Pickwick Society Tea Room and John Deere

Miss Priss and I visited the Pickwick Society tea room in Illinois, on our travels to Iowa.  The tea room is on the corner of Hickory and Kansas streets in historic Frankfort.  (Be sure to visit the general store across the street and the Old Plank Trail Tavern down the street.)

First Impression:  Ample parking was available along the street.  We were greeted as we entered the tea room and shown to our table.

Tea Room Setting:  The tearoom is bright and cheery.  The corner location provides windows along most of the two front walls.  Tables are available in a couple of rooms.  Lots of tea items are displayed in cabinets and on shelves for purchase.

The Table:  We sat at the front of the shop.  Fabric tablecloths in various patterns covered the tables.  Each place setting had a different tea cup. 

Tea:  Octavia whole leaf teas are prepared properly and served in a pot with a cozy.  I chose Organic Citrus, which was wonderful. Their menu offers 47 choices - black, oolong, green, white, rooibos, yerba mate, herbal and iced.  Other beverages are also available.  (The lemonade was fresh squeezed and delicious.)  

 Menu:  Many tea options are available.  They are named after characters in "Little Women."  I indulged in Marmee's Full Tea.  Lighter options are available, as well as a lunch menu and children's menu.

 Tea Tidbits:  Our first course was a vegetarian lentil soup.  

Followed by the arrival of our tier.  On the bottom is their signature sandwich, Laurie - which is a chicken salad with cranberries on a croissant, Beth - egg salad on pumpernickel, veggie, asparagus quiche, spanakopita, and a lime margarita sandwich.  The middle tier held the cinnamon scones with raspberry jam and mock clotted cream, banana bread with lemon curd and cucumber sandwiches.  Our sweets were raspberry thumbprint cookies, chocolate mousse tarts topped with a fresh raspberry, mint chocolate chip biscotti, cherry rugelach, pomegranate and white tea shortbread and a coconut cupcake with raspberry filling.

Entertainment:  Soft vocal music was playing in the background.

Gift Shop:  Many items were available throughout the shop.

Price:  $26.50 (reservations are requested)

 Isn't this an adorable way to display a teacup!

Miss Priss visited four John Deere factories in Iowa. She saw how tractors, combines, sprayers, cotton pickers and engines were made and assembled.  Did you know that the John Deere colors symbolize the farming seasons, green for planting and yellow for harvest? 

And she kept herself entertained during the drive by listening to her book on tape and conducting a tea mint taste test.

Minteas by Tea forte were very refreshing.  They started off with a lime, lemon, cocoa, cinnamon (which turned to clove) and gingery/pear flavor.  Very quickly they became minty with just a hint of the other flavor.  The original flavor returned, after the mint dissolved (which takes two minutes and 49 seconds) and lingered for quite some time.  They are available in (according to my preference) lemongrass yuzu, lime mojito, matcha chai, cocoa mate and ginger pear.  All three tearooms where I have seen these say they like the ginger pear and it is their best seller.

May your tea journeys take you exci"tea"ing places!

Sips and Smiles,
Teresa