After a telescope-focused weekend, we were ready to scope out a new-to-us tea room. Governor Crosswell's tea room not only brightened our day with great food, ambiance and service, but we discovered it, too, has telescope ties.
On our return trip home from Monday's solar eclipse viewing in Findlay, Ohio, we took a leisurely drive home the next day with a slight detour west and stopped at Govenor Croswell's Tearoom in Adrian, Michigan. It's been on my list of tearooms to visit in my home state, and this week we finally did - and it was worth the detour.
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| Enjoying afternoon tea fare including sweets, savories and scones. |
The tearoom resides in a century-plus old building that, over the decades, housed many different retailers specializing in hats, jewelry and home decor before Al Wilkerson, a native of Adrian, and his wife, Phyllis purchased it in 2010. Per the tearoom's website, it was the Wilkerson's dream to create a venue that provide a "china and linen" tea experience.
The named it after another Adrian resident, Charles Miller Croswell, the 17the Governor of Michigan from 1877 to 1881.
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| Cozy spot for tea in the front bay window. |
We arrived shortly after the doors opened and were greeted warmly by Justin who told us we could chose our own table. It was tempting to sit at the very front where two small tables occupy a cozy space in the big bay window, but we selected a table in the center to get the full view of the tearoom's Victorian decor.
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| A "china and linen" experience still prevails. |
High ceilings showcase bright glass chandeliers and walls are painted a soothing sage green punctuated by similarly colored linen napkins on dark tablecloths. (The only distraction was the smattering of Christmas wreaths and garland that are hung on the walls and crown molding, respectively.) Tables are set with a potpourri of colorful china, ready for teapots and three-tiered trays to be ordered and served.
From the menu, one can order a variety of lunch options: sandwiches, soups, quiches and salads. No surprise, I ordered the "high tea" which offers a typical "afternoon tea" selection of scones, sweets and savories. My husband, Chris, chose the tea sandwiches accompanied by a house salad.
The tea menu is extensive, but, again, no surprise, I ordered a pot of Earl Grey (a pot is included in the "high tea" option). But, Chris, tried their house special, a black spice tea which he really enjoyed.
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| Three-tiered tray of tea treats. |
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| A pot of tea comes with "high tea". |
The tea fare was delicious - the scones were biscuit-y, but light and tasty. The cream and curd are both made in-house and were amazing. The cream was more buttery than sweet, an excellent blending of flavors.
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| Lemon curd and cream made in-house and delicious! |
Tea sandwiches were also more traditional, including cucumber and roast beef. The dessert tier was a mix of fruity pastries, but my favorite was the chocolate mousse in a chocolate teacup shell.
The top tier offered two squares of quiche which were okay, but the sandwiches, scones and desserts were the stars.
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| Plane Wave makes telescopes. |
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| Telescope viewing for the eclipse. |
After our wonderful repast, we wrapped up our tea time telling Justin about our solar eclipse outing in Findlay, Ohio. He shared with us that the new owners of Governor Croswell's are a group of investors from Plane Wave, maker of high end telescopes and just down the road from the tea room.
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| Governor Croswell's tearoom. |
Perhaps it was destiny ( destintea?) that brought us to this lovely tea room with telescope connections after our telescope-utilizing weekend. A perfect way to cap off a weekend of excitement that could not be eclipsed.
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