Sometime during my college years, a teahouse called the Tao of Tea opened in Portland, OR. I often went there with friends during my holiday breaks and summer vacations. It was there that I was first introduced to the world of loose leaf tea (we were strictly a Lipton and Celestial Seasonings household during my childhood) and learned that there was more to tea than just black and herbal. Recently, Matthew Amster-Burton rounded up eight of the best teahouses across the Pacific Northwest for Gourmet.com, and included my beloved Tao of Tea in his piece. He's put together a wonderful selection of spots between Portland, OR and Vancouver, B.C. If you're a tea lover who's planning a trip to that area of the country, this list is a must-read.













