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| Tonia's Victorian Rose Tea Room now offers take-out afternoon tea fare |
It is now possible to have a luxurious afternoon tea at home courtesy Tonia's Victorian Rose!
The Rochester tearoom announced this week that they are offering curbside carry-out or delivery on many of their favorite dishes (chicken pot pie, spinach quiche, Victorian Rose salad), as well as three-meal package deals and - this is where my heart skipped an extra beat! - afternoon tea, if ordered two days in advance.
While we here at Barb's Tea Service have held a few virtual tea times of late, one thing that has been missing is the full afternoon tea fare. With Victorian Rose's pick-up service, we were able to have artistically crafted and exceedingly delicious scones, savories and sweets in the comfort - and confines - of our own home this weekend.
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| Virtual tea, teapot, sweets and savories - pearls optional |
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| On-line with Rachel, also having Victorian Rose tea fare |
I ordered afternoon tea for two for curbside pick-up this week - one for me and one for my daughter, Rachel. My husband, Chris, was our delivery guy and he dropped off one serving at Rachel's place and brought the other serving back home.
We refrigerated most for a Saturday afternoon face-time tea. I set a proper table with a tiered tray and brewed a fresh pot of Earl Grey. When I dialed up Rachel, she had tea in hand, attired in a pretty burgundy dress. I decided to do the same (and accessorized with pearls).
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| Victorian Rose savories include quiche, croissant, cucumber sandwich. Scones come with cream. |
Our afternoon tea consisted of a scone, with a dollop of lemon curd and/or fresh whipped cream, a chicken salad stuffed croissant , a cucumber/cream cheese sandwich (in a delicate butterfly shape) and a quiche all literally topped by absolutely scrumptious desserts. The sweet treats were: lemon curd tart, carrot cake and, my favorite (although difficult to choose!), a dark chocolate torte bite.
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| Top-tier desserts: carrot cake, lemon curd tart, dark chocolate torte bites and a variety of fresh fruit. |
I talked with Tonia Carsten this week, owner of Victorian Rose, and her passion for both culinary delights and the guests she serves are clearly driving forces for her business. Before purchasing the tea room in 2016 from original owner, Loretta Curry, Tonia ran a cooking school for children. In a bit of serendipity, as Tonia was looking to expand her business, Loretta was ready to retire from her tea room after twenty-one years.
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| Visiting Tonia's Victorian Rose in 2017 with my cousins, Dianne and Kathy |
Victorian Rose holds a special place in my heart for more than one reason, but among the top - this is the first venue (outside of home parties) where I presented a tea talk. It was Mother's Day 2006 and the event was covered by the local newspaper, Troy Times (see photo below). The Rochester tea room was also a favorite place for tea with friends who donned pink and red hats back in the day (see same photo below).
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| Left photo, from Troy Times article- Mother's Day tea talk |
And, we were right there at the door in 2017 when Tonia made this tea room her own (see blog story, May, 2017, Tonia's Victorian Rose Tea Room: New owner and updates to Rochester favorite).
Now that Victorian Rose is still open for take-out, we're thrilled we still have a place to "go to" for afternoon tea.
To order afternoon tea or other great items from Tonia's Victorian Rose, call 248-652-8595. Currently, open hours are Tuesdays - Fridays from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
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