Tary

Every year I come to Chicago for a conference. Every year I stop at Tary.

Tary is a Kazakhstani café and it is genuinely unlike anything else. The space is comfortable and easy to be in, with a nice mix of modern and traditional Kazakhstani design. Soft instrumental music, good natural light, and a staff that is friendly without being over the top.

The coffee is solid across the board. Standard drinks done well, plus some fun specials that use unique ingredients like Irish milk. Worth exploring beyond your usual order.

But the porridge is the real reason I keep coming back.

They always have a few different grain options on the menu, things like tary grain and rice, and I make a point to try a different one each visit. Every bowl comes with fresh jam, organic ghee, and high quality milk. It is simple and really good. The kind of thing you think about on the way home.

The service is warm and the whole place just feels relaxed. No attitude, no pretense. Just a café doing its own thing really well.

If you are in Chicago, Tary is worth going out of your way for.