Welcome, Care for a Cup of Tea?

It was the perfect way to end a weekend of gallery hopping: tea, rosemary scones, apricot jam and creme.

But, let me backtrack for a moment. Wednesday, December 4th, marked the beginning of Art Basel. For those of you who are not from Miami or are glued to the tube wondering what bank will be closing next, let me explain. Each year in early December the Miami Beach Convention Center is transformed into an art exhibition featuring over 200 art galleries from around the world. Beyond that, various hotels and warehouses throughout Miami and Miami Beach are also converted into art fairs. Particularly, in an area called the Wynwood District, which normally houses a number of smaller local galleries.

I spent the weekend doing the art stuff. I experienced a complete sensory overload and, by the end of it, I needed to sit down in a quiet place and allow the sights and sounds of the weekend to wash over me and shuffle into order in my memory bank.

So, on Sunday at 4pm I found myself at the Pineapple Tea Room located on Biscayne Blvd and 82nd. The small but cozy location probably only fits about 16 people comfortably and parking is limited. Though, the affordable menu, friendly staff, scones and wraps more than make up for it.

The menu is small but offers tasty options. The front page gives you the choice of choosing one of four tea trays. Each option includes a pot of tea, scones, creme and jam. But, you can add pastries, tea sandwiches and/or champagne. The second and third pages contain listings of fresh salads and tempting wraps.

I went there with my favorite partner in crime and we opted for the green tea with apricot. I choose the tea tray that included pastries and he choose a chicken wrap with goat cheese. The food was delicious. The wrap, which could of been a mistake since goat cheese can sometimes be overwhelming, was divine. The only thing that gave me pause was the tea. It wasn't bad - just too subtle for my taste. The apricot favor was more of an afterthought. But, all in all, everything was wonderful and the ambiance was well suited for art reflections. And, to top it off, our bill was under 30 dollars and in Miami you just can't beat that.