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M. Rohrs' House of Fine Teas & Coffees established its street cred long before the mall-ification of coffee. Mary Rohr opened this Yorkville-area institution in 1896 to furnish the locals with fresh-roasted coffee and exotic teas; happily, the coffeeshop's mission hasn't changed, despite new ownership in the eighties. Java buffs can choose from many dozens of traditional and specialty coffee varieties, including Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, Kenya AA, Jamaican Blue Mountain, Hawaiian Kona and Tanzanian Peaberry. The longstanding house blend is snappy and robust, while among the many flavored coffees, the blueberry cream is a pleasantly aromatic surprise. For chocoholics, the hot cocoa is stellar and the moist chocolate cake is a winsomely simple, appealing option. Tea-lovers, meanwhile, can revel in the back room amid dozens of bins of loose teas. There's a good Russian Georgian tea that gains complexity as it steeps, while the blackcurrent tea is clean and delicate. For novelty-seekers, a smart bet is the rooibos chai, a full-bodied, pleasantly spiced, caffeine-free red tea from South Africa (never mind that it's not officially a tea). M. Rohrs' also sells pastries, fresh cannoli, Mexican wedding cookies, Putomayo world music CDs, Bazooka gum, packaged soups, etc. Farther out from the cash register, the place takes on a college-shabby look. If distressed furniture isn't your bag, M. Rohrs' does a roaring take-out business. — Nina Mehta

Save 30% on a 5-pound bag of whole beans by paying cash, or 25% with a credit card. The discount is a flat 10% if the coffee is ground or divided into 1-pound bags.