Waking Up To Tea

You can get it with bubbles, in smoothies, or in bags. Tea has come a long way from the old just-dip-and-sip days. Like coffee, tea is taking a turn for the organic, the single-sourced, the fairly traded, and the upscale. Connoisseurs can shop for a wide selection of teas in bags or on the loose – green and black, red and white, the relatively unknown rooibush, or any of the world's hundreds of exotic teas.  

While many people are still attached to their coffee mugs, the healthful and potential cancer-fighting properties of tea are steadily increasing its popularity. To satisfy this new craving, a number of cafés and loose-leaf tea shops are finding a receptive home in Chicago. You'll find more than one store to suit and educate your taste. Here are a few suggestions:

 

Argo Tea and Metropolis Coffee Company  (Chicago, Evanston)

This local chain is fast-paced and casual, with surprisingly sleek touches, such as glass-lidded tea pots. In its spacious cafés, customers are welcome to linger over a cup of tea with a side of free Wi-Fi. Argo's tempting tea-based drinks include Smooteas, Maté Lattes and Bubble Teas. Most of the loose teas sell for about $5 for a 2 oz. pack. Some varieties, like Darjeeling Champagne, are a little pricier. A Mikado teacup, similar to Argo's own, can be purchased for $12.95, and attractive teapots range from $27 to $133. With six area locations, including one in Lakeview and one in Evanston, Argo is heaven for tea-loving freelancers and students looking for a congenial workplace away from home. Note: The Hyde Park location is take-out only.     

www.argotea.com

 

The Coffee and Tea Exchange  (Lakeview)

This independent Lakeview shop is so casual, there are handwritten labels, even magazine cut-outs, on its jars of tea – making this place feel more like an old-time penny candy shop than its more upscale home-furnishing store neighbors. This is a great place for tea drinkers looking to get into loose tea. The prices are right, topping off at $20 a pound. The store also carries Tazo packaged tea bags, herbs, spices, fair-traded coffee, and Ghirardelli cocoa mixes.  

www.coffeeandtea.com

 

Liberty Coffee & Tea  (Loop-Chicago)

Tucked inside the Alonti deli in the heart of the financial district, this kiosk has no inviting couches and no Wi-Fi service, but it does boast the best chai tea latte around and 27 varieties of tea. Their chai tea is made from scratch, not from a mix, as in many other shops. Among the large selection of teas are Yogi teas for therapeutic purposes (hangovers welcome here). Super-friendly service is another reason to stop in. If you work in the financial district, Liberty is the perfect place for a morning cup of tea, and a must for chai tea latte lovers.

 

My Place for Tea  (Lakeview)  

The philosophy at this serene getaway with an Asian flair is that tea is a health food. Their selection includes pre-packaged tea bags and loose teas from around the world, like the maté from South America, and a wide selection of tea-based smoothies. The proprietor is instructional, friendly and patient. The store is quiet with no loud music or laptop workers. For fans of bubble teas, a bubble tea kit perfect for home parties is available for less than $20. Check out their Saturday tea tastings and online raffles for free tea.     

www.myplacefortea.com

 

Starbucks   (throughout the City & Suburbs)

Okay, so this place is known for its cups of coffee, particularly for $4 cups of coffee, but take advantage of the cheapest item on this ubiquitous chain's menu –a large cup of tea for less than $2. Starbucks serves Tazo-brand tea in its cafés, and sells a dozen or so varieties of packaged Tazo tea bags, along with some tea accessories, including teapots. A box of 24 bags costs about $10. Splurge on a chai tea latte for $3-4.  

www.starbucks.com

 

TeaGschwender  (Algonquin, Gold Coast)

The Gold Coast location of the international chain is a neat boutique that boasts 300 types of loose-leaf tea. TeaGschwender sells its own brand of loose tea and tea bags, including the Indian medicinal tea, Ayurveda. Tea bags range from $6.95 for 12 bags of the shop's MasterTea, to $3.95 for a box of 20 more common teas, such as Earl Grey. Packaged loose tea can cost as much as $9.95 for 100 grams, but many are less expensive. There is also a wide range of teapots and mugs. The service is super-friendly, with a daily selection of four teas to sample. Stop here for a quick pick-me-up in the middle of a Gold Coast shopping spree. Free shipping with online sales. This is one of three Chicagoland locations – the only ones in the United States for this German chain. The others are in Algonquin and in Lincoln Park.     

www.teagschwendner.com

 

Teavana   (Mag Mile, Northbrook, Schaumburg) 

This store is a small supercenter for tea, with a wide variety of merchandise crammed into a boutique-sized space. It’s a great place for finding gifts for any tea lover. Teavana sells a Perfect Teamaker for $19.95, a similar one for $17.99, and a large selection of teapots, priced from $39.99 to $99.99. Also on the shelves are cookbooks, chopsticks, books on Buddhism, decorative bottles of tea, and CDs from tea-producing nations, complete with a listening station. The friendly staff is ready with samples of tea. The store’s website has an offer that might appeal to an office of stressed-out coffee lovers: Spice Up The Office includes six large tins of tea, three Perfect Tea Makers, mugs, and other goodies, for $399.99. There are two other locations in the Chicagoland area – Northbrook Court and Woodfield Mall.     

www.teavana.com

 

Ten Ren Tea  (Chinatown)

For an authentic Asian tea experience, this San Francisco-based chain has an exotic but casual shop in the heart of Chinatown. Neat stacks of reasonably- priced tea bags with Chinese labels overwhelm the shop, but tins of loose tea designed for more discriminating tastes can cost as much as $139 a pound. Dieters' tea is also available, and thirsty shoppers can order bubble teas while browsing. The most fascinating item is what looks like an artistically inscribed black plaque, but is actually a brick of pressed tea to be sliced and used for brewing. The cost is $25. The service is knowledgeable and friendly, and free tastings are available.     

www.tenrenstea.com

 

Todd & Holland Tea Merchants  (Forest Park)

The teashop for Chicagoland foodies, this upscale store turns the thoughtful appreciation of tea into an art. There are dozens and dozens of varieties of tea, with descriptions reminiscent of those in a wine shop. A quarter-pound of tea starts at about $13, and goes as high as $95 for some of the more exotic leaves. The wide selection of teas, including the rarer finds, make this store unique. The knowledgeable staff is remarkably helpful to the novice as well as the tea aficionado. Sign up online for one of their tea tours, which is like a tea-of-the-month club. Customers won’t have any trouble finding a tea that suits their taste. There’s even a piña colada variety.     

www.todd-holland.com

 

SeeMore Shopping Contributing Writer - C. Magnotta.

We recommend checking with stores for product availability. Suggested prices may change without notice. SeeMore Shopping strives for accuracy, but is not responsible for errors or omissions. 

Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. SeeMoreShopping incurs all expenses associated with reviews.Publ. 11/06.