Excluding water, it may be the world’s most popular beverage.

Yet tea used to receive little respect in this country. Black, white, red, green, oolong … whatever the color, some say tea lacks the style, the verve, the edginess, the pure panache of coffee. Perhaps because of tea’s lower caffeine quotient, it’s ofttimes perceived as a wimpy drink.

That’s changing, however. Not only does tea have restorative powers, some blends contain healthful antioxidants that are said to help prevent numerous maladies. Come morning, a stout cuppa java still may be de rigueur for most folks, but tea is gaining ground.

All the Tea and China, a cute and catchily named tea house in Ilwaco, Wash., is the newest locale to test tea’s waters. Deanna and Bob Partlow (he’s around only on weekends) have renovated a former shortbread bakery and transformed the space into a delightful venue to sip and sup. The tea menu lists a couple whites and oolong teas, 10 greens, a dozen black teas, plus red teas, chais and herbals and an Argentinean tea (called Yerba Mate).

Perusing the names of the teas from around the globe is almost as much fun as drinking them. Imagine what flavors await in a cup of Moroccan Mint or Mandarin Green, for instance. Or First Flush Darjeeling, Silver Needles, Twisted Leaf Assam, Jade Cloud, Hibiscus Ginger, Red Bush Chai, Cape Town Rooibos, Brown Rice, Dragonwell, Sencha or just plain Spring, a blend of rose petals, hibiscus, blue cornflowers and dried blueberries, which sounds like a slow sensuous walk through an early summer garden in full bloom. Teas are brewed in an attractive pot and presented at the table atop a warmer (a candle flame inside a ceramic holder).

“Each cup of tea represents an imaginary voyage” — the tea house’s menu attributes the quote to Catherine Douzel. True enough, yet we believe teas taste better with finger foods. The Iris Afternoon Tea, a triple-tiered seasonal affair suitable for two that’s All the Tea’s most sumptuous meal, includes crustless egg salad sandwiches, scones, fresh fruit (recently, sliced cantaloupe and apples), quiche, ginger snaps, cheesecake, nuts and candy corn, among other sweet and savory edibles. Muffins, breads, roast beef, ham tuna and turkey sandwiches, even a plate of greens, are other possibilities.

Three of us feasted for an hour or more one Sunday on the Iris Afternoon Tea and ventured our opinions on the various vittles. One dining companion pronounced the scones light, flaky and a pleasure to eat. I noted that the lemon squares were irresistible, but added that crustless sandwiches weren’t as appealing now as when I was, say, 7 years old. While sipping his Pear Ginger tea, my other table mate allowed that a major attraction of visiting All the Tea and China was its novelty. “There’s not another place like it on the Peninsula,” he said.

All the Tea and China, 115 Second St. S.W., Ilwaco, Wash., (360) 642-1345, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, noon to 3 p.m. Sundays, $3 to $17.95

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From the tiny kitchen inside her open again-closed again Wombat Moon Cafe, Jana Becken continues to purvey some of Astoria’s most appealing morning and noontime meals. Healthful, appetizing ingredients are the norm, and Becken is a stickler for the finest fixings (90 percent organic, she claims). She even grows some of the foodstuffs that show up in her scratch-made preparations. Apples, elephant garlic, pumpkins and zucchini are some of the seasonal produce she’s currently using in her three-egg omelets, stir-fried tempeh, quesadillas, fish tacos, fruit smoothies and such.

Breakfast is served all day. Among other options, you’ll find multigrain or Swedish pancakes and waffles, organic granola, sourdough French toast and whole-oat oatmeal spiked with raisins, apple and cinnamon and sided with maple syrup or blackstrap molasses and organic regular or soy milk. A favorite is “The Moon” scramble – three eggs mixed and matched with tofu and myriad veggies and accompanied by tortillas, salsa and sour cream.

Beyond 11 a.m., there’s a seasonal stir fry that might include every veggie from bok choy and broccoli to yams and zucchini. Tacos feature free-range fowl or catch of the day, and burritos and sandwiches, such as a tuna melt, a grilled three-cheese (mozzarella, Parmesan and ricotta) and a North Coast veggie are prodigious affairs. All times of the day, mangoes, miniature bananas, apples, oranges and other fresh fruits make appearances on pretty much every platter of food.

It may seem uncharacteristic given Becken’s penchant for nourishing and nurturing fare, but sharing space with Wombat Moon is The Cooler, a sweet treat and beverage parlor specializing in coffee drinks, bubble teas, 24 flavors of Cascade Glacier Ice Cream (four cone sizes, two styles) and other nectarean concoctions. Even if you’re tempted, don’t neglect Becken’s hand-crafted baked goods, which aren’t as sweet but are satisfying, nonetheless. Huge vegan muffins taste much better than they sound and run the gamut from blueberry and carrot-ginger to pineapple-zucchini. Cranberry-orange scones are made daily – try one with a “Moon” tea, Becken’s blend of turmeric, ginger root and orange peel – along with coconut coffee cake, lemon cake and chocolate chip cookies. Cupcakes and savory muffins are upcoming. Fact is, Becken’s handiwork would put many commercial bakeries to shame.

Speaking of which, it’s a shame the Wombat isn’t open more often. Phone ahead to avoid being disappointed.

Wombat Moon Cafe, 1008 Commercial St., Astoria, (503) 338-4490, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, breakfast and lunch, $4.25 to $11.25

Contact the Mouth at The Daily Astorian, P.O. Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103, phone (503) 325-3211 or e-mail mouth@dailyastorian.com