Tea Room Season

Old St. Andrews, Charleston, SC 

It's Tea Room season! Church ladies and gentlemen put on aprons and cook traditional lowcountry tearoom menus - shrimp and chicken sandwiches, okra and she crab soup, coconut cake, Huguenot tort and Mississippi Mud Pie. We order and eat exactly the same thing every year and we like it.

The church makes an impressive profit from all the volunteer labor and supports a healthy list of charities. It's like old home week each year and I see so many familiar faces.

Spring Tea Rooms

Old St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Charleston, S.C.

Southern Church Tea Rooms are a phenomena. No doubt about it. I go each year to confirm that.

I've been in the business of good people doing good things long enough in this town that it is like old home week. I know the gentleman parking cars, I know the hostess Ruthie in her colonial costume. I know the coconut cake is Mizz Arlene's special recipe. I know the server Richard. I know I am going to order chicken salad sandwiches on white bread and she-crab soup. I recognize and get hugs from someone at almost every table in the church hall. I know I will be back next year and I like it.

You have until April 5th to enjoy lunch at the historic church and you will see what I mean. See their website here.

 

 

Crab soup, chicken sammies & coconut cake, oh my!

Old St. Andrew's Tea Room Lunch, Charleston, S.C.

Church Tea Rooms are a lowcountry phenomenon and if you haven't gone yet you'd best make your plans soon. There isn't anything special about the menu and it hasn't changed for years. It is exactly as it should be - chicken salad or shrimp paste sandwiches on white bread, crab or okra soup and orange congealed salad. There is a selection of desserts but I swear by Mizz Arlene's coconut cake and get it every year. Church members work staffing the entire event and it is the one main fundraiser for the historic church. The event ends on April 5th.

I knew half the people there and got enough hugs to last me until next spring. Many of them were my current hospital volunteers, some had helped me out years ago and others were fun facebook friends. It was like Old Home Week and I loved every minute of it.