Choose Your Own Adventure
It’s no wonder Paige, the Squirrel of Beacon Hill, has lovingly made her home at Beacon Hill Books & Cafe (if you don’t know the story of Paige, keep reading…). After just one afternoon being surrounded by the wide world that exists inside the pages of over 10,000 books, I can only imagine the fairytales coming to life when drifting off to dream inside these walls. Just the “Food For Thought” library on the second floor was a world of wonder I wanted to be lost in (right inside The Lost Kitchen cookbook (Big Heart Little Stove), to be exact) all day. I think I would just roam from floor to floor, one cozy spot to the next, in a “choose your own adventure” filled with pages and pages of inspiration and awe (because when I am not at work, I am often working on work, because I love the intricate and creative process of bringing food to life). How perfect for me to pick up “Sweet Enough” by Alison Roman before diving into the pastries, scones, tea sandwiches, cookies and cakes (handmade by the Cafe Artistic Director, Susu Aylward, alongside Cafe Chef Colleen Suhanosky) that were waiting downstairs just in time for the last seating at the cafe’s Afternoon Tea Service (but, of course, darling).
The main floor (2nd story, street entrance) at 71 Charles Street in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston, is where you will find all non-fiction books, cookbooks, biographies, and an entire area devoted to Paige, the Beacon Hill Books resident Squirrel, who is brought to life by Sarah S. Brannen (imagine embarking on grand adventures in the Public Garden only to return and find your home has become the Beacon Hill Bookstore? Where do I sign up for this?!). The adorable built-in seating areas, custom curated artwork, and fireplaces add a super cozy element that make this feel more like a day at your bestie’s house than a book store.
Up the first flight of stairs to floor 3 is where the fiction selection covers tables and shelves with colorful, recognizable titles as well as a vast selection of books your town Book Club may not have yet discovered. They also have a gorgeous collection of Persephone Books featuring mid-twentieth century (mostly) female authors (published in Bath, England), as well as poetry, mystery, science fiction and aesthetics (books exploring art, expression & design). You really need to spend some time wondering around and peeking into every window, around every corner, and trying to find all of the tiny details that exist on each floor. I love this window at the base of the staircase to the 4th floor that brings your gaze right out to bustling outside world – it reminds of a porthole of a ship from which you can peek out at the ocean and imagine what is happening under the vast, mysterious sea surrounding you while staying dry, safe and warm inside.
The entire 4th floor is devoted to the magical land of children’s books as well as selections for young adult readers of all ages. The child-sized furniture by the fireplace in the main children’s room is the perfect size for smaller versions of you to sit with friends and read, giggle, and talk to each other (without phones, or computers or screens getting in the way). If you need a moment to reconnect with, reclaim, or revisit your own childhood, step right up and soak it all in while you recount every word of Goodnight Moon and Peter Rabbit. It made me very nostalgic for the days my own 3 kids would crawl into bed and we would join in on Frog & Toad’s adventures, eat alllll the pink cupcakes, embrace The Giving Tree, and memorize the words to Llama Llama Red Pajama. The little doorway just big enough for the tiniest bookworms, and the train that runs around at ceiling-height throughout the room, invites the youngest readers to discover a world in which the room isn’t nearly as big as the hopes and dreams that lie ahead of you, even when you feel small.
Hot Tip: Tuesdays at 10am & 4pm is Squirrel Tales Story Time which includes story time with a free song, craft or other activity on the Children’s floor @ Beacon Hill Books & Cafe.
All the way down on the first floor, once you find the secret passage, you will find the Cafe and outdoor garden. The Cafe serves breakfast, lunch and dinner Tuesday thru Saturday and the most gorgeous and delicious Prix Fixe Afternoon Tea service on Sundays. Ever since my 10th birthday at the Four Seasons for High Tea in Seattle (at which I received my most coveted Whitney Houston cassette tape as a gift), I have been completely in love with tiny sandwiches, beautiful teapots and teacups, decadent dessert bites, clotted cream & jam, and homemade scones. Fast-forward to present day (and the opportunity to now add a long-stem glass of sparkling bubbles to the experience) and I wish this could be my every-Sunday-routine. Let me show you…
See?! Isn’t it amazing? Every detail of this Afternoon Tea experience was perfection. Grab your bestie (if you don’t have one, you know I will go with you…) and make a reservation (I highly recommend the 4 o’clock timeframe, if you can get it, so you can linger a little longer and truly enjoy the rays of late-afternoon sun streaming through the window as it lowers in the sky, illuminating the votives, flowers, and bubbles on your table), and plan to spend the afternoon meal indulging in literally everything placed in front of you.
My personal favorites included the herbed chicken salad in a phyllo cup, truffled egg salad, the special white chocolate scone with clotted cream and strawberry jam, lemon curd mini tart, and decadent mini chocolate chip cookie. Susu Aylward, Cafe Artistic Director, even came over to say hello and present us with a homemade cookie to enjoy in the shape of Paige the Squirrel, of course. One of my favorite things about being the Owner and Creative Director (aka: menu planner) at Clandestine Kitchen, is the opportunity I have to meet the incredibly talented chefs behind my culinary experiences. Chatting with Susu was such a fun way bring full-circle the inspiration, motivation and true appreciation I felt from a day spent inside Melissa Fetter’s (Owner/Founder) very own living love letter to Boston.
It was absolute perfection to experience the powerful, inspirational, beautiful, delicious world created by Melissa Fetter during Women’s History Month (and bring one of my favorite woman-owned business-owner-besties along with me to experience it too) to celebrate my love for small business and my gratitude to every woman that is forging a path out there in our world. With the love and support of other women in our corner, our success becomes much sweeter and certainly much more exciting. Stay tuned to social media for a very special giveaway on Friday, March 14, 2025 in collaboration with Boston Moms designed to celebrate friendship and the power of spending time with the strong, supportive, fun women in your life.
I am personally grateful for every woman in my life that has encouraged me to create my own perfect destiny and I hope I have bestowed this gift to my own daughter as well. Alice in Wonderland said it best, “This is my dream. I’ll decide where to go from here”.
I’ll be over here dreaming of my visit to Beacon Hill Books & Cafe for now…(and you are going to make your reservation for Afternoon Tea!). Stay tuned to @noshandfound and @bostonmoms to enter to win your perfect Afternoon Tea for 2 at Beacon Hill Books & Cafe!
