Having quit my job as a banker seems to have opened new doors to dining for me, although cost-consciousness (from lack of a paycheck) has become a larger concern at the same time.

I stopped by Alice’s Tea Cup (73rd St. and Columbus Ave.) this afternoon to check out their much touted scones and tea. This cafe/bakery possesses the charm and cuteness that you expect from a place that takes its theme from the story by Lewis Carroll and isn’t affiliated with Disney. On the walls are hand-drawn illustrations that portray key characters and events from the book (like Dee and Dum looking at you in the bathroom) and the signage around the room takes on the old English tone familiar in the book (do not dare use your cell phone or off with the head!). I did feel a bit odd walking in there by myself seeing how the crowd was female-dominated, but I remembered enjoying Carroll’s world as a kid and shook off the initial discomfort.

Keeping my cost-consciousness in mind, I opted for a scone and an iced tea. I was tempted to order from their wide selection of hot teas - which they tout as the “freshest in quality” - but saw that tea only came in 3 or 6 cup amounts, which not only cost too much ($5 to start), but was also too much for me to finish on my own. Instead, I went for their peach iced tea, which they serve in a big blue plastic goblet. The iced tea, which comes unsweetened, had an intense aroma and strong flavor, allowing me to skip on the artificial sweetners that I would normally apply to weaker teas. For $2.50, it’s a much better deal than one would get at a Starbucks.

I was not in the mood for sweets, so I opted for the only non-sweet scone available, the ham and cheese scone. My previous experience with scones had been the mass-produced kind from supermarkets that either come in blueberry or cranberry varieties. I was pleasantly surprised by the high quality of the scone at Alice’s Tea Cup. It was, to put it simply, a well-baked breakfast biscuit studded with herbs, cheese, and bits of ham and served warm. There was a freshness in the taste that made me feel as if I had received a bargain for another $2.50. With tip and tax, my total stay at this Upper Westside wonderland was seven dollars. I took my time and read for half an hour before taking off, feeling pretty good about the entire experience.