Verduras Tea House & Café Comes to Broadway

A corner of Artasia, the popular Third Ward retailer for all things East Asian, has become a destination for sandwiches and salads. Verduras Tea House & Café (181 N. Broadway) is a spare and elegant setting taking full advantage of the brick walls, wooden beams and pillars of the old warehouse structure. It boasts a lower level near the counter kitchen and steps up to a platform with picture-window views of Broadway. Asian minimalism prevails. The menu is vegetarian and vegan (with many gluten-free items); there are homemade-from-scratch soups, salads mixing mesclun with vegetables and sandwiches served on an interesting array of breads. Ever have grilled cheese with goat cheese melted inside the triangles of a corn tortilla? It's a tasty treat.