Historic Catlin Court
Catlin Court is a group of historic homes in Glendale. Mostly craftsman style bungalows, the neighbourhood is bound by Gardenia Avenue to the north, Palmaire Avenue to the south, and 58th and 59th Avenues to the east and west. You can easily spend an afternoon discovering the many unique stores and restaurants that have set up shop in these charming homes.
A Spot of Tea at The Spicery in Our 1895 House
The Victor Messinger House is one of the many historic homes in Catlin Court.
We stopped for lunch at the corner of Palmaire and 59th Avenue at the Messinger House. Built in 1895, this cottage typifies the Queen Anne style which was popular at the time. The Messsinger house was a family home until 1985 until Martha Campbell bought the property and renovated the house to become The Spicery, one of Arizona’s first tea rooms. Today, the teahouse is called The Spicery in Our 1895 House and we were warmly welcomed by its proprietor Matt.
The Blue Room was my favourite.
The interior of the teahouse was true the style of its exterior. We sat in the library across from the fireplace, under a large brass chandelier. Each room of the tea house was thoughtfully decorated and you are encouraged to look around. My personal favorite was the blue room, which displayed a large collection of antique blue glass.
Chicken Salad Sandwich with Homemade Potato Salad
The tables feature antique settings, each seat having its own unique pattern. The menu was hearty, homestyle cooking, all prepared in house. We tried the chicken salad on the fresh homemade roll with the potato salad and the quiche lorraine with the soup of the day. Both of which were excellent, especially the roll. The tea menu was not as extensive as I would expect for a tea house, but the pot of tea we had with our lunch was very nice.
Enjoying the Quiche and Soup of the Day
Bring the Kids and Call Ahead
The Spicery in Our 1895 House is also child friendly. It offers a wonderful plate of assorted, meats, cheese, fruits and veggies along with their famous homemade roll, that even my picky eaters enjoyed.
Open Monday through Saturday for lunch ,The Spicery in our 1895 House is very popular so reservations are recommended.
