Tea at the Blue Lantern a social history of the tea room Craze in America. (Product Showcase).

Run by women, whose creativity and entrepreneurial spirit fueled this craze, tea rooms evolved in many different ways. In cities, they might be found at swank hotels, or nestled along the crooked streets of Greenwich Village. They might be noisy and bustling in midtown, or rustic and charming on a tree lined New England roadside. Some served home-style meals and some more elegant fare. These establishments were many things to many people, but they were a huge part of American life, and continue to find a place in our hearts.

Journalist and food historian Jan Whitaker has thoroughly researched the tea rooms in America, and her passion and love for her subject is contagious. By reconstructing what it was like to operate or patronize one of the original tea rooms, Whitaker takes her readers back in time, on a trip through the heart of a country in the midst of great social change. Tea at the Blue Lantern Inn is a fascinating social history with all the charm and appeal of a freshly brewed pot.