Berea, KY with the Traveling Tea Friends

Just returned from a trip to Berea, KY to meet with a wonderful group of ladies (fellow tea enthusiasts).  Angela (Tea With Friends blog) and I drove there from the Atlanta area, arriving late afternoon at the historic Boone Tavern Hotel.

We were met by our hostess Linda (Friendship Tea blog) in our special tea parlor on the second floor.  Most of our group dined at the hotel that evening.  The award winning dining room uses locally grown ingredients, some that are from the Berea College Farm.  I’d been looking forward to trying the spoonbread and it was a delicious start to my meal.

The hotel uses a hundred year old recipe and this dish is brought to the table piping hot in the baking pan, and dished out by the spoonful.  It’s enjoyed with a pat of butter melting over the top.  It is hard to decline a second helping of this yummy but filling dish, but I’m glad my appetite was intact for PORK CHOPS THE TRICKY WAY - Boneless Pork Loin Chops with a Unique Breading of Tomato and Parmesan served with Cheese Grits, Braised Greens, and Grain Mustard Cream.  The Mayor’s Cup black tea (hand blended by Bruce Richardson, Elmwood Inn Fine Teas) was also very good. 

After some more visiting in the tea parlor, it was time to retire to my lovely king room.  There were period furnishings and décor, but also the modern comforts of flat screen TV, Keurig coffee machine and Wi-fi. 

I’ll continue later with day two of our trip, which includes a trip to Danville, KY for a tea tasting with Bruce Richardson at his Elmwood Inn Tea Shop and shopping at some Berea shops and the Kentucky Artisan Center.