In this issue:

• Happy Anniversary party, March 11
• New Art
• New Teas
• Other events

Happy Anniversary!

A regular customer was in our shop recently, and asked, "how long have ya'll been open? Since around October, right??".  Well, that sounded about right to us -- it was only a short while ago that we opened.  At least, it seemed that way to us.  But wait a sec!  It's already been a year!  How time flies when you're drinking tea!!

Yes, Té is one year old this week.  We still remember the opening day excitement on March 4, 2006, complete with the rambunctious lion dance, and a tranquil Japanese tea ceremony.  That was our "Pre-Opening Party", and we officially opened our doors to the public the following week, Saturday, March 11.

It's been an exciting year.  Though tea houses have been popping up throughout the U.S., including Moby's famed Teany in Manhattan and the elegant Teism in D.C., the trend had not reached Houston proper ... until Té!  Our arrival generated plenty of media attention, including numerous articles and a TV show.  We've been very, very pleased to introduce not only quality teas to Houston, but tea traditions as well.  We've opened with the familiar Chinese, Irish, and Japanese teas traditions, but have been very excited about introducing our customers' traditions too, including learning about Turkish, Russian, and Iranian tea cultures, among others.  We want to continue this tradition of quality teas, cultural education, fair trade practices, and "being green" for the following year - and many years to come.

In celebration of being one year old, and to thank all our customers, we will be having a party tomorrow, March 11, from 6 pm to 8 pm.  You are invited!   We'll be serving free cake and tea, and have organized a few dance and music performances.  Come by so that we may say a very, very big Thank You to all our supporters :)

New Art

This month's artist is Linda Walsh, with her reflective exhibit, The Landscapes of Water.   This evening (Saturday), Linda will be hosting an artist's reception, so drop by to meet one of Houston's very talented local photographers, and enjoy her images.  All local art on our walls are available for sale, so support your local artists!

New Teas

A quick note: our very popular Fujian Silk is still stuck in customs in China.  Yes, international relations strikes again.  We do have a delicious Formosa Silk, as well as the similar Silken Oolong, from Thailand.  We'll let you know, though, when the Fujian Silk has arrived!

We're introducing two new teas to celebrate our first year in business:

• Imperial Matcha - this is a top-grade matcha, finely ground from quality sencha leaves, for use in ceremonies and tea rituals. Culinary grade matcha is already an excellent tea; this matcha is heavenly!
• Gyokuro green tea - Gyokuro Hoshino is an exceptionally fine tea from Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. Shade-grown, it is considered one of Japan's finest teas.  Traditionally, it is consumed differently than quality senchas: brewed in almost lukewarm water (120 - 140 degrees F), it is to be drunk slowly, savoring its deep green vegetal notes.  Enjoy!

Other Events

We were very proud to host an International Women's Day party this past Thursday, March 8.  This event was organized by one our regular customers, and featured an evening of poetry, music, food, and of course, tea.  We were happy to host this event as part of this world-wide holiday.  Té is very proud in being a Woman-Owned small business.