous eater, but I could not resist ordering the Afternoon Tea Experience on both of my recent visits. Realizing how close we came to not being able to have this treat if the restaurant had closed, I have indulged. The Afternoon Tea Experience ($20) has a touch of all my favorites beginning with a lovely choice from black or flavored teas served in a lovely teapot. My favorites are the fruit-based teas, which are naturally lightly sweet, so I started with a warm decaf apricot-peach blend.

The experience comes with soup, tea, sandwiches and scone. First, you have your choice of either their famous Victorian Soup (an authentic Victorianera cream soup made with asparagus, onions, mushrooms, broccoli, cucumber, chicken and ham puréed together with light cream) or my favorite, a delicious Tomato Cream Soup (also available in cup $4/ bowl $8).

After soup is served, a decorative tiered tray of finger sandwiches is delivered to the table. There is an enticing assortment of fresh-made pimento cheese, turkey and cheese, and scoop of delicious chicken salad. However, in my opinion, the best and prettiest on the tray are the delicately flavored open-faced sandwiches in cucumber and strawberry.

Now, let’s talk about those delectable scones. In the past, a scone for me was simply a tasty way to transport lemon curd and cream to my mouth. That opinion changed when I tried the Glenwood Tea Room’s White Chocolate Apricot scone. The warm, fluffy goodness was such a delight that I had to take a picture of my beau’s happy face when I shared a bite. While flavorful, the scone itself was not overly sweet, which made it the perfect vehicle for a touch of lemon curd and cream.

In addition to their traditional scones ($4/ea.) in buttermilk, pecan praline, cranberry orange and chocolate chip flavors, Kera said that they enjoy creating special seasonal scones, too. Recently, they celebrated Mardi Gras with a King Cake-flavored scone. Currently, they are serving a Carrot Cake Scone, and will be baking up batches of Lemon Blueberry Scones very soon.

As if that isn’t perfect enough, they have sandwiches called the Scone-wich with a dollop of chicken salad served over spring mix, tomato, mayo and chutney on a cheddar scone. The menu is so full of wonderful dishes like Chicken Chutney Pecan Salad ($10.75) or Canadian Bacon and Gouda Quiche with Artichokes ($14.75) that you will have to read all of their descriptions for a true appreciation.

Not only is the Glenwood Tea Room a peaceful oasis where anyone should feel comfortable enjoying lunch, it is a great place to celebrate. Birthdays, bridal parties and office lunches are ideal reasons to make reservations, plus the Glenwood hosts special events. Recently, they held a Mommy and Me event that included the Afternoon Tea Experience, tea pot decorating, a Razzberry Salon service and Soul Rebels Photography. Find out more about upcoming occasions and seasonal scones by following them on Facebook or calling. Enjoy!

Lynn Laird is a writer, fine artist and self-professed bon vivant living in Bossier. With her “Flair for Cooking” blog, she seeks out interesting ingredients and techniques to help make everyday meals just a touch more fabulous. She can reached at [email protected].