If you’ve been watching the fourth season of Bridgerton, you might have found yourself craving a nice pot of tea. And no, we’re not talking about Violet Bridgerton (if you know, you know), but the actual drink.
Tea, often sipped from delicate china teacups, was a big deal in the Regency era, and it still is today. If you can’t jump on a plane to sip it in Mayfair, don’t worry. Vegan teashop Madame Zuzu’s, run by clothing designer Chloe Corgan and rock icon Billy Corgan, is located in Highland Park, Illinois. And every Sunday in March, in honor of Women’s History Month, the business is partnering with Alma at Hotel Zachary in Chicago to host a fully vegan afternoon tea experience.
Alongside many of Madame Zuzu’s own signature tea blends (like Lemon Berry Meringue and Sakura Kyoto Cherry Blossom), the experience offers plenty of plant-based dishes. Think delicate chickpea salad sandwiches, roasted red pepper and hummus, carrot and ginger spread, vegan egg salad, and cookies.
Of course, this is an event run by a Smashing Pumpkins frontman, so you can expect to browse a curated vinyl collection. Madame Zuzu’s is also a record store, and frequently releases limited-edition vinyls, some of which are even autographed by Billy Corgan.
Alma x Madame ZuZu’s
From Smashing Pumpkins to a vegan teashop
The Corgans founded Madame Zuzu’s in 2012 and operated it until 2018, when they took a two-year break. In 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, they reopened in a bigger space in Highland Park.
“Our goal is to bring good, quality food to Highland Park,” Chloe Corgan told Eater at the time. “We want to be involved in the community.”
Alma is arguably the perfect choice for a Madame Zuzu’s pop-up, as it sits at the center of Chicago’s music scene. The venue regularly hosts music-focused events such as Vinyl Thursdays and Bubbles & Beats.
Madame Zuzu’s
If you can’t get to Alma at Hotel Zachary for the vegan afternoon tea, Madame Zuzu’s also serves food in its Highland Park teashop. There, you can choose from a wide range of plant-based dishes, like Impossible Nachos, Carrot Lox Toast, Mac + Cheese, Tofu Banh Mi, and Chloe’s Tomato Soup.
But, according to Corgan, the meatball sub is “to die for.” He even told Forbes that it helped fuel the making of Cyr, Smashing Pumpkins’ eleventh studio album, which was also released in 2020. The meatball sub he’s referring to is on the menu as Grandma JoJo’s Meatball Sub, and it’s made with meatballs, pomodoro sauce, and the café’s own vegan mozzarella.
For the vegan afternoon tea, head to Alma at Hotel Zachary on Sunday, March 22. Tickets cost $45 per person.
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.
