Adagio Teas

One long wall of this narrow State Street storefront is taken up almost entirely by a substantial selection of pre-packaged teas; the other, by a blonde wood counter behind which eager staff stand by, ready to brew up complimentary samples of any offerings that pique your interest. Perhaps it’s all the identical packaging or just the general glossiness of the space, but Adagio—predominantly an online retailer whose sole brick and mortar presence is here in Chicago—gives off a faint corporate vibe. Yet its free and frequent tasting events exploring the world’s tea regions (“Passport to South Africa,” “Passport to India” and so on), plus the fact that its products are available in both loose-leaf and bagged formats make the shop a great entry point for tea newbies.