This provincial had occasion to be in NYC last week, and enjoyed a most
pleasant afternoon with some native RFDTers. We met at Wild Lily, a small,
delightfully informal shop at 12th and Ave. B - I understand they have a
more formal store across town. The proprietor did a fine job of preparing a
pot of silver needles and then another of pu-erh from a been-cha. (We each
bought one; at a very fair $12 for the best pu-erh this newbie has tasted so
far.) They had a nice selection of widgets and pots for sale, including some
fine Yi-xings that I coveted but couldn't quite afford. Pleasant respite
indeed on a chill, rainy mid-winter day.

We then repaired to the Big Apple Tea House, just at the northern edge of
Chinatown. This place seems to specialize in gong-fu brewing, with a full
kit of pottery, pouring trays, alcohol lamp and water carafe, plus
accoutrements unknown to me, already on each table. A small group doing
business at the next table turned out to include a friend of the manager's,
who came over to let us sample what he was drinking and graciously left the
pot. -Not a small gesture, given the price of some of their teas: we ordered
another, and were asked which grade. Someone said, "the best" - which turned
out to cost $50 per person. (We settled for something more reasonable.)
Great tea and ambience both.

I then wandered around Chinatown, bought a cheap'n'cheerful factory
imitation Yi-xing from the back of a grocery store, and a handful of ounce
samples of unusual oolong and other teas from an apothecary on Grand. Jars
of dried lizards in front, jars of dried camellia in back.

Thanks to the NYC contingent for their kind hospitality and intimidating but
entertainingly erudite discussion of thealogical arcana. Sorry Boston lacks
(to my knowledge) any tea shops of comparable quality that would allow me to
offer similar tours to visitors here. Maybe my next career...

-DM