The International Tea Masters Association doesn't award its Tea Master certification to just anyone. Tea Masters must first complete and intense Tea Sommelier Course, and then ace a blind tea-tasting evaluation, complete a dissertation, and pass a final exam. Thia McKann of The Path of Tea underwent this rigorous training to become a Tea Master—the first and only in Texas, according to Thia.

She lends her impeccable taste to The Path of Tea in Houston, a tea house that sells only organic, fair trade leaves. There are more than 150 teas to choose from, and they often coordinate with the changing seasons. You can pick up tea in two-ounce servings, more than enough to make at least 20 cups of tea. Yelp reviewers suggest trying the coconut oolong tea, a uniquely tropical blend. It's just one of many options from the impressive roster of teas, however, which includes everything from Chinese and Japanese green teas to Indian and Sri Lankan black teas.

Visit The Path of Tea's website to learn more about this tea shop near Siena at Memorial Heights!

The Path of Tea
2340 W. Alabama Street
Houston, TX 77098
(713) 252-4473
www.thepathoftea.com/
www.yelp.com/biz/the-path-of-tea-houston

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr/naama

Located just a short trip from Siena at Memorial Heights, The Galleria is a popular Houston shopping spot which has more than 2 million feet of shopping, dining, and entertainment. The space is so large that it even includes a full-sized ice skating rink, as well as restaurants like Del Frisco's, Rain Forest Cafe, and The Cheesecake Factory.

Shopping options at this Houston mall include stores like American Eagle, Coach, H&M, Lululemon, and Macy's. You'll find gifts and gadgets at the Apple Store, Sony, and Montblanc and other specialty items at Tumi, Swatch, and Godiva Chocolatier.

If you'd like to visit this Houston shopping destination near Siena at Memorial Heights, The Galleria is open Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. and from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Sundays. Check out The Galleria's website to find out more!

The Galleria
5085 Westheimer Road
Houston, TX 77056
http://www.simon.com/mall/the-galleria/

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/slightlyeverything

Birraporetti's serves Italian fare in a spot not far from Siena at Memorial Heights. This unique neighborhood staple serves a full menu of Italian food favorites in its rich and elegant dining room, while over in the bar area, visitors can sip on imported beers and Birraporetti’s famous Irish coffee. For brunch, the menu includes eggs Benedict and other favorites, while the dinner menu serves fresh pastas, seafood and stone oven pizzas.

Inside, the walls are painted bright blue, spacious wooden tables create comfortable seating options for any party size, and the eclectic bar is filled to the brim with all of the wine, beer and spirits you can imagine. Because the restaurant is located right in the heart of downtown Houston’s theater district, it makes the perfect dinner choice before or after catching a show nearby.

Birraporetti’s
500 Louisiana
Houston, TX 77002
(713) 224-9494
www.birrarestaurant.com

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/Angelo DeSantis