NYTimes.com By GREGORY DICUM

At Om Shan Tea, the air is filled with the clatter of small earthenware teapots, the sound of ethereal gongs and flutes and quiet animated conversation. Tea drinkers cluster on reed stools around low tables surrounded by antiques from tea-drinking lands.

Patrons can choose a Gong Fu presentation, with a stream of different vessels and cups. Oshan Anand, the owner of this year-old teahouse in the Mission district of San Francisco, sits at an antique tea table of dark wood and stone and pours tiny cups of pu-erh, the aged Chinese tea that, like wine, is often known by region and vintage.

Om Shan Tea is the newest of a breed of Bay Area teahouses that are reimagining the world’s ancient and diverse tea drinking customs for modern tea drinkers. Each is an expression of the founders’ sensibilities, and each draws fervid followers.

Samovar, in the Castro, makes tea drinking a stylish affair. Teas from around the world are served as they are in their home countries: Japanese maki bowls of rice and seaweed with ryokucha brown rice tea ($17), English tea service with scones and Devonshire cream ($19), Chinese tea with dumplings ($19) and masala chai with curry ($17). Russian tea is poured from a gleaming samovar ($9 for a bottomless cup).

“We bring the world’s tea traditions under one roof,” said Jesse Jacobs, who opened Samovar in 2001. “It’s contemporary and hip but also respecting tradition.”

Visitors to Numi Tea Garden in Oakland can enjoy a tea ceremony that involves small clay pots on a bamboo tray next to a Buddha figurine and a set of tools.

“You get the Buddha’s belly all wet for good luck,” said Ahmed Rahim, an owner of the Numi Organic Tea company who developed this whimsical take on traditional Chinese tea ceremonies.

The Bay Area loves its coffee, but there is a certain sameness to its coffeehouses. Its teahouses, though, all seem to have unusual offerings. Menus include rare teas and obscure herbs, with teatime snacks from around the world

via .

The Magnolia and Ivy team room in Americus is surviving when many small businesses are not.

By Jana Barnello

Terri Eager’s been in the tea business for 15 years, but moved the tea room into the Windsor Hotel in Americus six months ago.  Since then, she says business has been great.  Mothers, daughters, friends, and family come from all over Georgia and the country to have a Victorian era themed tea party.

“Just having something totally different from the same old, same old,” Carol Rumph, who was at the tea room celebrating a friend’s birthday, said.  “I think it’d be a good way to relax, get your mind off your troubles.”

Here’s a link to the Windsor Hotel if you’re interested in trying the tea room, http://www.windsor-americus.com/.

By Arthur Williams

Teaspresso and Fondue founder Daryl Chan and local franchisees Ron Hueng and Conroy Ou (l-r) toast the grand opening of the chain’s first franchise, located in Prince George.
 
Whether you’re looking for a quick tea or fruit smoothie to go, or to savour a pot of ornamental flower tea while snacking on all-you-can-eat chocolate fondue, Capstone Teaspresso and Fondue has got it covered.

Capstone founder Daryl Chan opened his first store in downtown Vancouver two years ago. On Saturday, local entrepreneurs Ron Hueng and Conroy Ou opened the first Capstone franchise in Prince George.

“It’s a pretty fusion concept. It’s not a regular coffee shop,” Chan said. “The things we serve are very special. There is nothing like it in Prince George.”

Capstone carries over 50 types of loose-leaf and herbal teas – including their speciality: flower tea. White tea leaves are hand sewn with edible flowers so the whole creation “blooms” as the tea steeps, Chan said.

“We are the first ones to have Teaspresso machines,” he added. “Usually in other restaurants you have to wait two, three, four or five minutes for tea to steep. With a teaspresso it takes 40 seconds.”

Capstone also sells bubble teas – flavoured hot or chilled tea with milk and small, chewy tapioca pearls sucked through a thick straw. Bubble tea was invented in Taiwan in the 1980s and is growing in popularity throughout Asia, California and Canada.

“It’s basically a dessert and a drink. We can add it [tapioca pearls] with any flavoured tea, milk tea or slushy,” Chan said.

Instead of tapioca, you can add flavoured coconut jelly or aloe vera pearls instead, he added.

In the restaurant, Capstone serves all-you-can-eat chocolate fondue, cheese fondue and desserts.

“Our commitment is to provide a good place to eat, drink and socialize,” he said. “It’s all fresh-cut fruits and snacks.”

Chan said he believes there is room in Prince George for another teahouse.

“Prince George is a place where the winters are cold and long. Tea is a great way to warm up,” he said.

First-time entrepreneurs Hueng and Ou said they are learning as they go.

“It’s way harder than what we though. It’s a challenge,” Ou said. “At first we thought we’d open a tea shop, but they [Capstone] are the only ones with the teaspresso machines. A couple of my friends told us about it, and so we went and took a look.”

Capstone Tea is located at the corner of Ahbau Street and Eighth Avenue, next to M&M Meat Shops. For more information, go online to http://www.capstonetea.com/.

By Laureen Miles Brunelli

Coffee may be the great American pick-me-up for on-the-go folks, but tea is meant to be sipped in a relaxing atmosphere.

That’s why teahouses are growing ever more popular in Baltimore. Choices range from a casual “tea lounge” to the re-creation of a formal English tea room. Or maybe tea an old-fashioned Southern tea is more your style? However you take your tea, Baltimore has a tea house for you.

Bertha’s – Fells Point
410-327-5795
Take afternoon tea in a Fells Point pub. Bertha’s, better known for its oysters, serves three savory items and assorted desserts, tarts and scones at this festive affair. Monday – Saturday 3-4:30 p.m., reservations required.

Brighton ’s Orangerie at Harbor Court Hotel – Inner Harbor
410-347-9750
This sunny dining room in the Intercontinental Harbor Court Hotel offers afternoon tea, overlooking the Inner Harbor. Friday and Saturday 3- 5 p.m.

Crown & Thistle Tea Room – Sparks
410-472-4566
Dine in the Scottish Room or the Garden Room. Both are delightful. Tuesday – Saturday, lunch 11 a.m.- 1:30 p.m; afternoon tea 3 p.m.

East West Tea Emporium – Arnold
410-353-7727
Taste the shops many different teas ready along with some tasty treats. At various times throughout the year, the East West Tea Emporium holds special events for tea lovers Open Saturdays noon – 4 p.m.

Finnerteas – Hampden
410-235-8327
Enjoy tea in a charming atmosphere complete with tea accessories on display. Finnerteas offers 22 varieties of tea and an assortment of sandwiches and sweets. Tuesday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Gertrude’s – Baltimore Museum of Art
410-889-3399
Sip tea enjoying the view Baltimore Museum of Art’s sculpture garden. Wednesday – Sunday 3 – 5 p.m.

Petticoat Tea Room – Fells Point
410-342-7883
Located in Fells Point, Petticoat Tea Room specializes in Southern afternoon tea. Tuesday – Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tea on the Tiber – Ellicott City
410-480-8000
Modeled after an English tea room of the 1850s, this establishment overlooks the Tiber River in Ellicott City. Tea is served in the traditional English manner. Afternoon tea Tuesday – Saturday, twice daily, 12:30 – 3 p.m.

Teavolve – Fells Point
410-327-4832
Teavolve brings the “tea lounge” concept to Fells Point, serving “specialtea” drinks such as tea lattes, tea sodas, fruit-tea smoothies & bubble tea. Open Tuesday – Sunday 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.; afternoon tea Saturday and Sunday with a reservation.

Tea by Two – Bel Air
410-838-8611
Choices abound in this charming little cottage where you’ll find 40 varieties of fine loose teas and many menu options. Open Tuesday – Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Thir-Tea First Street Cafe & Tea Room – Charles Village
410-889-7112
Enjoy a pot of one of the more than 30 kinds of teas and the quaint Victorian setting. Tea is served Tuesday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Saturday brunch 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

High tea! It’s the sort of thing that makes you immediately drop gears to a gentle pace from a less hurried time. The rushing and the chasing of deadlines and the frenetic, loud partying seems to belong to another world. And the Taj West End has just the spot for this relaxing little repast.

The lawn off Mynt makes for a perfect setting, surrounded as it is by ancient trees and lush foliage. Here, high tea is served on Saturday evenings at tables scattered across the grass.

In fact, it’s a champagne tea, just to add a bit of fizz to the proceedings. The teas on offer include the best Indian ones: Sungma First Bloom, White Tea from Darjeeling, Assam’s English Breakfast and Manglam Golden Tips and Nilgiri Teas. It’s certainly a selection that will please the connoisseur. Then there are Sri Lankan teas, organic teas such as Lapsong Suchong and Japanese teas. Also, flavoured ones and herbal infusions.

Even if this is tea, the serious coffee drinker will find lots to choose from as well. Single estate coffees from Brazil, Columbia, Costa Rica, even Guatemala, Kenya, Mexico and Ethiopia can be ordered here. There’s espresso as well if you want an extra caffeine kick.

And what’s a high tea without those tiny sandwiches and dainty cakes? The Mynt spread changes every week. For the sandwiches they eschew the usual white bread of English teas and opt instead for denser, more healthy multi-grain and rye breads. I had a mini open sandwich of smoked salmon, ham and English mustard, and egg mayo.

There’s quite a choice of sweet things — cakes, cookies, pastries and the like. The wafer-thin almond biscotti was lovely and so was the carrot cake with yoghurt icing. But I must say I was a tad disappointed with the rest of the spread. The scones, for instance, which should have been warm and buttery, didn’t quite make the grade. I found the Florentines much too sweet and the Sachertorte didn’t hit the spot either.

Still, because of the splendid setting and the fine selection of teas and coffees served in style, you’ll certainly enjoy lingering here of a Saturday afternoon. The traditional high tea is priced at Rs 500 (net) per person. Throw in a glass of Moet et Chandon and it’s Rs 750.

More entrepreneurs are reading success into what’s brewing with a buzzworthy option.

By Wes Smith | Sentinel Staff Writer 

LONGWOOD — Angela Chavers grew up in Jamaica’s coffee country, but when thirst strikes, she drives past her neighborhood’s trendy Frappuccino and espresso bar. Instead, she heads for an upstart place with a different buzz directly across the street.

“My grandmother said coffee wasn’t good for the brain, so we weren’t allowed to drink it,” says Chavers. “But I love the soothing white teas.”

The Olde Cup & Saucer Shoppe in Longwood is among more than a dozen area businesses turning over a new leaf in a Starbucks world. The friends-and-family-owned store on State Road 434 focuses on the “loose teas” favored by connoisseurs who shun bagged brands, offering more than 50 varieties from around the world.

“There is more flavor and more aroma in the loose teas because the bagged tea is processed down to a fine powder,” explains manager Carol-Ann Keevan, who sells tea leaves by the ounce but not by the cup.

Keevan’s son Bill and daughter-in-law Shawne and another couple, Justin and Paula Steadman, decided to open their first store last August after their research found that tea is a hot beverage getting hotter — even when iced.

Though coffee sales hit $11 billion last year, tea is not just for nannies anymore. Increasingly seen as a more healthful alternative to coffee with a more modest caffeine kick, tea has quadrupled U.S. sales during the last decade to $6.2 billion last year.

Sales of specialty teas are forecast to grow 10 percent to 15 percent long term, according to the Tea Association, a national trade group. There are about 14,000 coffee cafes in the U.S. as opposed to about 2,000 tearooms, but those numbers, too, are expected to increase dramatically.

‘The Starbucks of tea’

Tea-sippers don’t yet have a single franchise as omnipresent as Starbucks, but tea chains, tea shops and tearooms are popping up nationwide.

The Orlando area now has more than a dozen tea merchants and tearooms that cover a wide range; from the Teavana chain store at Florida Mall to the Asian-style Tatame Tea ‘n’ Sake in Winter Park and the urban vegetarian Infusion Tea in College Park — not to mention a growing number of English tearooms in Mount Dora, DeLand and at area resort hotels.

Pat Jones-Petrick is Orlando’s Mrs. Tea. The central Illinois native turned Baldwin Park tearoom queen makes no qualms about her desire to show the big beaneries her dust.

“I have dreams of my business being the Starbucks of tea one day. We are hoping to have three or four new locations open in the next 12 to 18 months,” says the owner of 2-year-old Trish’s Teas.

The Rollins College MBA launched her online tea store and tea-tasting enterprise seven years ago and has a tea-vangelical fervor for her products.

“Our whole objective is to get people to understand that tea isn’t just for when you are sick. It is for socializing and gathering with friends and even cooking.”

Her bricks-and-mortar expansion plans include campus communities, resort hotels and retail town centers. She also wants to expand the brand just as Starbucks has done by persuading men and teens to swallow a variety of teas and tea-based drinks and treats.

“The bulk of the market has been ice tea, but we are introducing other avenues,” she says, noting that “a person who drinks coffee is looking for a jolt. A tea drinker is more into the ceremony of sitting down and brewing and having the experience of it.”

Bag the stereotypes

Bill Keevan, co-owner of The Olde Cup & Saucer, hopes to attract and cultivate a loyal customer base at that startup store in Longwood and then expand into a full tearoom operation to offer the full tea experience, he says.

So far, his biggest surprise has been the age range of their clientele.

“I thought my mother would be the youngest person there, but that is absolutely not the case. It tends to attract more of those at the end of the baby boom generation,” he says. “I’m astonished on a daily basis that it’s not a bunch of little old ladies.”

The Keevans and Steadmans initially started their tea business as a “plan B” backup because both Bill and Justin work in the fickle world of radio. Keevan produces and appears as “Million Dollar Bill” on the syndicated Stock Doctor radio show from his home studio in Lake Mary.

Steadman is an on-air sidekick for Shannon Burke’s raucous radio show, which originates at Clear Channel’s Maitland compound.

To protect their radio guys image, Keevan and Steadman also stock a particularly testosterone-laden line of coffee at Olde Cup & Saucer. On a cruise ship several years ago, Keevan discovered the Ravens Brew coffee brand, billed as “real Alaskan coffee for real Alaskans and their real Alaskan friends.”

His Longwood shop stocks Ravens Brew roasted coffees such as Deadman’s Reach and Wicked Wolf java, along with a few macho types of tea, including Organic Gunpowder.

And as a veteran radio guy Keevan isn’t above giving the coffee joint across the street the shock jock treatment.

“I don’t see us as competition to Starbucks,” Keevan says. “Our customers mostly are looking to make a perfect cup of tea — unlike those who want a triple frappa-lappa ding-dong across the street.”

By John Morgan

A CAMBRIDGESHIRE tearoom has been acclaimed as the nation’s finest.

Peacocks Tearoom has been named as the UK’s Top Tea Place by the Tea Guild, joining the distinguished Dorchester – which won the Top London Afternoon Tea award – in the elite of providing the best British cuppas.

The Ely business won praise for an array of brews that takes in everything from Parisian vanilla blends to honest builder’s tea.

For owners George Peacock and Rachel Lemkov, the prize completes an astonishing rise since they opened the tearoom – with no previous experience of the business – on Ely’s Waterside in 2004. Rachel thinks undercover inspectors from the Tea Guild, part of the UK Tea Council, were impressed by the range of blends, the homemade cakes and the atmosphere.

She said: “We’re absolutely thrilled. We’re saying we’re twinned with The Dorchester! We wanted to make it like walking into your granny’s parlour, like walking into someone’s home and getting homemade food.”

Rachel bakes all the cakes and took a crash course in cookery after giving up her job as an antiques dealer – with partner George leaving his job as a solicitor – to go into the tearoom business.

As for the brews themselves, she believes the secret is in tailoring the tea to the taster. She said: “Good tea is about having it how you like it. We have a device in every pot that allows people to take the tea out and stop it brewing when they like.”

I went for the Pleine Lune, sourced from a Paris tearoom and described as a combination of almonds, vanilla and honey.

I normally have a passionate dislike for tea, but the Pleine Lune was a world away from the usual teabag fare and tasted great.

Photographer Alex Weatherill chose the Chocolate Imperial, a blend of chocolate and burnt caramel- flavoured leaves that smelt like a good pudding.

The menu, offering more than 50 different types of tea, takes in everything from Nilgri, a blend from the Blue Mountains of south west India, to Yorkshire tea and builder’s tea, a special treat for those who like to give an extra spoonful of leaves “for the pot”.

The pair travel as far as Berlin and Venice to source their tea, and regular customer Di Kingshott feels that sort of dedication pays off.

She said: “It is a wonderful place. It is the best for tea because there are so many choices. I enjoy the green teas and the Oolong – I’m not a PG Tips sort of person!”

Surrounded by the lush Himalayas, Iowans sip a cup of high adventure.

By MIKE FELLER

Each year, my business partner, Rusty Bishop, and I travel to some destination within the tea-lands to learn about new products to serve in our tea shop, Gong Fu Tea in Des Moines.

We also develop relationships with the owners of tea gardens so we can directly import the best loose-leaf teas.

So in mid-March, we headed for northern India’s Darjeeling district with a side trip to neighboring Nepal (not far from the legendary fictional utopia of James Hilton’s Shangri-La).

Darjeeling is a remote portion of West Bengal. It’s nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas and has been home to Indian tea production for more than 150 years.

We timed our trip to coincide with the height of Darjeeling’s “First Flush” harvest – we wanted to be there while the very first leaves of the year were being picked.

Our trip began in mid-March with a 15-hour flight from Chicago to New Delhi. From there we took a domestic flight to Bagdogra Airfield.

From this point on, our travels were either by foot or in 8-passenger mountain jeeps – the roads were actually that rough and narrow within the mountainous terrain that is Darjeeling.

We stayed with an independent tea buyer based in Siliguri, India, during the first part of our trip.

Thanks to his hospitality we were able to taste a variety of different styles of tea from a wide range of tea estates dotting the hillsides of both Darjeeling and Nepal – often on the very site of the factories themselves.

We were able to speak to estate owners and managers about this year’s harvest in comparison to past years. We were also able to evaluate many styles of this year’s first-flush teas with their very creators.

After bidding farewell to our hosts, we met up with the managing director of Poobong Tea Estate and began a five-hour jeep ride to his 1,000-acre tea estate northwest of Ghoom in Darjeeling.

He invited us to stay with him in the 100-year-old bungalow built by the British at the conception of the estate. We would rise at 5:30 a.m. to sample tea on the lawn while awaiting the sunrise over the hills that surrounded the tea garden.

We would then spend the rest of the day hiking over the estate’s three gardens, filming the workers as they deftly plucked the top two leaves and the bud of the tea bushes, then following them to the factory to watch the actual creation of the tea.

We would typically spend the rest of the day drinking tea – both out of traditional cupping sets as we evaluated the individual invoices with the owner and his managers, and for enjoyment as the fresh tea was paired with local foods for our various meals.

We left our host with an order for 40 kilos of our very favorite invoice of First Flush tea and we arrived home on March 25 to find it awaiting us in our shop.

NEW YORK/PRNewswire/ — Alice’s Tea Cup, the enchanting New York City tea house and restaurant which opened its first location five years ago to rave reviews and lines out the door is proud to announce the opening of Alice’s Tea Cup, Chapter III, 220 East 81st Street, between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.

This new location, Alice’s Tea Cup, Chapter III is 1600 square feet, with a one-of-a-kind “Alice’s Great Hall” mural and a large gift shop and bakery continuing the fantasy of the earlier chapters. A great new feature in Chapter III is the cake decorating room in the window of 81st street so you can watch the masters at work.

In addition to their selection of more than 100 sublime teas, Alice’s Tea Cup offers an exquisite, full dining menu including the city’s best and most creative scones. Alice’s Tea Cup’s trademark delectable teas and specialty gift boxes are available online along with their imaginative merchandise. Please visit: http://www.alicesteacupgifts.com/

Founded in December 2001 by Haley and Lauren Fox, sisters and native New Yorkers, whose enthusiasm for tea began at the early age of four when their father, a self described “tea snob”, taught them about the ritual of tea. The sisters, both film industry professionals (Haley as a director of development and Lauren an actress & screenplay writer), opened their first tea house in Manhattan’s Upper West Side where they grew up. Haley and Lauren’s complementary backgrounds are evident in their choices of teas, menus, decor and tea house expansion. Each location of Alice’s Tea Cup is inspired by their tea infused childhoods and love for fanciful story-telling with ideas and imagery borrowed from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

Here’s what the press had to say:

“On the trail of the White Rabbit on the upper Westside a sweet little restaurant that serves superb tea…” – The New York Times

“You’ll forget about any mad hatters driving you batty when you slide into the cozy rabbit hole of Alice’s Tea Cup.” – Time Out New York

“It has become a hit with locals and celebrities like Ewan McGregor, Julia Stiles, Laura Linney and the Olsen Twins.” – The New York Post

Alice’s Tea Cup is a comfortable and whimsical haven for adults and children alike. Private parties and special events available at all Chapters (but check out Chapter II where there is a full bar menu as well).

Chapter I Chapter II Chapter III 102 West 73rd Street 156 East 64th Street 220 East 81st Street 212-799-3006 212-486-9200 212-734-4TEA HOURS: Monday – Sunday 8 am to 8 pm; Breakfast: Monday – Friday 8 am to 11:30 am; Brunch: Saturday & Sunday 8 am to 3:30 pm.

For a peek at the menus, location photos and franchise information, visit: http://www.alicesteacup.com/

Source: Alice’s Tea Cup

By LaSaundra Brown, Reporter

From the quintessential black tea, we get some of our favorite ice teas. But from black, white, green and Oolong, stem thousands of tasty tea varieties. Tea at the Gallery in Knoxville is home to more than 100 teas, some of them blended by owners Elisa King and Colleen Hayzen. 

“You stop for tea for any excuse in South Africa, whether it’s hot or cold, happy or sad,” Colleen says. “Tea break is very important and we felt Knoxville didn’t have one so we wanted to share this tradition.”

Both ladies moved to Knoxville some 10 years ago when their husbands transferred for work. It was an unusual meeting that later transformed into business partners.

“Colleen had a bumper sticker on her car, and I was filling up with gas, and saw this bumper sticker and thought I would introduce myself to a fellow South African,” Elisa says.

They became good friends, and a couple of years after meeting, Elisa suggested the two of them open a tea room together.

“We just explore the wonderful world of tea,” Elisa says.

The tea experts at Tea at the Gallery can tell you anything you want to know about their delightful blends and flavors, except which ones are their favorite.

“It’s a mood thing, it depends on the mood we’re in,” Colleen says.

But the mood for tea in general is a feeling more and more people are learning to enjoy.

“People are becoming aware of the health benefits of drinking tea, but then the social aspect too of sitting around the table with a friend and spending time together,” Colleen says.

And with this new found love for the tea tradition, more and more East Tennesseans may be saying tea is their coffee.

Tea at the Gallery is located at 4501 Kingston Pike in the Western Plaza Shopping Center. They serve high tea Tuesday – Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Tea to go is Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.