Where: Berlin, MD Style: Quaint, classic Tea Selection: 40+ loose leaf teas Teatimes: Wednesday to Saturday, 11 to 2 Reservations: Reservations required Contact: 410-641-4000 Cost: $24 Full Afternoon Tea; $9.50 Cream Tea Destination Tea Tips: On occasion, based on demand, Main Street Enchanted Tea Room will take reservations for off days. Even during posted open hours, customers without reservations risk being turned away if the tearoom is busy, so we recommend making a reservation even for a cream tea.
Destination Tea Notes: Hostess Sherry Gamble of The Main Street Enchanted Tea Room is quite the character, which accounts for a good portion of what you’ll experience at afternoon tea here. Her love of antiquing and tea is evident in her tearoom’s furnishings, vast teacup and teapot collection, and quality tea selection. A self-proclaimed 71-year-old tomboy who has only recently discovered the joys of crafting, Sherry encourages us to take our time trying on tea hats, and then invites us to take a closer look at her wall art projects (see below), as we wait for our teas to brew. Sherry likes to visit with her guests, telling about herself and often inspiring a laugh with her unfettered comments on what’s what. Presenting our scone choices, she informs us, “the only thing missing from the piña colada scone is the booze.” Yes, it’s a bit zany in this pretty tearoom, but you know, that homemade scone is very good. And when it’s time to choose our teas, Sherry is a reliable guide. After all, she’s been at the helm here for more than a decade, which is a standout milestone amongst tearooms in the U.S.
Would love taking tea in this front window, especially in a cold season, watching the historic downtown shoppers go by.
Loving the painted planked ceiling. Floral runners add color to clean white tablecloths.
Modeling our tea hat choices, from a collection that has something for all styles
Our matriarch fans herself.
Sherry’s creation: Peacock Barbie and her pet peacock Beanie Babies, with collaged backdrop.
Sherry presiding over our table
Tea Service
Wow! I count 48 beauties in this one teapot shelving unit. Large jars house the loose leaf teas from the menu, any of which customers may purchase to brew at home.
We are invited to choose several teas to share around the table, which Sherry offers to re-steep or switch out as we like. She smartly labels the teapots she chooses to match our four selected teas: two longtime favorites of ours — Snowflake (a black tea with almond, coconut and cinnamon) and Wedding (a white tea with pink rosebuds, vanilla and lemon) — Princess Kate’s Favorite (a blueberry-pomegranate black tea) and Swampwater (a rooibos flavored with pineapple, passionfruit and mango). At the rear of this photo you’ll see the teapot with frogs on top, appropriate for the Swampwater brew that Sherry’s tea menu describes as “a yucky swamp green color.”
There are many beautiful teacups around the table. Sherry plays Mother first, and then later in the meal brings the teapots to the table for us to help ourselves.
Scones & Spreads, Savories and Sweets
Tasty tea sandwiches include chicken salad with smoked mozzarella on croissant; pimiento cheese with smoked gouda; apricot cream cheese spread; phyllo shells with spinach, artichoke heart, water chesnut and three cheese blend; and baked ham salad on pumpernickel rye.
Whipped cream for scones
Sherry chooses fresh, real ingredients for her home-baked goods, the standout of which are the soft and slightly sweet scones. Each guest chooses one of the seasonal scone flavors: Raspberry White Chocolate, Cranberry Orange or Piña Colada. Dessert includes blueberry cake with fresh blueberries, extra chocolate brownies with cream cheese filling and raspberries, and cookies with white chocolate, coconut, macadamia nuts and lime juice for zest. P.S. We love that Sherry topped our three-tiered tray with this pretty, ceramic Colonial figurine.
