Tea, antiques, and pipes

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reinfuse it many times. (It's not actually picked by monkeys either, though it used to be.)

Did you know that the dragonfly is a Japanese symbol of new beginnings? For that reason, a cast iron teapot embossed with dragonflies is a popular wedding present. While Teavana also sells glass and porcelain teapots, heat-retaining cast iron pots are the best way to make tea, Auck says, and at $65 to $230 “there is a cast iron pot for every budget.”

A wall of drawers in the back of the shop houses various grades and blends of the big four teas: white, green, oolong, and black. There are also herbals, like rooibos (a South African noncaffeinated plant) and maté (an Argentinian herb with as much caffeine as coffee). And while one senses Auck's slight disdain at the mention of them, he does carry frivolous herbal blends like “piña colada.”