Lately, I’ve been quick to indulge in my last few weeks of southern culture, so I asked Ryan if we could stop at the Tomato Cafe and Tea Room, a wonderful soup and sandwich place in Havana, Fla. They serve a traditional afternoon tea and have a tomato-filled menu.
Ryan and I both had their signature tomato pie, which is piled with creamy cheeses and tons of tomatoes.
Havana is a small town 30 minutes outside of Tallahassee that has a charming downtown district with lots of antique and handmade shops. When we entered downtown, I remembered that it was their holiday festival – complete with Tractor and Riding Lawnmower Parade and hillbilly Santa (I wasn’t able to snap a photo!).
We were eating when the parade was going on, but I did manage to snap a photo of one of the riding lawnmowers.
Ryan and I walked around, holding hands, and perusing through shops as I snapped a few photos. It turned into a really sweet and impromptu date.
I love painted brick so much.
Produce at the open air market.
Havana has an old feel to it.
Tomatoes outside of the Tomato Cafe and Tea Room.
So much pretty at one of the vintage shops.
These cute little handmades had such personality, I had to snap a photo.
Oh, and how funny is this? But one of the biggest draws to this celebration, besides the tractor parade, of course, is the snow.
There was a snow machine. You can see the line toward the back of the picture. It’s a big deal. There weren’t any snow machines when I was a kid. I’m moving to NY in a few weeks from Florida. It was downright hot on Saturday as we were walking around. I’ve only seen snow once or twice in my life, and I’ve certainly never been in a snowfall. It’s going to be quite an interesting transition, to say the least.