I just wanted to thank you for making sure our baby shower went as planned! It turned out beautiful, everything we wanted and more! Your staff was wonderful, and our waiters Nick, and Adrianna were amazing, they could not have been anymore attentive or efficient!!! Again thank you sooo much for making our day special!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Weibel

Thanks!
Catherine O.

I was born and raised in the wonderful town of Geneva, Illinois.  Now I live in Naples, Florida . In fact, Sylvia Simon was my neighbor.  My parents have passed away, so now when I visit Geneva, The Little Traveler, you are my home.

Growing up my mother, sister and I would go to the Atrium Cafe for every special occasion.  As I had my children, we continued the tradition. Then there was my ladies luncheons among the antiques and the wonderful food was always memorable.

My husband was a great shopper, so whenever we would visit Geneva, you were always our first stop.  We would always experience great finds. Please don’t ever change!  You will always be home away from home.

With loving memories, sincerely

Ruth C. Griffin, Naples, FL

The food was absolutely delicious–we had a hard time deciding which course we liked best! The finger sandwiches, breads, and desserts were all fabulous, as well as the delightful teas! John and Taurino did a wonderful job of serving us and coming back many times to see how we were doing (the hostess was so helpful, too!).

Many thanks for the lasting memories that you helped to create for my guests on Aug. 27…this was a special day that we’ll fondly recall many times in the future! Little Traveler always surpasses our expectations and makes our important family milestone events so perfect!!

Thanks for all of your help with this special day.

-Linda

We started with a selection of tea.  I went for Harney and Sons Egyptian Chamomile, while my mom had Harney and Sons Apricot Tea.  Our awesome waiter Victor let us know that we were welcome to try out more flavors if we wanted.  Meanwhile, the kids were happy to find out lemonade was also an option.

The food is served in three courses:  sandwiches, followed by scones & breads, completed with deserts. We loved that each of us received our own individual plate with a sampling of everything on the menu.  Don’t let the small sizes fool you—by the end of the tea we couldn’t possibly eat another bite.

The sandwiches are an eclectic assortment that complement each other nicely.  All bases are covered—salty, spicy, light & refreshing, and sweet.  Carrot Raisin wins for table favorite, but Curry Chicken gets the prize for my personal fave.

The scones and breads are served with jellies and creams.  We all went crazy for the Lemon Curd—it tasted great on every single thing.  You can even buy a jar or two in The Little Traveler’s gourmet department or on-line to have at home.  I meant to take a picture of the desert plate, really I did, but I guess I got too distracted by deliciousness because by the time I thought of my camera again, all that was left on any of our plates were crumbs!  The Chocolate Mousse Triangle and Mini Lemon Roulade were particularly wonderful.

Bravo to Chef Zack and the whole Atrium Cafe team for bringing a proper English tradition to Geneva, IL and doing such a fine job of it.  Afternoon Tea is served from 2:30-4:30pm on Thursdays and Saturdays.  Reservations are recommended for parties of 4 or larger.  Private Teas can be scheduled any time during store hours for parties of 10 or more.  Call Zack: 630-232-4200

We hear from many customers that visits to The Little Traveler have become a favorite tradition for many families.  The tradition doesn’t have to stop at a day of shopping—The Little Traveler would love to help you out with wedding showers, baby showers, special birthdays, whatever it is you have to celebrate!

Party Favors from The Little Traveler

The creativity of our gourmet department staff knows no bounds!  And one of their very favorite things to do is put together unique party favors that are customized specifically for your event.   We’ve got lots of wonderful choices for weddings, wedding showers, baby showers, birthdays, teas, whatever you can think of, really.

And how convenient that The Little Traveler happens to have the biggest candy shoppe around, so the inside of the party favors is sure to be just as delicious as the outside.

Private Showers and Tea Parties in the Atrium Café

The Little Traveler can also host your wedding shower, baby shower, birthday party or other celebration.  Our chef and party planners will work with you to create an appropriate menu and ensure that your guests will have a great time.  Here’s what a recent customer said:

I had my to be daughter-in-law’s wedding shower in the Cafe/Tea room on April 16,2011.  The food was delicious, especially your soups!  Also, I could not have been happier with your staff, from Zach – who helped organize the shower to Cindy who was our server! Both were professional, pleasant and very, very helpful.  Her staff was extremely helpful and efficient as well.  I will highly recommend your establishment for anyone that appreciates excellent service and delicious food!

Thank you!

Jo

Afternoon Tea Hours:

Thursdays 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm;  Saturdays 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm.  We do take reservations, and they are recommended for parties of larger than four people.

There’s no better way to top off a day in Geneva!

The early reviews of Afternoon Tea at The Little Traveler are in:

“A very nice assortment, and the different breads were all good.”

“The many desserts were lovely and looked beautiful too.”

“Black Forest Cheesecake and the Raspberry bar were just perfect.”

“I loved the fine china tea cups – nice touch!”

“A great value!”

I moved to Dekalb in 1960, married in 1963, and thus acquired both a husband and a son at the same time. In 1969 I had a daughter, and when my daughter was three years old and my son seventeen, I’d drive them both to Geneva on a Saturday and deliver my son to the train station. He would head into Chicago, and I’d take my daughter Reva to The Little Traveler for morning refreshments.

I’d have coffee in the Atrium Cafe, and Reva would have cinnamon toast and lemonade, a meal arrived at by my consultation with the waitresses. We did this about once a month. While dining, my daughter would toss pennies into the wishing well and make up elaborate wishes that she happily described not only to me but to the wait persons as well.

Then we would head to the toy shop followed by the antique rooms, the children’s clothing section, and several other special places. We did this for years. Eventually my children married and moved. My daughter became a theatre director and found work in California. She visited me when she was in her late twenties, and I took her to The Little Traveler early one morning. We
sat at our favorite table beside the wishing well. A waitress came over to take our order, looked at us, smiled, and asked, “cinnamon toast and lemonade for the lady?” I was stunned.

While we chatted, my daughter told the staff that she was working in the theatre, and they responded that after her wild wishes, they all knew she’d be doing something creative. It was quite a reunion. The wait staff have changed, and I now have grandchildren, but the pleasure of morning coffee in the Atrium remains, along with the wonderful memories.

Thanks for being a constant in a changing world.

JoAnne, Dekalb, Illinois

JoAnne will receive a $50 gift certificate as a token of our thanks for this lovely letter. Send your letters to Almanack Editor, 404 S. Third St., Geneva, IL 60134.

The Atrium Cafe dessert buffet makes the perfect pitstop after a day of exploring and shopping.  You’ll find an endless assortment of homemade treats, such as black forest cream balls, chocolate-dipped cream puffs, rum balls, cobblers, pecan pie, brownies, and more!  Savor these assorted pastries with our Little Traveler teas and you’ll be ready to face the next 10 rooms!

$7.95 includes endless buffet and your choice of tea. (No buffet week of Swedish Days).  Reserve your seats now!

The seminars are April 21, 22, 28, and 29 with the fun beginning at 9:15 am in our Atrium Café. Fees are $17.50 per person, and include a $5 gift certificate. To RSVP, call 630-232-4200 starting at 9:30am April 7 for the April 21 & 22 dates, and on April 8 for the April 28 & 29 seminars.

Greetings from South Florida!

Though I live in a vacation capital, for the last few years I have spent my vacation in Batavia with visits to my brother and sister-in-law.  And I just want to share with you how the highlight of those visits has become a day spent in Geneva at The Little Traveler– and I do mean a pretty full day.  Our day always takes on the same delightful pattern: we shop our way to the middle of the store, stop to energize at The Atrium Cafe for lunch, continuing shopping our way through the rest of the store.

These enjoyable “day trips” have actually taken on the status of family legend where the mantra, “Don’t buy anythng that won’t fit in the suitcase,” is featured.  It seems that with great regularity I not only fill my suitcases with your little treasures but I fall in love with a large treasure that requires a very large box that must be shipped home!  A chandelier, a wall decoration, and a statue have all made the trip from The Little Traveler in Illinois to my home in Florida.

Let my family tease me.  I’ll be back for more treasures… and I’m glad that you ship!

Thanks for the fun!  See you next year.

Fondly,

Trish Kornblatt, Boynton Beach, FL

Trish will receive a $50 gift certificate as a token of our thanks for this lovely letter. Send your letters to Almanack Editor, 404 S. Third St., Geneva, IL 60134.

Open for breakfast, lunch,snacks and coffee.

Sept 16, 17, 22 and 23, the seminars begin with continental breakfast at 9:30 a.m. in our Atrium Café, and conclude with luncheon and fashion show. Price is $14.75 and includes a $5 certificate redeemable on the day of the seminar. Tickets are limited. RSVP by phone beginning at 10 a.m. on Sept. 8 for the Sept. 16 and 17 seminars, and on Sept. 10 for the Sept. 22 and 23 shows.