As we swing into the fall harvest season, we wish more than ever we could be visiting the Niagara Peninsula in Ontario. It’s the fruit and vegetable capital of eastern Canada and one of the country’s tastiest destinations. Its biggest community, Niagara-on-the-Lake, is a model of grace and propriety. That’s something sorely lacking in our strife-riven country to the east and south. But we understand why the Canadians want us to stay on our own side of the border. During the War of 1812, American troops effectively destroyed Niagara.

Undaunted, the Ontarians rebuilt Niagara-on-the-Lake with a Victorian splendor that it retains today. The Prince of Wales Hotel (6 Picton Street, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, Canada; +1 905 468 3246, vintage-hotels.com/prince-of-wales/) was constructed in 1864 in the heart of town. It remains the standard bearer of British imperial elegance. The perfect embodiment of the hotel’s balance between decorum and comfort is the afternoon tea served daily in the drawing room. That’s the tea platter above with a variety of dainty sandwiches along with sweet small cream puffs and macarons.

Of all the goodies, the scones are the star of the show. Their subtle flavor derives from golden raisins that have been steeped in jasmine tea. The scones come to the table hot from the oven. Tea drinkers slather on jam, butter, and house-made crème fraiche—the hotel chefs’ substitute for British clotted cream. See this post for the scones recipe.