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Tea for Two

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Sara and I were out and about this weekend in Carmel By the Sea.  Usually we try to avoid the more touristy spots around town, but the notion of having a warming pot of tea by a cozy fire tempted us into the Tuck Box.  A "tuck box" was the little trunk English school boys used to tote their books, toys and food to and from boarding school.  Since the food at boarding school typically didn’t warrant much praise, these goodies brought from home sustained many a boy until he could return home at the completion of the term.

This tiny tea room only has six or seven tables inside, and has been a Carmel institution for seven decades.  Doesn’t it look like something out of a fairy tale?  The architecture is typical cutesy-Carmel-cottage, but the food is solid English fare.  We selected Welsh Rarebit and Shrimp Salad for our lunches, and finished off the meal with the Tuck Box’s version of scones, clotted cream and homemade jams.  The Tuck Box’s version of scones is not the typical small dense cake we are used to, but a northern Scottish version, which is much larger and lighter in texture.  The olallieberry jam we slathered on the scones was the best part of the meal!

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18 responses to “Tea for Two”

  5. This is one of my favorite all time places on the planet! I’ve been raving about it for years, and took a friend of mine to it last fall and sadly, it must have been a bad day for the staff. But still I love it!
    I love your photos and I can almost taste the olallieberry jam. I love your explanation of a tuck box. I’ve always wondered what a tuck box was!

  6. This is one of my favorite all time places on the planet! I’ve been raving about it for years, and took a friend of mine to it last fall and sadly, it must have been a bad day for the staff. But still I love it!
    I love your photos and I can almost taste the olallieberry jam. I love your explanation of a tuck box. I’ve always wondered what a tuck box was!

  7. GORGEOUS PHOTOS! Oh yummy!!! (I shared photos of food today too..) I’ve actually visited the Tuck Box before! It was just wonderful! Thank you for the memories and for making me VERY hungry! 😉
    xo,
    Kim

  8. GORGEOUS PHOTOS! Oh yummy!!! (I shared photos of food today too..) I’ve actually visited the Tuck Box before! It was just wonderful! Thank you for the memories and for making me VERY hungry! 😉
    xo,
    Kim

  13. How gorgeous I agree it looks like a hobbit house. The food looks great although the scones are nothing like what we would call a scone here. I think ours are quite different from yours too. I had to Google the berry we don’t have those either 🙁 They sound delicious.
    Nice plate the scones are on too!

  14. How gorgeous I agree it looks like a hobbit house. The food looks great although the scones are nothing like what we would call a scone here. I think ours are quite different from yours too. I had to Google the berry we don’t have those either 🙁 They sound delicious.
    Nice plate the scones are on too!

  17. Looks like a great little place. We’ve been to Carmel twice and not been there – I don’t know how we missed it. I guess we will have to go back :))
    What is Olallieberry?

  18. Looks like a great little place. We’ve been to Carmel twice and not been there – I don’t know how we missed it. I guess we will have to go back :))
    What is Olallieberry?