On the Shelf: "All the Tea in Chicago" by Susan Blumberg

July 6, 2006 (WLS) -- Chicago author Susan Blumberg has recently published the first guidebook to drinking tea in Chicago.

Before now, there has never been a book devoted to the various tea houses, restaurants, and hotels in Chicago that serve and sell traditional and specialty tea. In recent years, interest in consuming tea has taken off, both locally and nationally.

Fueled by good news about the health benefit of drinking tea and a rising interest in alternatives to coffee, more and more locations serving specialty and loose-leaf teas have sprouted up around Chicago.

All the Tea in Chicago navigates through nearly 60 different locations and guides both seasoned and new tea drinkers through Chicago's growing variety of tea offerings.

All the Tea in Chicago offers short descriptions and reviews organized into 3 categories - tea houses and restaurants that serve loose-leaf tea, hotels that offer afternoon tea service, and shops that serve bubble tea.

Each review includes contact information, hours, and a series of icons that indicate whether the location has amenities such as WiFi, wheelchair accessibility, and are child-friendly or available for private parties.

The book also provides an index of all reviewed locations by neighborhood, and a glossary of tea types and tea-related terms for readers new to drinking tea.

For seasoned tea drinkers, a list of websites that sell specialty tea and tea products is also provided. Fun facts and literary quotes about tea on every page make this guide enjoyable to peruse, even when the reader is not searching for a tea house.

Susan Blumberg has searched the world for a good cup of tea and is delighted with the selections of tea she's found in her hometown of Chicago. She says: