Almond Biscotti Tea @ Teavana
Tea is a topic that I’d really like to talk about more on the little dish in the future. It’s something that I really, really love and if other people do features like ‘wine of the week’ etc.—why not tea too? 
Also, I’d love to talk with others and find out what teas they sip and where they shop because I can really only think of a handful of places here in Dallas that have great offerings.
One of the places I like to visit most is Teavana, a nationwide chain that offers a really wide variety of loose-leaf teas. You can get the standard white, green, black, and oolong teas plus more options like pu-reh, blooming teas, and crazy-delicious maté teas.
It’s not my favorite in terms of ambiance and the overall experience (that award would go to a local shop that I’ll write about soon—teaser!!). It does feel a little “corporate.” However, I this store is wonderful for a lot of reasons. As I mentioned before, they have a really great variety and thankfully, all of those options are well organized. The way they have their teas lined up helps you get an overall feel of the territory (this feeling is also reflected on their website). It’s a perfect way for beginners to get introduced to the world of teas. Some other sites and shops don’t always make things so clear: mixing maté and herbals in with black teas, etc. when that’s just not so!
Each tea you buy from Teavana comes with an instruction sticker on how long and at what temperature to brew that blend (because as you most likely know, different varieties call for different times). Also, they offer a sort of tea crash course on their site that sums up everything pretty nicely. I frequent the NorthPark location and have always found the staff there very helpful and knowledgeable about teas.
Most important though is the fact that Teavana’s teas are delicious. I haven’t had a bad sip yet. I recently stopped in and purchased a tin of Almond Biscotti tea. Slices of almond and subtle hints of sweet cinnamon make this black tea like a dessert. I don’t usually add milk or cream to my tea, but it’s such a good accompaniment to the nutty flavor. It’s perfect!
Teavana
NorthPark Center
8687 N. Central Expressway | Dallas, Texas 75225
Other locations nationwide.
Man that is some good stuff.
I stopped in Teavana last year for while Christmas shopping and got instantly hooked on loose tea. I love the Mate Vanna (sp) and use the german rock sugar for it. I mean a free sample turned into a ton of trips to that place.
What do you brew your tea with?
What a great find! I really have to get out more. Unfortunately, I’m not a big shopper. So, I didn’t know this place existed. Maybe if I go right when the mall opens it won’t be so bad…
deacon-frost, mate vana!! i love it! that is probably going to be the next tea that i review from teavana! did you know that it has 100% of the caffeine that coffee does? and apparently the tea buzz is less spastic than the kind you get from coffee (i wouldn’t know though because i drink caffeine like nothing!)
i use a tea ball usually, but my sister bought me these bags from a japanese store in new york. they are fabric that you fold over into a little pouch. i LOVE them. going to look for some here…
haha… yes, margie, i hear you. i LOVE shopping but HATE dealing with the crowds. before i had my 9-5 job, my ideal shopping time would be like 10:00 on a monday morning. you can get so much more done then
if you’re at northpark, enter the lower level by the movie theater. tea shop is right there. in and out!!!
I always find the best parking spots at the lower level garage at Macy’s. The best entrance is off of the 75 service road. I’m not a big tea drinker, but this tea could just turn me into one.
Michelle, I love tea as well, but usually iced tea rather than hot. It seems that you may be talking about hot tea, but I’m not sure from your post. Be sure to point out which of these teas do well iced as well.
Ive been using this and its great at my desk when I drink alot of hot tea during the colder months.
http://www.target.com/Bodum-Assam-4-Cup-Tea-Press/dp/B00005LM0Z/sr=1-2/qid=1220391955/ref=sr_1_2/601-4426823-8786525?ie=UTF8&rh=k%3Atea%20press&page=1
Michelle,you know I only notice the caffeine in tea when I dont have it and I get head aches. I have drank some tea or coffee at least once a day since I worked at a coffee shop in college.
[...] (finally) getting a little cooler here, so I’ve been drinking a lot more delicious tea! I had previously mentioned wanting to talk more about tea on the little dish, but that idea got a little sidetracked after a [...]