Tea and Sympathy

By Anita Naughton

In 1990 Nicola Perry, former tea lady at the London Stock Exchange, started living her dream. She found a storefront and opened Tea & Sympathy, an authentic amalgamation of English tea shop, mum's kitchen, and working man's caf? right in the heart of New York. Anita Naughton was one of her first waitresses, and from day one she kept an anecdotal record of the place, encapsulating the charm, flavor, and enigmatic patrons that are the atmosphere of the restaurant. Together they have created a colorful biography spanning the first decade of this landmark eatery: from the early days, when they kept their meager profits in a teapot, to nowadays, when they keep celebrities (British, American, or otherwise) waiting for a table along with everyone else. Complete with sixty recipes and photographs of food and popular visitors, this is a quintessential taste of England ready to take home.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399149376
• ISBN13: 9780399149375
• Release Date: October 2002
• Publisher: Putnam Adult
• Length: 195 Pages
• Weight: 1.38 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 7.7" x 9.4"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

good stuff

I really like this book, not only for the yummy recipes but for the slice of life it portrays. I'm a Brit too & liked the idea of having a little embassy that feeds you too in NYC. I've tried several of the recipes & they all turned out well.

Authentic British Feel Good Food!

Having lived in London in the late 60s and early 70s, I was surprised to find there were no real authentic British restaurants in New York City. I am not a Pub person, so sitting alone with a pint in some dark-wooded, beer-smelling bar was not for me. And one day, there it was! Tea & Sympathy. As I looked through the windows into the tiny space that was packed with people, I said to my friend; Isn't that Rupert Everett! Indeed, it was. I always tend to eat the same dish; lamb shepherds pie, along with ginger beer and sticky toffee pudding, so I cannot comment on how great all the other dishes are there. But I am told they are equally as yummy. When I bought this book I had Nicky Perry (owner & co-contributor to book) sign it for me. She will be delighted to sign yours, too if you drop by. They have a darling shop next door that sells incredible teapots and other British items you cannot find anywhere in New York City and beyond. I bought one of their cat teapots for my friend Ruth, and a cat teapot with a different design for me. As if their incredible food and ambiance isn't enough, they have opened a fish and chips place next to the gift shop which they have named: A Salt & Battery. Aside from the various kinds of fish you can also ordered fried candy bars. So the Perry's pretty much have all their bases covered. The cookbook is a treasure trove of British recipes. As the winter (2007)finally arrives in Manhattan, if you can't make it to Tea & Sympathy, you have the cookbook to create your own feel good dishes. I highly recommend both book and boite. You simply can't go wrong.

Tasty Tea Tome

I like this book at lot. I've eaten about one page a day with my morning cuppa and so far it tastes great.

the perfect Christmas gift!

This is far more than a cookbook -- in fact, calling it a cookbook is like calling 'Moby Dick' a fishing story. Every recipe is preluded by a hilarious anecdotal story about the author's life in New York as a waitress trying to 'make it,' and these tales create a marvelously entertaining narrative thread. The vignettes of customers are wickedly funny -- Naughton has an eye for skewering the pretentions of New Yorkers, both native and Anglo. Many of the tales are delightfully ribald -- a cross between Seinfeld and Sex and the City. A great present for the Christmas season -- the recipes suit the weather, and the stories are worth reading aloud on the long winter nights!

This is the real thing!

I have been going to Tea & Sympathy for almost as long as it has been open and this book really captures the feel of the place. Aside from all of the recipes I have been dying to have for years, I now feel privy to the repartee I always knew existed between the people who work there. What a joy! Now I can make the English food I have come to love myself AND when I go to the shop I am in the loop! If you have never been to T & S this is certainly the next best thing.