SpecialTeas

Enjoy your English Breakfast at lunch

by Margaret LeRoux

SpecialTeas
10 Church Street, Northborough
393-0552
Tues.-Sun. 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Major credit cards
No alcohol served
Handicap accessible

Let's have tea!" exclaimed a friend -- feeling in a ladylike mood -- as we drove through Northborough recently. She was drawn to the beautifully restored farmhouse sitting near the junction of Church and Main streets, home to the second SpecialTeas restaurant. (The original SpecialTeas is in Grafton.)

During a brief wait in the combination open kitchen/reception area, we noticed that renovations made a big improvement on the original kitchen. A newly installed picture window affords a lovely view of Cold Harbor Brook that runs alongside the 200-year-old house. Walls are stenciled with pretty trailing ivy vines, and antique shelves are filled with teas, cookies, jams, and all sorts of tea accessories.

On a gray December afternoon, we were cheered by the sunny, yellow dining room where we ate lunch. It's one of three eating areas, each with a different color scheme, furnished with antiques, and decorated with interesting artwork (all for sale). SpecialTeas has a warm, cheerful feel to it. I can imagine sitting here on a weekend at brunch, dallying over Belgium waffles ($5.50) or a cheese soufflé ($6.25).

There are homemade soups offered daily ($3.75 a bowl, $2.75 a cup); potato, leek, and celeriac, as well as vegetarian vegetable, were offered on the day we visited.

The menu, created by chef-owner Pat Bagg, offers lots of tempting choices. Not the tea fare you might expect; SpecialTeas' sandwiches, served on toasted scones, are generous. One is stacked with goat cheese, roasted red peppers, salad greens, tomatoes, and generous slices of smoked turkey ($6.50) instead of paper-thin, deli-style slices served elsewhere. A vegetarian version of this sandwich omits the turkey and adds more veggies ($6.25). There are also a smoked salmon sandwich on black bread with cream cheese, dill, and cucumbers ($6.95) and an assortment of melts: artichoke, mushroom, or seafood on a toasted English muffin topped with melted cheese ($5.75).

Lunch salads include spinach with warm olive oil-balsamic vinegar dressing ($5.75) and curried chicken salad ($6.50). There is also a tomato pie with cheddar cheese and pesto served in a biscuit crust ($5.25).

I ordered a "bit of both" ($5.75), which offers one-half of a melt (my choice was artichoke) and a cup of soup, (potato-leek); and my friend selected one of SpecialTeas' spinach crepe offerings with broccoli, smoked turkey, and cheddar cheese ($5.75). There's also a seafood salad crepe ($5.25).

Served on colorful fiesta ware, our lunches were attractive and tasty. The English muffin was thick but light and almost cake-like in texture; so good, I may never eat another Thomas'. The marinated artichoke heart was tangy; the cheese pleasantly creamy. The soup was very good, hot and subtly seasoned, with chunks of potato in a not-too-thick broth.

My friend was pleased with her crepe: thin and crispy on the edges, flecked with bits of spinach, and topped with thick pieces of turkey and melted cheese surrounded by steamed stalks of bright green broccoli.

We sipped from a pot of Darjeeling tea; true to its name, SpecialTeas offers Chinese, Indian, green, black, and herb teas as well as Chai tea, steeped with cardamom and served with milk and sugar.

If you want the afternoon tea experience, you can order a plate of eight little tea sandwiches ($3.50), scones, desserts, and English muffins until 4 p.m.

Desserts by Martha Hammann, who bakes at the Grafton SpecialTeas, change from day to day. We selected linzertorte with dried apricots and walnuts, and apple-plum crisp ($4.25). Both were served with a scoop of clove ice cream -- heavenly. Our bill came to $25.45 with tax but not tip.

And now a holiday note

It's hard to believe that there are children and elders in Worcester who are going hungry because their families can't afford to buy enough food. According to the Worcester County Food Bank, 25 percent of children and 13 percent of elders live below the poverty line. They rely on donated food from programs supplied by the Food Bank, a non-profit organization that distributes four million pounds of food to soup kitchens, shelters, and food pantries across the county. The Food Bank takes donations of food; but more important, donations of cash and checks help the organization ship, store, and distribute the food it receives. Phone staffers at 842-3663 or visit their Web site: www.foodbank.org. for more information. Make yourself feel good before you enjoy your holiday feast; send a donation to the Worcester County Food Bank, 474 Boston Turnpike, Shrewsbury 01545.