Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse

Thanks to a sister-city partnership, Boulder [1] has the unique Dushanbe Teahouse (1770 13th St., 303/442-4993, www.boulderteahouse.com [2], daily 8 a.m.–9 p.m.), just a couple of blocks from the Pearl Street Mall [3]. It took three years for artisans in Tajikistan (formerly Persia) to create the hand-carved and hand-painted ceiling, columns, and ceramic tiles of the building before it was sent to the United States in the 1990s.

The rose garden out front and the creekside location compliment the delicate architecture inside. It’s worth stopping by just to gawk, but the teahouse is also a full-service restaurant and offers an extensive tea menu.