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| View from the tea room! |
The Biltmore, a Historic Cultural Landmark, is located on Grand Avenue, right across the street from the Central Library, making it a perfect place to plop down after a fun afternoon of hunting down Harlow biographies and Deco fashion tomes.
The Biltmore has retained its classic glamour for nearly 90 years, and it is one of my (Lara) go-to places when friends come to town and want to go somewhere that captures an Old Hollywood vibe. This hotel is also a great local escape if you live in Southern California and need to get out of your toy-strewn house for a few hours of toddler-free calm. But enough about me!
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| Look at that glorious ceiling! |
Striding
into the Biltmore’s grand entrance (those columns! that archway!) by day might
make you wish that you were decked out in a fitted suit with a smart hat, and
by night a 1930s, Gowns by Adrian-style, clingy number.
If it is later in the
day when you visit, you could stop into Gallery Bar for a drink and admire all
the bronze and exquisite lighting. And make sure you look up as you walk
through the Galleria to see the hand-painted, frescoed mural ceiling done by
Italian artist Giovanni Smeraldi (one of the restaurants in the hotel was named
after him).
It is
tough to pin the décor down to one style; is it Mediterranean? Beaux Arts?
Spanish? Yes, yes, yes, and more. We did not see any classic Art Deco details,
but we proclaim the Biltmore Deco because it definitely captures the exuberance
and unabashed glamour that we associate with the Art Deco era.
It
opened in 1923, just two years before the start of what many experts consider
the Art Deco period of 1925-1939, and it was the largest hotel west of Chicago.
And even now, surrounded by skyscrapers, it still looks and feels imposing with
a solid eleven stories.
The Biltmore has always had a strong Hollywood
connection, from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences being founded
here, to the rumor that MGM Art Director Cedric Gibbons sketched a drawing on a
napkin that was the basis for the Oscar statue, to hosting eight Academy Awards
ceremonies in the 1930s and 1940s.
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| Where tea is served! |
There
are four restaurants and bars in the Biltmore, but afternoon tea happens Wednesday
through Sunday from 2-5p in the Rendezvous Court (once the hotel’s lobby),
beside a gently gurgling fountain, under Italian chandeliers, and at the foot
of an impressive Spanish Baroque staircase that you may have seen on the TV
show Entourage.
With so much
grandeur, you might think that you need to show up in a twinset and pearls, sit
with your back straight, and stick a pinky out as you sip your tea, but the
space and the atmosphere is remarkably warm and friendly, a perfect place to
relax with girlfriends or your daughter.
Reservations
are recommended, but thankfully we were able to slide in last-minute on a
Saturday afternoon. Cori and I opted for the traditional Victorian Tea ($45 per
person, excluding tax and gratuity), but you can also go with the Princess Tea
($22), which includes a pot of tea, a freshly baked scone with cream and
preserves, and a selection of freshly baked cakes.
Our
Victorian Tea came with more than enough food (served on a traditional
three-tiered stand) and drink to fill us up!
And did we mention that the tables are covered in white tablecloths and set with china featuring a sweet rose pattern? It is exactly the kind of china that I am always looking for at the Santa Monica Airport Flea Market.
Our selection of
tea sandwiches, which were cut into these cute tiny diamond shapes (crusts off,
of course!), featured egg salad and asparagus, smoked salmon and dill butter,
cucumber and cream cheese, and ham and cheese on pumpernickel. And the mini
pastries are almost too pretty to eat…but, of course, we did.
It is
tough to choose a favorite among the fruit tarts, chocolate truffles, and the
freshly baked scones with homemade Devonshire cream and strawberry preserves,
but suffice it to say that we were practically licking the heavenly clotted
cream off of our fingers, and Cori was wondering if her husband (a talented
vegan chef) could make a dairy-free version of this. Stay tuned ;)
We took a
few leftovers home for our husbands, who had spent the afternoon watching the
kids, although, I must confess, I continued eating the gold-dusted blueberry
lemon tart in the car. J
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| Tea for two, please! |
Millennium Biltmore Hotel
506 South Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90071
213-624-1011
http://www.millenniumhotels.com/millenniumbiltmorelosangeles/
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