Old Town Scottsdale is having a rough time of it lately. Just up the street from the recently-shuttered Fine's Cellar is another defunct restaurant, Mandala Tearoom.

As much as I liked hanging out and having a pot of tea there, I thought Mandala's vegan eats were pretty pricey -- not surprised that this place didn't survive the recession.

But the tea trend is still brewing. There's a new place called TeaGschwender in the same hood as Mandala, and up on Bell Road is the new WhiteAugust Tea Company. There are even more tea-centric spots around town, which I covered in my column over a year ago. Read it here.

• Chow Bella