McKenna Tea Cottage, Seal Beach

As sunlight pours through the lace curtains of McKenna's lemon-yellow tearoom, hostesses deliver light treats and 37 types of tea to frilly, glass-topped tables. Triangle-cut finger sandwiches, cheese- and vegetable-filled quiches, and leafy salads flaunt their fresh ingredients on the restaurant’s chinaware, which sit alongside steaming teapots. The shop unfurls its tearoom and garden patio to a myriad of private events, hosting elegant celebrations for bridal showers and children's birthdays, which get magical enhancement with appearances by Snow White and other fairy-tale characters. After nibbling on teatime dishes, patrons can peruse the selection of gifts, accessories, and shabby-chic housewares in the gift shop to help commemorate their outing without filling pockets with Devonshire cream.