Spend a day at Clara J's: A delightful tea room in Maumee, Ohio with a rich culinary past and present

Gretchen Fayerweather, owner of Clara J's, with Barb G. of Barb's Tea Service

Clara J's has everything you might expect from an ideal tea room:  cozy seating featuring tables set with an array of pretty china plates and teacups, tea served by cheery and attentive staff and  all housed in a neatly adorned historic home with a wide welcoming porch. Add to this, incredibly delicious scones and savories, accompanied by live music, and even "ideal expectations" can be exceeded!

Beautiful as well as delicious afternoon tea fare

Last week, my husband, Chris, and I had the great pleasure of having a scrumptious lunch and full afternoon tea service, respectively at Clara J's. We also were delighted to meet Gretchen Fayerweather, the current owner of this lovely tea room.

Scrumptious scones served warm with lemon curd, jam and rich, sweet Devonshire cream

Located in Maumee, Ohio - a 15 minute drive from Toledo and an hour from Detroit - this tea room served up some of the tastiest scones I've sampled. Served warm, they are accompanied by lemon curd, jam and rich, sweet, Devonshire cream.  This was followed by the traditional three-tiered tray filled with a selection of finger sandwiches, a festive deviled egg and a layer of tasty desserts. The latter included a tart, a brownie and a whimsical hat-shaped sugar cookie.

Chris G. selecting from lunch menu

Barb G. pouring Earl Grey

This tea room provides tea fare and lunches that are not only delicious, but appealing in presentation. Not surprisingly,  that focus comes from a past to current-day connection to the study and teaching of culinary skills. 

Clara J.'s housed in an historic home with a wide, welcoming porch

Clara J.s was originally opened in 2005 by Rebecca Jaessing, the niece of Clara Jaessing Keller. Clara, the inspiration of the tea room, was born in 1904. In her lifetime, she owned a restaurant franchise and attended college, specializing in Culinary Arts.  Impressive accomplishments today, but even more remarkable considering Clara was setting her course a century ago.

When Gretchen's father visits, guest are treated to live piano music

Fast forward to 2018, and another Culinary Arts grad, Gretchen Fayerweather, purchased the Maumee tea room.  She not only studied Culinary Arts in college, but taught these skills at the university level. Gretchen was also an executive chef for a number of east coast restaurants before moving back to Ohio.

Roast beef sandwich with kettle chips

Pretty place setting with chin plates and cups

The tea room has wide open spaces with a smattering of tiny alcoves, perfect for a more private tea-for-two. While dining on dainty tea savories or  opting for a hearty lunch option such as the roast beef sandwich served with  kettle chips, one can be entertained with live music on the days that Gretchen's father visits the tea room. He plays the piano in one of the larger dining areas and even takes requests! (We mentioned "Beatles" and quickly were treated to a medley of some of their best tunes).

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We look forward to coming back and spending another fine day at Clara J's!

Lunch is served Tuesday - Saturday from 11:00 to 3:00. Proper tea is served Wednesday - Saturday at 11:00 or 1:30, reservations required. For more information, visit the tea room's website:  Clara J's.

Trinkle Mansion: A most comfortable and beautiful B & B with an abundance of southern hospitality in Wytheville, Virginia

Patti P., owner/innkeeper of Trinkle Mansion with Barb G. freelance writer and BTS blog author

Chandeliers dripping with Swarovski crystal, an open staircase with a "Romeo balcony", gleaming wood floors and a sunroom filled with white wicker, red toile and TeaTime magazines - that's just a sample of the charming decor, along with welcoming smiles from owners, Patti and Bernie Pizinger, that greet guests within the first few minutes of entering the Trinkle Mansion.  

Last week, we had the pleasure of staying and exploring this historic home and we're already planning when we can go back.

The Trinkle Mansion foyer features crystal chandeliers and an open staircase with a "romeo balcony"

Located in Wytheville, Virginia, a scenic spot at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Trinkle Mansion is rich in history both in its origins and its restoration.

Built by William Trinkle, a gentleman farmer, between 1910 and 1912, the mansion was constructed in the "Classical Revival" style with many impressive features, including seven fireplaces, steam heat and, for the time, a relatively novel convenience of two bathrooms on the second floor.

The Conservatory is filled with white wicker furniture, red accents and TeaTime Magazines

Almost a century later, the Trinkle Mansion, in a state of great disrepair, caught the eye of Patti, who, since childhood, felt destined to own a home that would welcome "weary travelers . . .in a comfy environment."

After a year of restoration, taking much of the house down the studs, Patti and Bernie did welcome their first weary travelers in 2007. Their craftsmanship and attention to detail shows in every corner of the mansion. It's not only "comfy", but absolutely beautiful.

Chris unpacks in our beautiful room - one of the four bedrooms on the second floor.

The Trinkle Mansion has four bedrooms available to guests on the second floor, each with their own private and luxurious bath, as well as a small cottage just a few steps away. 

Travel companions, Ed and Sandy, taking pbotos of the impressive foyer

Breakfast is included in the accommodations fee and ours was absolutely delicious, served up on a festive tablescape filled with flowers, china, and my new, must-have place setting accompaniment, crystal knife rests.

The dining room and stunning tablescape await guests for scrumptious breakfast

Patti and Bernie also maintain a cozy custom of having coffee (or tea!) ready to go and available on the second floor parlor one hour before breakfast.

Spent some time in the Conservatory catching up on TeaTime Magazine

During our stay (myself, along with husband, Chris, and brother and sister-in-law, Ed and Sandy, respectively), we made use of almost every common room. We read Tea Time magazines in the Conservatory (sunroom), chatted away in the ladies' parlor and reclined, after dinner, in the gentlemen's parlor. The latter is also a place where you can view the Trinkle Mansion restoration, slides of which continually run via a computer laptop on display.

Front parlor

Gentlemen's parlor

The crystal chandeliers are not the only items that sparkle at the Trinkle Mansion. This bed and breakfast is spotlessly clean and everything shines. 

We readily give the Trinkle Mansion our white gloved thumb's up and eagerly await our next visit to this B & B, where weary travers are provided both a comfortable and stunning environment with a generous helping of southern hospitality.

Patti had just received the May/June issue of TeaTime that features the article on Herend porcelain, penned by your humble BTS blog author and we signed a copy for the B & B.

Tuesday Tea and Tomes: 'The Boys' and a trip down Mayberry Lane

     

                           

"The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family" is a tale of the Howard brothers as told by the Howard brothers and, rather appropriately, gifted to me by my brother and sister-in-law who not only grew up watching the Andy Griffith Show, but also joined my husband, Chris and I in a few Mayberry-related trips.

But, first, the book!

"The Boys" is co-authored by Ron and Clint Howard, both who rose to fame early in their childhood starring in The Andy Griffith Show and Gentle Ben, respectively.  But, the brothers' careers took distinctly different paths in their teen years. Ron transitioned almost seamlessly from Mayberry's young Opie into the straight-and-narrow young adult roles he landed in "American Graffiti" and "Happy Days" while Clint faced challenges moving from a big bear's adorable companion to an awkward adolescent, battling demons along the way.

While Ron's tales are slightly rosier than Clint's, both the Howard brothers are candid in their accounts of their parents, their school days and the sting of Hollywood rejection. But, both share a pride of maintaining careers in an industry that, more than most, publicly applauds and dismisses talent in equal measure.

Although the book incorporates more than just the Andy Griffith Show, Baby Boomers who grew up watching Andy Taylor, Opie, Barney, Aunt Bea and the quirky Mayberry townsfolk, including Floyd, Howard, Goober and Ottis, will find the references to this television classic engaging and nostalgic. And, if you think the only Howard on the show was Ron, you need to rewind. Clint made his acting debut on the Andy Griffith Show at the age of two as the cute-as-a-button "Leon" who, dressed as a cowboy, offered Mayberry residents a bite of his sandwich as he strolled through town.

Now the trips!

In a bit of serendipity, last week, enroute to our Myrtle Beach vacation destination, Chris and I, joined by brother, Ed, and sister-in-law, Sandy, spotted a highway exit sign for "Mount Airy" in North Carolina. In a spontaneous, unanimous, decision, we took a quick detour to Andy Griffith's hometown and the inspiration of the beloved, fictional town of Mayberry.

It was a Sunday afternoon, so some sites were closed, like the Andy Griffith Museum, but we did get to spend time - and do some time - in the Mayberry Courthouse.  Sheriff Sandy oversaw the easy-going lock-up of the rest of our crew in Ottis' home-away-from home.

We're on a Mayberry-themed roll! Four years ago, on another Engman/Gulley road trip we stopped in Morgantown, West Virginia, the home of the "real" Barney Fife, Don Knotts. We all stopped to pose in front of the Don Knott's statue in town, followed by afternoon tea at The Tea Shoppe. 

Bottom line:

Two thumbs up for "The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family".

Eight thumbs up on Mayberry-themed road trips.