Looking to unwind with a fresh cup of joe or a potent blend of tea? If so, check out the newly opened red-awninged Connections Video Caf�, located right across from the Lani Kai.

Co-owners Manuel Maestre and Hamoud Vanoni opened shop Labor Day weekend and offer customers an escape from the daily bustle with a wide array of coffee, teas and sandwiches, as well as comfy furniture to lounge on.

�It was a dream of mine,� reflected Maestre on opening the coffee house. �I love coffee and tea. But I didn�t want a cookie-cutter franchise like those other beaneries. I wanted something less commercialized with a home feel, comfortable and relaxing and bringing together different parts of the world. I envisioned a store where someone would walk in and get a culture shock.

Brewing harmony in a teacup

RIGA - “We want Latvian people to understand that tea is more than hot water, we want them to understand the world of tea," said Ilze Konovalova of downtown Riga's newly opened Chado tea house. Konovalova is clearly passionate about tea. When anyone shows an interest, she will rifle through the massive selection, pointing out the different varieties and occasionally lifting a particularly aromatic tea out of the bunch for people to sniff. Her narratives about tea always come back to her personal favorite, oolong milk. Her eyes light up as she talks about how each time the unique tea is brewed, the flavor subtly changes. The Chado tea house, which is now in its third month of existence, is hoping to set up a tea culture similar to the wine culture that exists in France, she explained. One look at the interior will show just how far Chado goes to achieve that goal.