SFoodie's 92: John Campbell's Scones from Lovejoy's Tea Room

C. Alburger

Tarted up with Barbara Cartland-size panache.

Number 57: John Campbell's Scones from Lovejoy's Tea Room

Co-owner Muna Nash won't let a Lovejoy's customer eat an unwarmed scone. Nor does she recommend consuming one without Devonshire clotted cream, strawberry preserves, and a personal pot of dark cream tea. Nash imports the cream from Britain; the curd is made in-house from a proprietary recipe, and the jam is the result of an intensive search through 20-plus brands to find one that closely replicated her grandmother's. In the end, she landed on Smucker's.

Even without all the scone-y bells and whistles ― including the endearingly odd English country teahouse décor ― a scone from Lovejoy's is unlike any other in San Francisco. Made from a traditional Irish recipe by traditional Irish baker John Campbell of John Campbell's Irish Bakery on Geary, Lovejoy's roundish, biscuit-like revelation begs to be bisected horizontally into two moist, steaming halves. Unlike the triangular dry creations at Peet's or Starbucks, this Irish beauty is surprisingly light and cakey. A wash of buttermilk gives the exterior a princely golden sheen; the raisins that stud the dough provide bursts of extra sweetness. And then there's an extra touch of lore: those who patronized Lovejoy's in the early '90s (when it was an antique shop that served scones) became so interested in the treats the owners turned the shop into a tea room. Today, a two-scone plate runs $6.95, including condiments and captivating kitsch.

Lovejoy's Tea Room 1351 Church (at Clipper), 648-5895; open Weds.-Sun, closed Mon.-Tues.

Hungry for more? The dishes in our countdown thus far are linked below:

No. 92: Cracked Half Dungeness from Swan Oyster Depot
No. 91: Pastrami Sandwich from Orson
No. 90: Coconut Bun from Out the Door on Bush
No. 89: Brown Sugar-Black Pepper Biscuits from Little Skillet
No. 87: Indian Pizza from Zante
No. 86: Tamales from All-Star
No. 85: Chilaquiles from Nopalito
No. 84: Poc Chuc from Poc-Chuc
No. 83: Chocolate Beignet from Arlequin Cafe
No. 82: Scallop Crêpe from Ti Couz
No. 81: Gin and Tonic from Pizzaiolo/Boot and Shoe Service
No. 80: Quesadilla from Rico Pan
No. 79: Turkey Kati Rolls from Kasa
No. 78: Emperor's Pancake from Suppenküche
No. 77: Lasagna from Zuppa
No. 76: Chicharrones from 4505 Meats
No. 75: Langka Ice Cream from Mitchell's
No. 74: Bacon Potato Chips from Who's Your Daddy
No. 73: Lamb Dumplings from Kingdom of Dumpling
No. 72: Chile-Braised Carnitas Sandwich from Bento 415
No. 71: Chili from Mission Burger
No. 70: Croissants from La Farine
No. 69: Xiu Mai Banh Mi from Saigon Sandwich
No. 68: Creme Brulee from Sweet.
No. 67: Limon Cebiche from Limon
No. 66: Chicken and Waffles from Brown Sugar Kitchen
No. 65: Brioche Bread Pudding from Tartine Bakery
No. 64: Turkish Salad from Old Jerusalem
No. 63: Ribs from Bruno's
No. 62: Prupisceddu in Umidu (Stewed Octopus) from La Ciccia
No. 61: Hot and Spicy Beef Jerky from Marin Sun Farms
No. 60: Pozole from Chilango
No. 59: Lobster Roll from Sam's ChowderMobile
No. 58: Dry-Fried Chicken Wings from San Tung