The Whistling Kettle: A gold medal Afternoon Tea and Scone-wich in Troy, NY

The Whistling Kettle:  A Gold Medal Afternoon Tea in Troy, New York

On the day of the Opening Ceremonies at the Paris Olympics, and in town for a Gilded Age city tour, we struck afternoon tea gold at The Whistling Kettle in Troy, New York.

Troy is part of the Hudson Valley area of New York, about ten miles north of Albany and with its well-maintained 19th century architecture, it's a perfect filming location for HBO's Gilded Age. That, along with visiting family in the area, was the reason for our stop in this charming city. Finding a lovely tearoom in town was an added bonus and we felt we medaled at The Whistling Kettle.

Seated at the front window, a great view of the street and outdoor patio.

The Whistling Kettle is on Broadway, just down the road from an antiques store that serves as "Bloomingdales" in the Gilded Age series and a short walk to "Mrs. Astor's townhouse", where she, initially, would not receive the "new money" Mrs. Russell. But, at The Whistling Kettle all are welcome and there's a variety of menu offerings to appeal to those who visit.

Mrs. Astor refused entry to some, unlike The Whistling Kettle!

We -  my husband, Chris, our favorite NY couple, Matt and Jenna and myself - stopped at The Whistling Kettle after our Gilded Age tour. The tearoom is housed in a vintage building with contemporary decor, anchored by wood floors and paneling,  There's ample room, with large dining areas in both front and back as well as a large bar and retail space that runs along the middle of the tearoom. We scored a table nestled in the front window space, a bright spot with a view of the street and front patio.

The Tower, served all day, offers an afternoon tea experience without reservations.

But, it's the menu that secured our high rating. Along with various soups, crepes and traditional sandwiches, they offer a build-your-own afternoon tea, referred to as "the tower". Here you can select your own savory, salad or soup, and scone, which comes to you on a three-tiered tray and served all day. An excellent variation of the afternoon tea fare, that usually requires, at least, a 24-hour reservation. The Whistling Kettle makes the experience easy and casual - and most importantly, delicious.

The "scone-wich". A delicious hybrid. 

No shame eating scone-wich like a burger. 

Another menu twist for the Whistling Kettle is the "scone-wich", a savory scone filled with standard lunch fillers like bacon, lettuce and tomato or ham and cheese. Unlike the customary scone served with jam and cream, which proper tea etiquette states should not be eaten like a sandwich, the scone-wich defies protocol. No need to worry about taking the scone-wich firmly in hand and enjoying it like a cheeseburger!

The Whistling Kettle sells its own tea blends to take home. 

We so enjoyed our visit to The Whistling Kettle that we made sure to stop by the tea counter and purchase some of their custom blends to take home.

After our day in Troy, we concluded our evening at a lovely vacation home in Old Chatham, where we streamed the Opening Ceremonies from the Paris Olympics. Gold medals were on their way to Team U.S.A. but, if afternoon tea was a registered event, the Whistling Kettle would surely find a place on the podium.

Watching Opening Ceremonies, Paris, Olympics.

 Whistling Kettle's tea at Hudson Valley home.

Gilded Age is back filming in Troy for Season Three and, like the HBO production company, we'll be back to Troy soon and, no doubt, we'll be back at The Whistling Kettle for more towers and scone-wiches!