London Calling

Summer is here and we’ve been dreaming about a bucket list vacation to London to experience the 2012 Olympics and sip tea at The Ritz.  But alas, we didn’t plan ahead and now all the best tickets are sold and a week in a London hotel would wipe out our kids’ college fund.  Lucky for us (and you) we’ve come up with a plan to get an insider’s experience without breaking the bank right here in Sacramento.

Our very own Chef Oliver Ridgeway hails from England and has worked at two past Olympic Games – the Summer Olympics in Sydney and the winter games in Park City – cooking in the luxury boxes for the likes of Rupert Murdoch and Olivia Newton John.

During this summer’s Games from July 27^th to August 12^th, pop over to the Grange Bar for our very own version of High Tea Happy Hour from 3 – 6pm daily and sample Chef Oliver’s special menu featuring:

Scotch eggs / Jalapeño remoulade

Artisan sausages / flavored mustards

Wild Salmon Croquettes / pickled cucumbers

Chilled Watanabe Tomato “Tea” / marinated baby Tomatoes

Miniature English Scones / house preserves / clotted cream

English Style cheeses / chutneys & pickles

If you can’t pick just one, choose the Flight of Bites to get a little taste of everything.

And since it wouldn’t be happy hour without a cocktail, order a Mar(tea)ni from our cocktail list that includes:

No Pimm’s no. 1 Cup Strawberry infused Averna, Hendricks Gin, Bundaberg ginger beer, lemon, soda, cucumber, strawberry, and mint.

California London Style Gin Flight No. 209 San Francisco CA/ Blade OWS San Francisco CA/ St. George Dry Rye Alameda CA Served chilled with accoutrements

West Bengal Cocktail Hangar one Mandarin, Darjeeling infused Yellow Chartreuse, orange zest

DevonshireRaspberry infused 209 gin, Horizon organic cream, vanilla, orange, sugar Served with market fresh berries and a spoon

Tetley’s English Ale served chilled in a can

We think that as long as you sip them with your pinky up, it will (almost) feel like you’re right there in London cheering U – S – A!