I can walk down aisles
in many stores with dozens and dozens of different brands with even
more teas to choose from.

snip

In the Bay area you have to go to
Oakland to find the selection and not SF.

Please elaborate. One day last year I combed Oakland's Chinatown area for good
tea selection. The places I found had the standard packaged stuff I see in
Chinese groceries and department stores in NYC, where I live.

Are you saying that some of that stuff is really excellent? If so, I'd love to
learn which brands and how to ID them from their packaging. Clue us in! I've
had generally poor luck with the Chinese grocery stuff.

Joe