If you love tea, you know how it is: wherever you go, your treasure is found in new, multicultural, and historic tea experiences. So on our recent visit to Marist University in Poughkeepsie, New York, on the Hudson River, you can bet there were tea adventures to be had! We recommend adding these to your itinerary if ever you are in the area (and because we are also foodies, will tack on two yummy dinner recommendations).
Gilded Age History at Vanderbuilt Mansion – Hyde Park, NY
When the Vanderbilt family was selling off this property in 1939, neighbor Franklin Delano Roosevelt convinced them ultimately to bequeath the estate to the National Park Service, because he wanted to preserve the landscape, which he knew contained some of the oldest living trees in the country.
First up, we traveled back in time at Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park. Visitors can only enter the Gilded Age home as part of a ranger-guided tour, offered on a first-come, first-serve basis for $15 per person (ages 15 and under are free). Knowing the Dutch came to this area in the 17th century, when their tea trade from China was booming, and that great homes such as this were built along the Hudson throughout the Victorian era, one cannot tour the property without imagining the former inhabitants and their guests taking tea in the drawing room, ladies’ salon and gardens. If you’re a fan of The Gilded Age on HBO, this is the perfect place to geek out on the true story behind the lead characters.
Vanderbilt Mansion was built by Louise and Frederick Vanderbilt, the grandson of “The Commodore” Cornelius Vanderbilt, a shipping magnate (steamship captain, Staten Island Ferry founder, and railroad tycoon who built the rail line from NYC to the Great Lakes). When The Commodore died at age 82, he was the wealthiest man in America, with more money than the U.S. Treasury at the time, and when his heir William died 8 years later, he was the wealthiest man on the planet. It was William’s son Frederick who bought the Hyde Park property and built Vanderbilt Mansion, known by the family as “Uncle Freddy’s cottage on the Hudson.”
The Gilded Age reimagines the societal drama which played out when the “old money” Astors shunned the up-and-coming Vanderbilts. William and Alva Vanderbilt of the HBO series, were brother and sister-in-law to Freddy Vanderbilt of Hyde Park. [Sidenote: several of today’s St. Regis hotels, founded by the Astors, serve afternoon tea in a court or lounge named after New York society’s Gilded Age grande doyenne Caroline Astor.]
The Vanderbilts built “The Pavilion” in 1895 — a 16-room “mini mansion” as their temporary residence during construction of the main building. Once they moved into the big house four years later, The Pavilion became the bachelors’ playhouse, where single men could stay overnight, and all the men could socialize late into the evening.
What luck! This exhibit had just been added inside The Pavilion – a traveling teaset! We were left guessing at the contents of this travel set, such as the tiny utensil at front right, and what looks to be a lighter between the tea plates. You can see the silver tea caddy for storing tea, tucked in at right, and we admired the compact design of the portable silver tea kettle.
Built in the Beaux Arts style, this mansion backs up to one mile of riverfront.
The oval entrance hall opens onto a variety of rooms for hosting.
The gentlemen’s den
The living room is where guests would retire after dinner for coffee, tea or liquors over games of cards, charades and music. Every day during the home’s open season (6 weeks in spring and fall), 50 new fresh-cut flower arrangements were brought in to decorate all the rooms. Sourced from the property’s five heated greenhouses, flowers were donated to the local churches as well.
Our witty and well-spoken park ranger Mike confirmed that the ladies would indeed enjoy afternoon tea in the salon, a richly-paneled Louis XV-style room, designed to please Louise’s Francophilia.
Loving this domed ceiling with paned skylight over the second floor and gorgeous double balustrade
Turkish Teatime at Nilufer’s Home Kitchen – Beacon, NY
Before exploring the shops in historic Beacon, known for its Victorian architecture, we popped into Nilufer’s Home Kitchen to fuel up. Were we swayed by the teapot logo? Perhaps.
Answering the siren call, “any time tea time”
We met owner/chef Nilufer Goodson, a renowned Turkish chef that luckily brought her cuisine to Beacon, NY last year. We love hearing how tea is woven into cultures around the world, always inviting people to commune.
A strong pot of black tea is served with traditional Turkish tea glasses painted with the “evil eye,” to ward off misfortune and envy.
Come here for the Turkish Breakfast, you’re welcome. At $25 per person, or $40 for two, the meal includes unlimited tea and a smorgasbord of goodies — including clotted cream with honey!! — to mix and match, sip and savor.
Pictured top to bottom: savory and dessert breads, fresh fruit, Menemen (scrambled eggs with tomato, green pepper, feta and parsley), tomato, cucumber, Sucuk (sliced beef sausage cured with garlic, allspice and cumin), black and green olives with fresh herbs, tahini with molasses, clotted cream with honey, nuts, salad greens with olive oil, homemade raspberry jam, butter, four cheeses and Turkish spring roll with cheese. Amazing!
Ceremonial Grade Matcha at Matcha Thomas – Beacon, NY
Matcha Thomas imports ceremonial grade matcha from Uji, Kyoto, Japan. We also love that this business is “sister led.”
A soothing, modern space to enjoy your tea, with a low-lit “soul space” at the back of the shop for customers to “relax, recharge and return to center.”
Looking over these delicate and floral flavors, how is one supposed to choose just one drink?
Yes, that Rose Matcha does deserve an exclamation point – it was dreamy!
Teas and Gifts at Tea Talk – Poughkeepsie, NY
We are repeat customers to Tea Talk whenever we visit Marist. We love their huge selection of teas, offered in all the preparations you can imagine (iced, hot, milk teas, boba – full menu in video). They also offer a wide variety of teaware and gifts, from the playful, to authentic gong fu teasets and Yixing teapots. Here’s a video we made on a previous visit.
One of our travel goals is to never “waste” a mealtime eating anything less than fantastic food. Here are two we think should be on your “don’t miss” list when you visit Poughkeepsie:
Farmers & Chefs – multi-level back deck overlooks the Hudson, farm-to-table, great cocktails, homemade pasta, seasonal menus
Spettro – divine pizzas, pastas and entrees, also brunch, open air in the warm months
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Wow! You out did yourself on this one! Bravo! Thank you!💖