Hard to believe we're talking about the holidays but tickets are on sale for one of Dallas' most precious traditions: the Holiday Tea at The Adolphus, returning to the downtown hotel's French Room for the 2022 season, beginning Wednesday, November 2 through Sunday, January 8.

The tea is hosted Wednesdays-Sundays, with the exception of Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day, from 11 am– 3 pm. Reservations go live on Tuesday, October 4.

Holiday Tea includes two courses, two teas, and a glass of champagne or French sparkling cider. The teas are loose-leaf and sourced from Zatki, a local purveyor who creates a custom tea just for The Adolphus.

The tea features pastries created by the Adolphus' executive pastry chef Ruben Toraño, who was nominated for a CultureMap Tastemakers Award for Best Pastry Chef in 2017 and whose pastry chops have been significantly notable to warrant a complete story devoted to them on CultureMap. He's an old hand at the tea thing, having devised an afternoon tea menu for the Joule Dallas in 2014.

The festive menu at the Adolphus includes a savory course with classics such as:

• cucumber cress with herbed cream cheese
• truffled egg salad on croissant with pepitas
• roast beef on sourdough pancake with horseradish cream
• pork rillettes and fresno-cranberry relish on sweet potato
• mushroom rye bread pudding with apple and turnip

Under the sweet column, they'll do seasonally flavored cakes and pastries such as:

• scones, served in the traditional British style with preserves and English double cream, in flavors that include brown sugar-cinnamon dulcey and cranberry orange
• pumpkin cheesecake with whipped maple crémeux
• chocolate caramel tart
• ginger financier with pomegranate jam
• spice cake with cream cheese icing and candied pecan

One new luxe feature: Caviar service can now be added to your tea experience for an added cost, ranging from $95 to $185 depending on what kind of caviar you choose, served solo or with buckwheat blini with crème fraîche and shaved yolk.

Holiday Tea is $75 plus tax and gratuity for adults or $35 plus tax and gratuity for children under 12. Discounted day valet parking at The Adolphus is included.

A special holiday tea service will take place on Thursday, December 23 and Friday, December 24 featuring the holiday tea menu plus Victorian carolers, a photo op with the Great Tree in Social Lobby, and a takeaway gift.

Book online through Resy.com at https://resy.com/cities/dfw/the-french-room or call The French Room at 214-651-3615; phone lines will be open Wednesday–Sunday from 10 am–4 pm. If you're calling outside those hours, leave a voicemail. For parties of eight or more, email reservations@thefrenchroom.com.