What's poppin' at the Atwood

I'm a fan of high-tea services, but when I saw a press release about the Atwood Cafe's new "Mary Poppins"–themed tea service (complete with "Mary popovers" and a "spoonful of sugar" cookies), I was perplexed. "Why Mary Poppins?" I wondered, and coerced my TOC colleague Ruth Welte into checking this odd phenomenon out with me at lunch yesterday. The folks at the Atwood were quick to set us straight: The tea service was designed to coincide with the recent opening of the Mary Poppins musical at the Cadillac Theater. Which is, um, probably something two editors at an arts and culture magazine should have known about. In any event, the service was a treat—we had a choice of a half-dozen teas (we went with tropical green and English breakfast) and a host of carb- and sugar-centric vittles like cucumber sandwiches, chocolate-covered strawberries, and delectably warm popovers with cream and preserves, served on a three-tiered platter. Looking around, we noticed that about half the guests were dressed-up tykes (all girls, except for one bored-looking boy), enjoying the ambiance in the Atwood's gracious, plant-laden dining room. We just hoped for their parents' sakes that this visit was after the show, not before—the idea of hordes of sugar-filled kids watching Mary Poppins sounded slightly terrifying.

Atwood Café, located adjacent to the Hotel Burnham at 1 West Washington St, Chicago. Mary Poppins Tea, 11:30 am–3 pm  (Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays). $25 for adults; $15 for kids 12 and under.