tala coffee roaster
428 Green bay road highwood il
Outrageously good coffee on the North Shore of Chicago prioritizing coffee quality over the aesthetic of the shop
Coffee:
My first entre into the Tala experience was a gift from a friend/client of beans. My fam was “over the moon” with the quality so I have wanted to go to the original shop for quite some time. Since Clyde and our intern were in town last weekend we made the trek to Highwood. The coffee is fantastic; today’s drip was the Ruca which was indeed rich but not dark with a great milk chocolate overtone and slight sweetness of the apple undertone. The combination of the Amoret espresso with its semi- sweet chocolate made for a coffee that you want to linger over….and we did. Clyde’s cortado had great consistency and the side car of seltzer is a welcome addition.
Barista:
Our host was friendly and patient with our questions, but was not necessarily interested in the conversation. The baristas seemed more intent on talking to each other instead of the patrons. Maybe it was due to the early morning, but lumps of goodness was not the theme.
Vibe:
A repurposed fire building??? Sign me up! Rollaway doors? Even better!! Plenty of light??? Yup. However, they have not utilized this space to accentuate its history nor making it comfortable for the customer. There is only one type of seating and it’s on metal stools and chairs that would defy the lingering over coffee. There is no art work to speak of with the exception of the old Highwood map. There was a great piece in the hallway of the Highwood fire truck that should have been out in the main space. When we arrived there was no music and when it did come on, it was only in the main room seemingly coming from one Sonos speaker. Honestly, it is hard to get excited about the surroundings…so much promise for creativity that was not realized.
Make You Better
Per the vibe above, I think a concentration on variety of seating, floor coverings, art work and an adequate sound system would elevate the experience befitting the awesome quality of the coffee.
MCM