Best Teas '96

Best Tea Selection

Coffee Etc.
2830 North Campbell Ave.
6091 North Oracle Road

READERS' PICK: Here the slate of options range from the standard black teas from that tea-bearing quarter of the globe so steeped (if you will) in romantic Silk Road imagery, to herbals from just about everywhere, and a surprising range of fruit-based teas as well. The hot water is served by the cup rather than the pot, which may violate the Canon but is more conducive to sampling multiple loose-leaf variations. Bring your favorite book of travel essays to Coffee Etc. and idle away a Sunday afternoon contemplating the ancient tradition that is tea, all the while feeling smug about the serene example you're setting for those jittery coffeebugs at the next table.

READERS' POLL RUNNER-UP: Bentley's House Of Coffee & Tea, 1730 E. Speedway.

STAFF PICK: Those who think all cups of tea are made equal are obviously coffee drinkers. There's a ritual to tea, a timelessness and aesthetic expectation that must be fulfilled. One grabs a cup of coffee, but we take tea. And one of our favorite places to infuse ourselves is Cuppuccinos (ahem) Coffee House, 3400 E. Speedway, where, in spite of the jittery moniker, they've got the tea-thing down pat. Choose from some-odd dozen of loose-leaf Republic of India teas of unlikely characters like Vanilla Almond and Mango-Ceylon, iced or hot, by the cup or the pot, or even in a steaming French Press (for those who lack the patience to steep properly). The clear glass of the six-cup press allows you to watch your pot without letting off steam (no mixed metaphors intended). But if you're really looking to turn over a new leaf in alternative libations, try their Chai iced-tea, an exotic blend of concentrated black tea, vanilla, ginger and clove which hails from, well, Oregon (at least that's what they told us). This sweetly spicy caffeinated concoction is mixed with ice-cold milk, making it entirely unlike any tea we've ever had. For those with some qualm against taking the bean directly, your Chai has come.

1998 Winner: Coffee, Etc.
1997 Winner: Coffee, Etc.