Abbey Garden setting, food a seamless match

Stacee Sledge

Mar 13, 2003 — If you know even a little bit about Irish history, you know that Ireland is very different from England. Yet when I spent a recent afternoon at the decidedly English Abbey Garden Tea Room in Fairhaven, I felt as though I'd traveled back in time to 1995, when I spent a memorable vacation on the Emerald Isle that took me to Dublin and Galway in the Irish Republic, and British-ruled Belfast in Northern Ireland.

It probably had something to do with my tea companion. Kate has been a buddy since college — and my best friend since that trip to Ireland, when I traveled alone to stay with her while she was a graduate student at Trinity College in Dublin.

Kate was visiting Bellingham from Chicago and I thought the short walk to Abbey Garden Tea Room from my home seemed like a fitting excursion for her first full day in town.

Abbey Garden Tea Room shares its space with Paint Expressions, a paint-your-own ceramic shop. I've had friends celebrate birthdays and other special occasions at Paint Expressions, spending an afternoon of painting with friends followed by tea, sandwiches and desserts. On the day of our visit, the downstairs painting area was empty.

We climbed the wooden staircase to the tea room, just a tad disappointed that all the tables with upholstered, high-backed armchairs were taken. There's something special about folding yourself into such a comfortable chair to enjoy a meal. Instead we were seated at a table cozied between a chair and a red velvet-covered banquette shared by a trio of tables.

Abbey Garden Tea Room

Location: 1308A 11th St. Phone: 752-1752 Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday; last tea seating at 4:30 p.m. Serving: Tea sandwiches, soups, salads, and other English-inspired edibles. Menu items sampled: Savory tea $10.95 Abbey tea $9.95

One detraction from an otherwise ideal luncheon spot was the volume of a conversation held at the table next to us. The small space didn't lend itself to quiet conversation on the day of our visit. Let's just say that Kate and I learned more than we wanted to know about the somewhat-sordid family history of one of our fellow diners.

Aside from that — and two attempts to request a glass of water that finally arrived just as we finished our meal — we had a delightful lunch. The food was sublime.

To begin, of course, we chose which type of tea we wanted. I ordered the Savory Tea, while Kate settled on the Abbey Tea. Both options came with a pot of tea — chosen from more than 20 varieties and flavors — tea sandwiches, fruit and other exquisite edibles.

More than a half-dozen tea options are listed on the menu at Abbey Garden. You can also order a la carte, choosing quiche, a sausage roll, a Cornish or cheese and onion pasty, soup, salads, a cheese plate, scones and a selection of desserts.

Shortly after placing our orders, our server returned from the downstairs kitchen with two small ceramic teapots, which she placed on our table and then topped with quilted tea cozies.

I love the ritual of tea and at Abbey Garden, it's more formal — and therefore, that much more special — than at home: pouring the steaming tea into a fine china tea cup, letting it steep, watching the swirl of cream rise after being tipped into the cup, then using small silver tongs to drop two cubes of sugar into the cup.

I found my cup of tea just right, although Kate — perhaps because of her experience living abroad and drinking tea with every meal — found hers on the weak side. But I think it's safe to say that the average patron at Abbey Garden would be delighted with any brew.

Our server returned some time later with a three-tiered plate stand holding two mismatched, fragile china plates. The top plate held the six tea sandwiches we'd chosen between us and the bottom plate a lovely array of sliced oranges, apples and strawberries.

All of the sandwiches were astounding. Who knew something as simple as a delicate tea sandwich could deliver such a powerful punch?

Twelve small triangles of crustless white and brown bread held, at turns, creamy egg salad, smoked salmon in a cream cheese spread, cream cheese with cucumber and fresh dill, curried chicken spread and watercress with cream cheese and lemon. Not one was sub par.

If I had to choose a favorite, I'd go with the watercress and cream cheese with lemon with its wonderful citrus undertones — but I've been craving each of these sandwich fillings since our Abbey Garden visit.

Kate's tea also came with a scone, served on a separate plate, accompanied by a small glass bowl of thick, rich Devon cream and a dollop of raspberry jam. One bite and Kate's eyelids dropped in satisfaction. She declared it was the best scone she'd ever had; I tried a nibble and instantly concurred. As soon as it touched my tongue a rush of sugar sweetness flooded my taste buds. The scone was light and wonderfully soft inside, with a slightly crunchy crust.

My tea came with a choice of quiche, pasty or sausage roll. I've enjoyed Abbey Garden's Cornish pasty before, flaky pastry filled with beef, potatoes, onions and other vegetables. It's fabulous, but I wanted to try something new.

The sausage roll didn't disappoint. Crumbly pastry was wrapped around a fresh sausage, served with hot mustard and steak sauce. The sausage roll made for a pleasing savory complement to the sweet fresh fruit.

Abbey Garden offers a charming lunch that in many ways could be right out of a Merchant and Ivory film. Although it isn't an Irish eatery at all, pop in this St. Patrick's Day for a spot of tea like that enjoyed in Ireland and Great Britain year-round.