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BY GEORGE, IT'S TIME TO GO PINK
Ladylike without being snooty, Pinkadilly is the place for high tea.
Date published: 5/1/2008
by Nancy Dearing Rossbacher and Stephen W. Sylvia
for the free lance-star
He: When we walked in, I said, "Oh, my goodness."
She: No, what you said was, "Holy [deleted], is this place pink, or what?"
He: It's überpink. Pink walls, pink accents on the pink walls, pink cozies on the pink teapots.
My initial impulse was to apply pinking shears, whatever those are, to my throat.
She: You didn't, which makes you a good sport.
Pinkadilly Tea opened last January in the longtime home of Smythe's Cottage. The decor is pink. But it's a thoughtful pink, with a knockout collection of teapots behind glass, a display of outsize My Fair Lady-esque hats, and yes, lace doilies underpinning the table settings.
He: Pinkadilly's 16-tea listing has some interesting names, and here's a sentence I never thought I'd write: "As my wife sipped Crime of Passion tea and my mother-in-law sipped Arctic Raspberry " But there is a manly-man tea on the menu: English Breakfast, which was perfectly steeped, as were all the teas we tried.
And although I got dragged in, kvetching about pink, the service was sociable and the food was excellent.
She: The cream of crab soup (cup $4.95, bowl $5.95) was satisfying, with bits of authentic crab in a smooth base. Also top-notch was the soup of the day, a rich tomato bisque enlivened by dill (cup $3.95, bowl $4.95).
He: Only three sandwiches are offered, all $8.95 and all winners. I was delighted to find that the grilled Reuben bounded out of the realm of finger food, and the quartered club was a classic, with no airs about its lightly toasted bread and layers of fresh lettuce, tomato, ham, turkey and bacon.
She: Chicken salad, sweetened by red grapes, is available on a bed of greens as a healthfully redundant "chicken salad salad" ($9.95) or as a sandwich ($8.95) served on a fresh, flaky croissant with crisp greens within.
The quiche of the day ($5.95) was a fluffy mushroom-bacon-cheese, all folded into a buttery golden-brown crust.
He: Three house-made desserts (all $3.95) were offered. The only one that wasn't pink was a sinful, raisin-rich bread pudding with caramel-whisky sauce.
She: Yeah, but you stuck a fork in the pink raspberry cake with cream-cheese icing.
He: I was in touch with my feminine side.
Last thoughts: I found the place charming, lace doilies and all. And I discovered an ulterior motive for a man darkening that pink door: Dudes, the girls are in the singles bars. Gentlemen, the ladies are at Pinkadilly.
She: It's the perfect spot for a ladylike Mother's Day lunch. Make reservations and order the impressive Queen Elizabeth tea service ($22.95) ahead of time.
Nancy Dearing Rossbacher and Stephen W. Sylvia publish a Civil War magazine together. She likes to cook. He likes to eat.
| Address: 303 Fauquier St., Fredericksburg
Phone: 540/361-1235
Hours: Tuesday -Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sundays by reservation for parties of 20 or more (exception: open to smaller parties on Mother's Day).
Prices:
Soups and salads: $3.95-$9.95
Sandwiches and quiches: $5.95-$8.95
Afternoon tea services, per person (place order at least 24 hours in advance): $12.95-$22.95
Desserts: $3.95
Pots of tea: $2.95
The scoop: Exuberantly, unapologetically pink. Reservations highly recommended, nonsmoking, wheelchair accessible, noise level medium if crowded, vegetarian salad available, Visa and MasterCard accepted. |
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Date published: 5/1/2008
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