AFTERNOON TEA REVIEW: Tea Around Town (Chicago)

 

Location: Chicago, IL (starting point at the Aon Building)
Price: $69-79 per person for Petite menu, $89-109 per person for Luxe menu
Reservations: In advance via website

As part of my semi-regular (but not nearly frequent enough) trip to see bestie Ginger in Illinois, I scheduled us seats on Chicago's branch of the Tea Around Town tour bus. We already know I'm an afternoon tea fiend, and she's much the same after our trip to the UK several years ago. It seemed like a very cool idea, especially since we were belatedly celebrating my birthday.

It's definitely not the type of experience I've had before, and I was aware that (by virtue of being US-run and on a bus) some things would likely be quite different to what's "standard." Overall, though? A really darn good afternoon, with a really darn good menu.

A proviso before I go on, though: Tea Around Town operates in many cities, and thus quality may vary. Please check reviews for each city's branch specifically before booking. This is specifically for the Chicago-based experience, and this review does not (and cannot) vouch for the quality of the experience in any other city.

Since it was a big day and bestie and I both deserve the best, I went with the Luxe menu. According to the menu on the website, this contains all 14 items on the Petite menu plus three extra sandwiches, three extra desserts, and a bonus tea.

The Experience

This is really something I should do for every tea review (and will going forward), because ambience is part of the whole deal. This, as you can see, was on a tour bus. It was very pretty both inside and outside, and all the seating was on the second level with the first level being kitchen and management (and driving, of course).

The tour guide was very sweet and friendly, and interspersed talking about the locations with singing and chatting with the diners. She was extremely friendly, as was our server, which made a rather gloomy day of sightseeing a little brighter. I managed to come to Illinois right at the front of some really ridiculous weather, so things were overcast.

The tour proper runs about 70 minutes, with your stack (see above) waiting for you when you sit down. You also get a branded tea tumbler, which is where your teas are served and which you also get to take home. This experience does lack fancy teacups and pots but, considering you're on a bus in city traffic, that's understandable.

The Savories

A really impressive spread of traditional sandwiches and unique little bites. As you can see above, the Luxe menu is extremely packed. So you know. Come hungry. (Luxe exclusive items are starred.)

• Ahi Tuna Delight*: A small starter bite of tuna with spicy aioli and greens. This was a fantastic little starter.
• Nautical Splendor Lobster Roll*: My first lobster roll. I am a lobster enjoyer and I was relatively okay with this one, though I wasn't huge on the texture of the bread. Ginger really loved it, though.
• Napoleon Alaska*: A nice little smoked salmon bite. Pretty darn good.
• Garden Gala Chicken Soirée: Obligatory chicken salad sandwich. Not bad, but a bit bland by comparison.
• Triple Crown Steak Stack: This was my personal favorite, and I'm not even a fan of steak sandwiches. This is the one I kept thinking about later.
• Earthly Elegance Crostini: Mushrooms and ricotta on a baguette. I liked this one very much and was a little surprised to realize it's on the standard menu.
• Light 'n Green: Egg salad, of course. Not bad, but again a bit bland by comparison.
• Cool Down Cucumber: Despite the other "traditional" tea sandwiches being middling, they nailed the cucumber. This was simple and delish.
• Deviled Egg Basket: It is very difficult to make me dislike a deviled egg. This was nice.

There was also an extra item: a tiny skewer of melon ball, prosciutto, and mozzarella, I think. Very tasty, and a nice little surprise addition.

The Scones

One plain and one cranberry, with clotted cream and preserves. Rather than the Adirondack preserves described on the site, we got standard strawberry jam. A bit of a disappointment, but only because I was really curious about those preserves. The scones were a bit on the hard-to-cut size, meaning things got a little messier than usual, but they were still good scones.

The Sweets

While these are the same items as listed on the menu, some varied visually. Again, from city to city there may be small alterations. As before, Luxe-exclusive items are starred.

• Ferrero Velvet Delight*: On the one hand, I'm a red velvet fiend. On the other, this was rich. I wouldn't dislike it as a stand-alone dessert (it was good!), but as part of a tea menu it's very heavy.
• Espresso Cloud Divine*: Same note as above. Delicious and worthy of being its own dessert, but not necessarily balanced with a larger spread.
• Emerald Dream*: My favorite of the three Luxe additions, a pistachio puff pastry. This one was both tasty and light enough to be in balance with the overall spread.
• Floral Fun Pop: Good, but nothing special. A cake pop of the sort you find at coffee shops.
• Mini Lemon Meringue: Good, but we were both surprised at how lemony it was. Great if you're a fan of really tart lemon desserts.
• Empire City Cheesecake: This one looked significantly different from what's advertised on the site, but it was still very nice. One of the better things in the spread.
• Cream Puff: Good, but as with the cake pop, nothing special.

The Teas

Rather than ordering you preferred tea at the beginning of the meal, there was a tea tasting, with the server pouring about half a serving out at points throughout the trip. In terms of managing the unique difficulties of a tea room on wheels, it's a good idea. However, I did find myself wishing that perhaps we could have one less tea, then have each diner close out the meal with a larger cup of whichever they liked best. Except for the Refresh Rosé, I believe these were all Stash brand teas.

• Refresh Rosé*: This one was waiting for us when we sat down, a cold-brewed non-alcoholic sparkling tea that tasted like a rosé. Ginger called this "the only rosé [she's] ever liked," and I as a rosé enjoyer liked it too. It was a great and clever little start to the meal.
• Maple Apple Cider: A really smooth herbal that absolutely does what it says on the tin. Very maple-forward.
• Cinnamon Vanilla: Another nice herbal. Not bad, though it didn't hit as nice as the maple apple cider before it.
• Breakfast in Paris: This was the winner right here. A vanilla lavender Earl Grey. Liking this one so much is why I went searching it out online and found out where the teas are sourced.
• Tangerine Honey: Two flavors that tend to get done wrong in teas, but this was lovely. They called it a green, but on the site it's listed as a white. I don't care either way, it was excellent.

Overall, this was really nice. It's not strictly a UK-level afternoon tea, but of course it's not. The changes made allow the function to operate safely and smoothly, and with that in mind, anything out of the ordinary didn't much matter.

For us, the sightseeing felt secondary - but I was also with a friend who knows Chicago and could point out things of personal interest to me in addition. If you approach this as an afternoon tea with a bonus tour, rather than a city tour with bonus tea, I think it hits just right. But, as before, check your local branches for reviews. And when they say get there 15 minutes early, do it. It will help.

NEW STORY: “The Whole Beast”

 

If there is one writing-related thing I consider myself especially bad at, it’s very short stories. I’m accustomed to having lots of room to describe and elaborate, and my least favorite published works are always the ones that have had several hundred (or thousand) words trimmed because I couldn’t keep my descriptions in check. I’ve admired other people’s ability to get the job done (Andy Farrant and Dan Long being two specific examples), but save for a piece of flash fiction in Build High for Happiness, I haven’t tried to wrangle a super-short story in quite some time.

So that changes with “The Whole Beast,” my first (and hopefully not last!) story published by Dream Theory.

I wrote this one back in December during my most recent trip to the UK, partly on the plane and partly in a Costa Coffee before going to see The Importance of Being Earnest. It’s a kaiju story, of a sort. And to me, the best kaiju stories are those in which the big monster gets to be a metaphor. I wanted to play in a world that developed a unique relationship with the creatures that terrorized them, but I didn’t have many words with which to build that world.

Writing this story was an exercise in trusting the reader and trusting myself. How much worldbuilding could be inferred through common experiences? How much could I rely on action and description to get the job done for me? How much does my narrator even need to say (or think) to make her point? Most importantly, what’s the one thing I want the reader to leave with, to the point that anything else is superfluous?

In retrospect, I'm pretty sure a lot of my ability to write more compactly comes from spending the last few years helping others do it. Medical school applications run the gamut when it comes to essays, with the shortest giving you only 1,000 characters or so to describe formative experiences. I've had to learn how to help others fit important, real scenarios into small spaces, and I guess we're to a point now where I'm putting that into practice myself.

(That said, my current WIP has a ceiling of 10,000 words, so it's not like things are changing broadly going forward.)

While I still feel most comfortable with bigger words counts, where I can really roll around in cinematic descriptions and develop multifaceted stories, I had a lot of fun with this. And I think I am maybe, possibly, over the idea that flash fiction just “isn’t for me.” But I suppose that will be up to readers.

Check out “The Whole Beast” on dreamtheory.media and let me know what you think!

MANGA REVIEW: Marrying the Dark Knight (For Her Money)

MARRYING THE DARK KNIGHT (FOR HER MONEY) Vol. 1
by Sometime; created by Suoh
Available now

I don't always have my finger on the pulse of BookTok, but I have it on good authority that "enemies to lovers" is pretty hot right now. Enter Marrying the Dark Knight (For Her Money): the story of a struggling noble who marries a fearsome knight in order to earn enough money to save her ailing sister. The twist? The knight in question is secretly a woman, and no one must ever know!

Clarice is the daughter of a debt-riddled noble and the doting elder sister of the sickly Charlotte. Clarice would do literally anything for her little sister, even marry the most fearsome knight in the kingdom, Frost von Galleria. The wedding is interrupted by a battle, and the nuptial night is called off with a note pinned to the bedroom door (with three daggers). But Clarice is determined to thaw Frost's heart, and barging into the bedroom reveals that the always-armored Frost is actually a woman. But women aren't allowed to be knights, and even the king doesn't know Frost's true identity. To keep her head attached to her body, Clarice insists she's fallen madly in love with Frost, and thus would never reveal her secret.

What comes next, at least in the five chapters included in Volume 1, is a mad dash to win Frost over — both to get her inheritance and to not die. From convincing the four remaining terrified maids to play along to cooking delicious dinners, Clarice tries everything to keep Frost on her good side. But as she fights to save both Charlotte's life and her own, Clarice comes to a realization: Frost is kind of sweet, actually.

This genre-blending series combines gory dark fantasy with surprisingly adorable romantic comedy. Surprisingly (and pleasingly), Sometime's art suits both sides of the narrative. Combat is grim, gritty, and elaborate; at-home scenes are extremely cute. And neither feels out of place or "wrong" for its art style. Despite the narrative being driven by her need for money, Clarice is actually an extremely likable character with a big heart. If you like dark fantasy, this will be a great palate-cleanser between adventures; if you like romance, this will give you a bit more than the usual fluff to enjoy.

TEA PAIRING: A Date with Mr. Darcy
Clarice manages to impress Frost with her tea-making skills, and I like to imagine this floral/vanilla Earl Grey is the sort of thing she serves. It's also one of my favorite blends in the catalog, inspired by another cute and turbulent romance. Use my code KARA15 for 15% off this and other teas from Chapters Tea & Co.!

MANGA REVIEW: Perfectly Fine on My Own, So My Fiancé Can Twist in the Wind Vol. 1

PERFECTLY FINE ON MY OWN, SO MY FIANCÉ CAN TWIST IN THE WIND Volume 1
by Yahiro Arase, illustrated by Jun Hareta
Available now

Long-time readers know how I feel about "Like X meets Y" and "perfect for fans of Z" descriptions on new books. They risk being reductive, but they can still be helpful provided they're actually accurate and not just riding on the name of the current hotness. Seeing this rom-com manga labeled as "perfect for fans of Bridgerton" made me wary for this very reason. But honestly, having read the first volume, it scans... though I would describe is as "perfect for fans of Bridgerton who want to see what would happen if the characters took action sooner."

Nicole is a noblewoman betrothed to marry the handsome Keios, but the arrangement feels like anything but a love match. He seems to only have eyes for his childhood friend Caroline: a beautiful princess betrothed to another. After being ignored one too many times, Nicole decides enough is enough. If her fiancé truly has no place in his heart for her, she'll stay out of his way. Now, she's learning to enjoy solitude: visiting markets alone, making new friends to spend lunchtime with, and finally getting time to do some serious reading.

So, she got away from her neglectful husband-to-be. Great news, right? Well, not all is as it seems. Because, as it happens, Nicole's move to isolate herself was exactly the kick in the pants Keios needed to realize what was going on. The assumptions she made about Keios's feelings may have been extremely understandable, but they might not be accurate. And it might be time for childhood friend Caroline to weigh in.

I was pleasantly surprised by this first volume. I'm always a proponent of anime and manga heroines living their best life at all costs, and I came into this expecting a much more adversarial story. The Bridgerton comparison is apt because much of the plot is progressed by high society gossip and serial miscommunication. But unlike Bridgerton, the problem is identified and addressed relatively quickly, and the miscommunication creates gentle humor rather than stakes.

It looks like this series clocks in at a total of two volumes, so this is a good palate cleanser between period dramas. And the art is utterly adorable, too.

TEA PAIRING: Picnic at Pemberley
This floral green inspired by Pride and Prejudice would be perfect alongside this romantic comedy of errors. Use my code KARA15 for 15% off this and other book-inspired teas from Chapters Tea & Co.!

BOOK REVIEW: Ramin Abbas Has MAJOR Questions

 

RAMIN ABBAS HAS MAJOR QUESTIONS
by Ahmad Saber
Available March 3

Faith is extremely important to Ramin Abbas and his family, to the point that he and his brother go to an all-Muslim high school. Ramin values his relationship with Allah, but he's conflicted. He loves to listen to music, especially the Wicked soundtrack. He can't understand how a God depicted as forgiving could threaten humanity with all the punishments in the Quran. And — worst of all — he likes boys.

So far, Ramin has pushed it all down, focusing on his faith and his commitment to getting into a good medical school. But everything threatens to fall apart when he must join the school soccer team to make up his physical education credits at the last minute. While that means more time with his secret crush, it also means he's firmly in the sights of his long-time bully, who wants revenge on the team. If Ramin doesn't promise to throw the game, his secret could be out to his deeply religious teachers and classmates. As he navigates the seemingly disparate aspects of his life, a growing friendship with two classmates helps him put things in perspective.

As someone who's more educated in Orthodox Christianity than Muslim beliefs, I appreciated how up front this book was about certain topics: division of the sexes, prayer times, and whether listening to music actually is haram. Most of all, though, I appreciated that this was a story about someone who wants and values a relationship with God. A lot of narratives throw faith under the bus entirely, and for some readers that may be relatable or what they need or want to see. But it's wonderful to read a book populated by legitimately, wholeheartedly spiritual people trying to make sense of themselves in the human world.

Also, as someone from a Lebanese family, I was wild for the vivid food descriptions. Not a deep observation, but something that made me feel very much at home.

TEA PAIRING: Caramel Cabin
Later in the book, Ramin finds a second family with twin brothers Omar and Mahir and their parents. That open coziness, as well as the description of an amazing toffee pudding, puts me in mind of this sweet fall blend. Use my code KARA15 for 15% off this and other book-inspired teas from Chapters Tea & Co.!

MANGA REVIEW: Blades of the Guardians Vol. 1

 

BLADES OF THE GUARDIANS Vol. 1
by Xu Xianzhe
Available March 3

Youxia were folk heroes in ancient Chinese literature, something akin to a knight-errant in Western stories. One such character, Dao Ma, sits at the center of the intense new Chinese series Blades of the Guardians. A little bit spaghetti Western, a little bit Kurosawa classic, and a lot of action, this first volume drags you right in and never lets go.

Dao Ma has only two concerns: bring in his bounty and protect his young charge Qi. While the stories he moves through in this early volume are human and heart-rending, that is his place in them. He's dangerous and driven, but he has to be. Because while the manga's first arc deals primarily with human bounties, everything after starts to get downright paranormal.

Blades of the Guardians lays its groundwork on historical action before introducing the malevolent beings known as rakshasa. Xianzhe's art is perfect for the tense, gritty story the comic tells. If you aren't good with gore, be warned: Dao Ma thinks nothing of sending limbs flying when he's in combat. But if you (like me) are a fan of intense stories with equally visceral art, this is one to pick up.

Normally I'm leery of "for fans of" taglines since they can get reductive for the sake of name-checking a bigger hit. But calling this a must-read for fans of The Mandalorian is spot-on, and not just because it stars a wandering fighter with a kid. The action, the slow reveal that Dao Ma has a massive looming past, and that dedication to exploring the world of the common people in the midst of grander historical events are all present. It's all the things that tie together Westerns and samurai films. If you're a fan of either or both, you will be a fan of this.

TEA PAIRING: Spice Chai Mélange
Maybe it's the desert. Maybe it's just how intense the story is against a backdrop of supernatural beasts... actually, no, it's the desert for sure. This caffeine-free chai blend is a strong and spicy one, perfect for tea drinkers who want something with a kick. Use my code KARA15 for 15% off this and other teas from Chapters Tea & Co.!