The most exclusive tearoom in Michigan!

So Alex and I had been planning a trip to Wisconsin to see my stepdaughter's family, and as it got closer to time to book the flight, he asked what I thought about leaving early and going to Michigan for a couple of days, including a visit to the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. He also mentioned that he knew I had a dear tea blogger friend in Michigan, Phyllis, and if I wanted to arrange to meet her for lunch if she was available, he'd be good with that too. Now I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, so I quickly contacted Phyllis and soon had plans to hop off that plane in Detroit and mosey on over for lunch and a visit at what I consider the most exclusive tearoom in Michigan: her home!

I also got to meet Phyllis's husband Jerry, although I'm very sorry to report that I failed to get a photo of either her husband or my own that day. But I was so excited at seeing Phyllis that I could hardly talk and visit fast enough! Last year, Phyllis hosted a tea tour of Michigan that I'd wanted to go on, but I just didn't plan my work and travel very well last fall and ended up not getting to attend. So finally getting to visit Michigan made me quite happy, and I cannot imagine having had a warmer welcome than to enjoy lunch with Phyllis and Jerry in their home. I was not at all surprised to find an elegant table had been prepared for us with her charming blue-patterned china, but I was surprised to discover what a fancy lunch she had prepared, including both iced and hot teas (delicious)!

We started with Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup topped with a teapot crouton. Isn't that charming? The soup was delicious and far superior to that cup of water and pretzels I'd had on the flight!

We also had a beautiful, large Blueberry Muffin at each place setting, and I knew in advance I would be saving mine, so Phyllis kindly wrapped it up for me to take with me. (It was delicious as part of my breakfast the next day.)

Our main course was this amazing Maurice Salad, a specialty of the former Hudson's Department Store in Detroit. Phyllis and I both love old department store restaurant and tearoom recipes, and she has become quite the expert on all things Hudson's. I've made this salad myself several times before, but enjoying Phyllis's amazing version of it was the perfect lunch for my first day in Michigan—and a meal with great sentimental meaning to Phyllis and me.

I was quite full by the time I finished my soup and that hearty salad, but tell me, could you have turned down THIS? No. I didn't think so. It was a Sanders Hot Fudge Ice Cream Puff, and oh, you can tell by looking that I ate every. single. bite. Needless to say, once Alex and I got on the road for our drive north, I was soon fast asleep after such a magnificent meal!

Phyllis was also kind enough to let me snap a photo of this beautiful cabinet in her dining room (note a glimpse of the teacup chandelier overhead). I know I've seen it before on her blog, but seeing her lovely home and some of her great teawares (and the shelves Jerry built for them throughout the house—oh my!) was just delightful. It was nice to have a hearty lunch at her home, but more important, I left with my heart full as well, and Alex did too, having easily enjoyed his time with Jerry while Phyllis and I were in the kitchen together before lunch.

And by the way, Phyllis is organizing a Southern Belle Tea Tour for this fall, so if you'd like to join her and other tea lovers and visit such sites as tearooms in Chattanooga, Tennessee; Madison and Savannah here in Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina (including the Charleston Tea Plantation); and the L.S. Ayres tearoom in Indianapolis, Indiana, please check out Phyllis's blog post about the trip here!

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