Best Bulk Tea Selection

The beer renaissance has had its day in the United States. You're drinking better coffee these days than you were a decade ago, but it's costing you three or four times more than the old stuff did. What's next? Tea. After water, tea is the most consumed beverage in the world, so it's about time we Americans get with the program. And Seven Cups, which specializes in rare, handcrafted Chinese teas, is your favorite spot in town to do so. Whether you're an aficionado of white tea, green tea, yellow tea, black tea, oolong or one of the many others that we would probably spell incorrectly if we tried, Seven Cups is a tea drinker's dream. While you're there, sample a cup and a pastry. And if you're a novice, don't worry about looking silly trying to figure it all out; proprietors Austin Hodge and Zhu Ping couldn't be happier to answer all your questions and send you home with exactly what you're looking for. After a visit to Seven Cups, two words come to mind: Serenity now.

Runners up:

2. Food Conspiracy Co-op, 412 N. Fourth Ave., 624-4821, www.foodconspiracy.org

3. TIE

17th Street Market, 840 E. 17th St., 792-2588, www.treasureshidden.com

Casbah Tea House, 628 N. Fourth Ave., 740-0393, www.casbahteahouse.com