Is there a better way to send off a boss who's about to embark on a new life as a lady of leisure than to hold a proper tea party for six ladies and a gent? How about playing tea Tetris with your tablemate? Mr. Pirate and I sat primly across from each other at the far end of the long table in Chado Tea Room on Thursday, sipping our lavender Earl Grey tea with our pinkies stretched high above the white porcelain cups. I even wore my tea outfit: a white blazer that Luella Bartley had designed for Target and blue and white striped Bermuda shorts with black peep-toe wedge heels. Once the three-tiered tray of finger sandwiches, scones and bundt cakes was set between us, I flexed my fingers to prepare them for an hour of daintily devouring everything. I couldn't see Mr. Pirate's full face as it was obscured by the top row stacked with smoked salmon and dill toast, watercress sandwiches and a chicken-cranberry concoction that I first thought was some mean joke of mixing chicken salad with PBJ. As Mr. Pirate moved down the tray from the crust-less sandwiches to the warm scone with clotted cream and apricot preserves, I matched him item by item. I started getting full by the time we reached the bundt cakes set on the bottom shelf. I couldn't let Mr. Pirate shame me into giving up before we finished tea Tetris, so I took quick bites of the banana bread bundt and the chocolate bundt, both of which were rather mediocre despite their vanilla cream filling that was presumably intended to uplift the flavors. It would have been more satisfying if Chado had ended the meal with a tart or fresh fruit.
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