Looking for a coffeehouse vibe without the hipster hordes fervently clutching an espresso and jittering anxiously after their ninth caffeine jolt? Tea Essence provides a soothing, herbal atmosphere centered around God's natural (and legal) gift to chilling out and relaxing.

Offering more than 90 flavors of tea that range from black to green to oolong to chai, the teahouse invites you to explore the aromas of each in little sampling jars at the entrance. This activity feels a lot like choosing between the lemonheads and the gummi bears at a candy store -- there's simply too many inviting smells; it's a sensual overload. The pepperminty/licorice black tea known as "mint velure" is sure to be a huge hit in the winter, while the black-and-white blend "Celestial" perfectly incorporates a dash of vanilla. That's just two flavors -- there's "Star Spice," "Love Letter," "Jasmine Pearls," "Fu Man Chu" and other teas with ridiculously pleasant-sounding names. A drink will run you between $2.50 and $3.50 (with $1.50 "tea of the day" specials) and each tea can be served iced, should a piping-hot chai not seem all that appetizing on a 94-degree day.

Inside, the walls are painted in natural tones of green and yellow, with plenty of sofas to sulk on and listen to the radio (the place appropriately likes to play uber-sedative tones of NPR). And if you're with a friend or two, what better way to spend your day then playing some of the house board games -- like the "I love the 80s" VH1 game of some "Friends" trivia? (Q: Which Friend uses raspberry shiny lip balm? A: Joey)

Centerstage Reviewer: Andy Seifert