Afternoon Tea

AT SAN ANTONIO’S HISTORIC 1929 ROOSEVELT LIBRARY

Afternoon tea is a wonderful tradition and a lovely way to enjoy the company of friends while indulging in some delicious treats.

RSVP@ROOSEVELTLIBRARY.COM - 210-862-1062

FOR GROUPS OF SIX OR MORE - $85 PER PERSON

INCLUDES A THREE COURSE AFTERNOON TEA & SELECTION OF FINE LOOSE LEAF TEA

Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea at the Roosevelt Library has parts: savory elements such as crustless finger sandwiches followed by scones served with whipped butter and jam, and ending with sweets.

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If you are attending by yourself, you won’t be alone since you will be seated at the Grand Hall table with other people.

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Selection of Traditional Sandwiches

Smoked Salmon and Dill Crème Fraîche on Rye Bread

English Cucumber with Cream Cheese on White Bread

Egg Salad and Arugula on Pumpernickel Bread

Curried Chicken Salad on Whole-wheat Bread

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Scones

Whipped Butter, Honey, and a Bonne Maman French Preserves

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Hand-made Pastries

Pastelitos (Guava and Cream Cheese Pastries)

Chocolate Brownies with Gold Leaf

Afternoon Tea verses High Tea

It is said that Anna Russell, 7th Duchess of Bedford, invented Afternoon Tea in the1840s to tide her over between lunch and dinner.

There is often confusion about “afternoon tea” and “high tea”. Afternoon tea was for the upper class and high tea was for the working class. Afternoon tea is a light meal composed of three courses: tea sandwiches and savories, followed by scones (pronounced "sconns" never "scoans") with clotted cream and jam, and ending with sweet pastries. Everything is bite-sized and eaten with one’s fingers.

Afternoon tea is also called ‘low tea’ since it is often enjoyed on low (coffee) tables with comfortable chairs and sofas in the living (drawing) room.

Afternoon tea time is around 4PM between lunch and dinner as it is not meant to replace dinner but, rather, is to tide one over until dinner which was usually at taken at about 8PM for the upper class.

High tea on the other hand was a working class family evening meal between 5PM and 7PM and consisted of hearty dishes rather than small crustless finger sandwiches. High tea was named for the high dining table where meal was eaten.

Champagne Bar

The Roosevelt Library’s temperature controlled wine cellar is stocked with over 600 bottles including many from Champagne, France.

ANATOMY OF A TEA SANDWICH

The Roosevelt Library chef strives for a balance between the thickness of the sandwich bread and the filling. The goal is to have the filling the same thickness as the sliced bread.

Silver Tea Service at the Roosevelt Library

PARKING AT THE ROOSEVELT LIBRARY

The Roosevelt Library has about 50 complimentary self-parking spaces available to guests. Street parking is also available. Vehicles should not to be left in the Roosevelt Library parking lot overnight. An SAPD officer will be monitoring the parking lot throughout the event. The Roosevelt Library will not be liable for theft or damages to vehicles or the contents of vehicles.

MAP TO THE ROOSEVELT LIBRARY

311 Roosevelt Avenue, San Antonio, Texas 78210

HISTORY OF THE ROOSEVELT LIBRARY

In 1929 the library opened as the Roosevelt Park Branch Library, San Antonio’s South side library, and in 1968 it closed. The building is located across from the Roosevelt Park which marks the beginning of the Mission Reach Ecosystem Restoration and Recreation Project, an eight mile stretch of the San Antonio River that has received designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, the building’s architect was John Marriott who also designed the Carnegie Library in Delaware, Ohio. Leland Stone purchased the building in 2013 and, as heralded by SA2020, it is a “new kind of gathering space.”