Tala began roasting in Libertyville in June 2017, selling online, wholesale and at farmers markets, and this was its first cafe, opened on August 11, 2018 in the north bays of the decommissioned firehouse on Green Bay Road. The building is landmark-protected, and the buildout had to work around preservation rules to keep that heritage of service intact, which is why the space still feels like a firehouse with an espresso machine instead of a cafe with a fire theme. The drink to order is the one you can only get here: Engine 37, a sweet and spicy latte with molasses, brown sugar, maple, cayenne and chipotle, named for the department that used to work out of these bays.
Beyond that, the menu covers a house Amoret espresso blend with notes of semi-sweet chocolate and almond, rotating single origins as pour-over or a Chemex for two, nitro cold brew, and a short list of cult drinks like the Bonebreaker with honey and lavender, the Miel with cinnamon-nutmeg milk and the Dirty Hippie with matcha, cold brew and lavender. Fall brings a house pumpkin spice and a baklava latte. It's open daily from 7am to 6pm, with sibling cafes in Libertyville and Winnetka.
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