The Emerald Chandelier tearoom in Griffin, Georgia

When my friend Marie (seated) called a few weeks ago to say that she and another friend, Cynthia, wondered if I would like to join them in visiting the Emerald Chandelier tearoom in Griffin, I said yes! It was a beautiful day, and perhaps not surprisingly, this was one of the most enjoyable afternoons I've had in months.

As soon as the tea tray came out, I quickly remembered why I have always enjoyed going to tea.

Our tea started with this Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup. Knowing I would be having afternoon tea at 4 p.m., I had skipped lunch. Considering all the food we got, I should have skipped breakfast too! I was quite hungry by the time we arrived, and this soup was fabulous with its thick, creamy texture but not so much of it that it prevented me from enjoying the rest of the meal.

Here you can see the Salmon Pizza on Pumpernickel, Cucumber Canapés with Lemon-Basil Butter, and at back, the Peach Soup.

Here are the Empanadas and Ham & Apricot Pinwheels. 

And these are the Pimento Cheese Gougeres. The sandwiches were plentiful and tasty. And I couldn't help thinking of that old adage about how "we eat with our eyes first," because my eyes were definitely impressed by the presentation here. I enjoyed all of the sandwiches, but the salmon and the cucumber, as always, were my favorites, although that flaky gougere oozing cheese was a close runner-up.

By the time we got to the sweets, I was quite full, but I did manage at least a bite of everything, from the House Scones to the Blueberry Pearl French Macarons, butterfly-shaped White-Chocolate Lemon Linzer Cookies, and Petit Fours. The macaron was my favorite, as I am quite the fan of these little confections.

I was so busy chatting with my friends that I forgot to get a picture of the exterior of this adorable tearoom, but fortunately, I later realized it was pictured on this banner in the entryway.

We were impressed by the food, the service, and the pretty dishes, and the rooms were so lovely that we had to wander around and check them out.

This emerald-colored wallpaper was charming. The menu at this lovely tearoom changes every two months, so now I'm thinking perhaps that's a sign of how often I need to go.

Tomorrow, I'll tell you about the teas we had as well as a new-to-me teatime gadget that I used that day, a contraption I'd not come across before!