Tea, according to Tea's Me owner Wayne Ashford, is a longevity drink, something that bolsters health and encourages relaxation. He designed his cafe to underscore tea's strengths, and the environment is quite soothing, but in a contemporary way rather than the lace-doily way that tea might call to mind.

The cafe arose from Ashford's own passion for tea (and music -- he hosts jazz and other "tea-enhancing" musicians every few weeks), and he shares that passion with guests. It's enough to make even a devout coffee drinker reconsider, if only long enough for a pot of silver needle tea.

The Food

A blackboard at the front of the cafe runs down the menu. Sandwiches make up the bulk of it (after tea, that is). Tea's Me uses homemade bread and meats and cheeses from Boar's Head, the apex of deli-product purveyors. In addition to the turkey or ham route, you can go for a peanut-butter-and-jelly, a chef salad or the soup of the day.

Sandwich choices come hot or cold with Sun Chips or potato salad and a small mixed-greens salad.

The grilled tomato treat ($6.95) includes tomato slices, mozzarella, Swiss, and pesto. Want your tuna melt ($6.95) with lettuce and tomato? You pay 15 cents extra for the pleasure. The sandwich otherwise has a thick layer of pretty standard tuna salad and your choice of cheese.

A 20-ounce pot of Evening in Missoula herb tea ($2.75, plus 25 cents for a hit of liquid cane sugar) and another of Japanese Cherry were the result of our long deliberation over the dizzying tea options and some sample sniffs from the containers of loose tea.

Tea's Me offers a few homemade sweets -- lemon bars, cookies, scones and carrot cake. We finished with a cranberry chocolate chip scone ($1.95) that had a goodly amount of fruit and chocolate, and little sugar.

The Service

Chances are good Ashford will be there to not only guide your tea selection but also expound on the variations and benefits of his teas. His zeal is sincere and infectious. Show up when he's not working and the educational part of the visit is less likely, but the service doesn't lag.

The Atmosphere

The decor is slick enough that I asked Ashford who decorated. "You're looking at him," came the answer. Soft gold walls surround seating areas that include etched stainless-steel tables or black leather chairs grouped around a fireplace. Wood details, like the tea bar and a large display shelf of tea pots, cozy up the contemporary vibe.

The Price

At $23.76 (plus a couple bucks in the tip jar), it's an inexpensive lunch for two. The sandwiches are much more economically priced than the teas, which can get pretty steep for the rare varieties.

Next Time

I'll skip the sweetener, which despite my ordering it "very light" was ragingly strong. With nearly 100 teas on the menu, even a weekly visit won't exhaust the possibilities for a couple of years.

-- By Traci Cumbay / Star Correspondent, 1/5/2007