To Hawley I go

By WANDA WAYFARER

Imagine being a grown adult, playing dress-up in elaborate hats and sitting down to a Victorian afternoon tea.

The Corner Tea House, located on Church Street in historic Hawley, PA, is a charming luncheon spot for those who are in the mood to really try something different. Offering over 70 different teas from places as diverse as Sri Lanka and Africa, the restaurant’s meals are modeled after the Victorian afternoon tea of the 1800’s.

Owner Barbara Gindhart has been a long-time lover of tea and etiquette. She fell in love with the old Corner House at first sight one day when driving through Hawley, and snapped it up even though friends, neighbors, and her own realtor tried to talk her out of the purchase.

The atmosphere inside is comfortable and fun, with every nook and cranny filled with teapots, cups and knick-knacks in a typical old-fashioned Victorian clutter. The mural in the sunroom was painted by Barbara herself to imitate a flowery Victorian garden. There’s even rumored to be a friendly ghost, resembling Barbara in stature and love of hats, who has been seen by customers and friends alike.

The table settings reflect the elegance of Victorian times. Each table is set with cloth, covered by lace tablecloths, cloth napkins, appropriate silverware and of course tea cups. Every teacup pattern at your table is different. Barbara has been collecting teacups since the 1950’s. Some are dated as early as the 1920’s. Since teacups and saucers tend to have short lives, Barbara’s friends and family members—and now her customers—began buying her teacups from all over the world, resulting in an eclectic selection of patterns that create a homey feel.

There are also racks full of home-decorated Victorian hats and scarves, which visitors are invited to try on during their meals. Customers can have a souvenir photo taken of their group dressed in period garb.

The Corner Tea House’s lunch menu includes Victorian chicken salad, freshly baked quiche, English cottage sandwich, grilled tuna sandwiches, and chef salads. The meals are served with seasonal fruit and coleslaw instead of fries or chips.

The three-tier afternoon tea—lighter than a high tea—is for two or more people to share. The bottom layer is devoted to sandwiches. The cream layer, or the second tier, consists of scones, breads, jams, and homemade Devonshire cream. The top tier is devoted to dessert from cream puffs and cookies to tiny cakes. “The appropriate eating order is from the bottom to top,” says Barbara, “but sometimes people have a hard time resisting the desserts.” All the scones, breads and desserts are baked fresh daily by Barbara herself, starting at six o’clock every morning.

As for the tea itself: Barbara, a purist, serves it loose. Most people are used to tea from the bag, but Barbara believes that the tea loses flavor and authenticity when it is bagged. And if you don’t like the tea you’ve tried, it will be switched for free.

The teahouse is now open for dinners on Friday and Saturday nights and will be offering desserts and of course, tea on the evenings following shows at The Ritz Company Playhouse.

For more information call 570/226-2239 or visit CornerTeaHouse.com.