A Taste of Tea in the Afternoon

GWG is excited to share our recent visit to The King's Daughters Inn for a house tour and afternoon tea. Located near Duke University's East Campus, the inn was the perfect spot for a warm and tasty treat on a cold February day.

The careful decor and maintenance of the home illustrates the effort and attentiveness that the staff pours into providing a unique experience for each visitor. Teatime began with a selection of thirteen organic loose leaf teas for our enjoyment, from a classic Cream Earl Grey to exotic Passion Fruit. The tea was served in small, easy-to-handle bags and hot water for steeping was served in elegantly adorned teapots of varying colors and styles.

We tried the Black Peach tea which provided a warm peach taste with the rich flavor of a black tea. The light fruitiness was a hint of spring on a cold rainy afternoon and was a welcome break from the workday. All their teas and coffees are fresh, organic, and supplied by the Muddy Dog Roasting Co. in Morrisville. Also on the menu is The King's Daughters Inn house blend of coffee that is brewed fresh weekly.

Accompanying the hot tea was a variety of fresh, homemade pastries--cinnamon pinwheels with an orange glaze, date scones served with a lemon curd, and pumpkin banana bread. All were fresh from the oven and very satisfying--the cinnamon pinwheels were crispy on the outside with gooey cinnamon sugar swirls while the pumpkin banana bread was moist and full of flavor. A traditional teatime treat, the flaky date scones were complemented perfectly by the tart flavor of the lemon curd.

There was plenty of food and hot water for seconds (an offer we were glad to accept!) as we enjoyed chatting in the relaxed atmosphere. We think the British have the right idea with afternoon tea--it's a regal way to take a break from the day for relaxation and sweet treats.

The same care and detail that goes into preparing the food at the Inn extends throughout the home. Built in the 1920's for the King's Daughters, the home was originally a dormitory-style house for single, aging women. However the current owners brought it into the twenty-first century with high-speed Internet, flat-screen TVs, individual climate control and a number of "Green" initiatives while maintaining a beautiful, unique and historic setting.

According to their website there were three wishes that guided the restoration of the home into an Inn: protecting and restoring the historic architecture, respecting the environment, and incorporating the most current technology. All three of these wishes were granted and the home has turned into a warm, inviting environment with kind, helpful, energetic hosts.