Prairie Grass Cafe - Northbrook, IL

[pounce]

You can order the same beef online from Tallgrass:

https://www.tallgrassbeef.com/ecommerce/catalog/

[chicagowench]

So so so glad I just scored us dinner reservations here tonight. Quick, anyone who's been recently, what are your can't misses?

(Why yes, this is the vacation we didn't overplan where we were eating, and now I'm scrambling!)

[ronnie_suburban]

So so so glad I just scored us dinner reservations here tonight.  Quick, anyone who's been recently, what are your can't misses?

(Why yes, this is the vacation we didn't overplan where we were eating, and now I'm scrambling!)

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I think the Untraditional Shepherd's Pie is a 'can't miss.' The skirt steak is also fantastic.

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[chicagowench]

Our party of 5 from the other night heartily apologizes to the staff of the cafe for shutting it down. Dinner was delightful- we all got something different (the untraditional shepherd's pie; the bleu cheese crusted Tallgrass strip steak; the Tasmanian wild salmon over forbidden rice; I had the gruyere, mushroom, and balsamic onions in phyllo; and my husband had the moussaka) and then had a mess of desserts. The stroll down high school/college musical memory lane only added to our good mood- instead of getting our loud, laughing selves out of there. Whoops!

[ronnie_suburban]

Wow . . . the months, they do roll by. All told, I've probably been to PGC 20 times since this thread was bumped last, maybe more. The Prairie Grass team continues to turn out consistently delicious, high-quality, inventive food in a comfortable, casual environment. Between the business and family dinners, late Saturday morning breakfasts and even carry-out lunches, I've come to understand that PGC is there for me when I need it to be and for that I'm truly grateful. It's hard to believe that PGC will celebrate their 2nd anniversary in just a couple of weeks.

I recently learned about a very cool program which PGC offers -- it's a kids make their own pizza thing -- which takes place every Friday during dinner service. This past Friday, we decided to check it out.

It's a very cool concept -- and one which my son ended up enjoying immensely. A tray of pizza mise and a pizza crust are brought out to the table. From there, the little one makes his or her own pie, which, once constructed, is removed to the kitchen for cooking and then served to its kiddie creator . . .

A nice assortment of accoutrements is brought to the table.

The crafting begins.

This pie is ready for its trip to the oven.

The finished product and a very happy customer.

My son really enjoyed this experience. Of course, there are tons of great offerings on PGC's regular menus which he also enjoys but this was especially fun for him. I can definitely foresee doing this again because not only did he enjoy himself, but he was also well-occupied while we were at the restaurant and he wolfed down the pizza, which he said was delicious, without hesitation. It's wonderful when a restaurant can orient itself in family-friendly way without compromise and frankly, more places should be following the example being set by PGC.

For the record, I had a delicious caesar salad and an order of the delectable, house-made lamb sausages, which are served with a wonderful assortment of perfectly grilled veggies (eggplant, zucchini, red bell pepper, carrot, red onion, etc.) and a judicious sprinkling of mild goat cheese. My wife had a beautful piece of grilled, wild salmon which was served over green lentils and apples. It was sensational. Again, my family has come to rely on PGC as our main go-to place. We know our son will be happy there because there are so many things on the menu which he likes and we won't have to 'settle' in order to keep him happy. What a concept!

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[chicagowench]

Ronnie, your son is a charmer and that is a brilliant idea on the part of the PGC team. I hope some KC area restaurants pick up on the concept!

[ulterior epicure]

Ronnie, your son is a charmer and that is a brilliant idea on the part of the PGC team.  I hope some KC area restaurants pick up on the concept!

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I echo wench - that's genius. Even better than SPIN! here in KC, where you only get to "assemble" your pizza at the order counter and watch from beyond a glass divider.

u.e.

[molto e]

RS,

Is there an age cut-off for the make your own pizza or do I have to smuggle your son in to get the job done

Molto E

[ronnie_suburban]

Is there an age cut-off for the make your own pizza or do I have to smuggle your son in to get the job done 

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LOL! I'm guessing they'd serve it to anyone but I'm honestly not sure.

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[ronnie_suburban]

I just learned that chef/owners Sarah Stegner and George Bumbaris will be appearing on WMAQ TV (Channel 5 in Chicago) on Sunday October 15 during the 8 am hour. Their appearance will mark the kick-off of Prairie Grass Cafe's first annual Holiday Cookie Contest in which the "Top Cookie" winner will receive an iPod and a dinner for 10 at Prairie Grass Cafe.

For details, check out their web site or call the restaurant directly at 847 205-4433.

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[ronnie_suburban]

We attended a very fun event -- an Heirloom Squash Dinner -- last Sunday at PGC. It was, by coincidence (or maybe not), PGC's 2-year anniversary and the special event was a great way help the PGC team celebrate. The menu was created by chefs Sarah Stegner and George Bumbaris. The wine pairings were conceived by Rohit Nambiar, who in addition to running the FOH at PGC, and being married to chef Stegner, is PGC's Wine Director and one of PGC's owners, along with both chefs.

The event began with a brief Champagne Reception and some delicious, thematic passed appetizers. The bubbly was an especially tasty non-vintage Dampierre, Cuvee Des Ambassadeurs which had a food-friendly balance and complemented the bites very nicely. We absolutely loved the "best ever" fillo triangles stuffed with squash and bacon but all the hors d'oeuvres were great. Neither my wife nor I could recall ever tasting such perfectly wrought fillo dough. It was, dare I say it, flakey-licious

I also really enjoyed the flatbread pizzas topped with roasted squash, caramelized onions and ricotta . . .

This combination was a real eye-opener. It was surprising to me the way the flavors and textures of the toppings worked so well together. The varying sweetnesses of the onions and the squash combined nicely and the ricotta balanced that sweetness very satisfyingly.

After the CR, chefs Stegner and Bumbaris gave a very informative and entertaining cooking demonstration . . .

Chefs Sarah Stegner and George Bumbaris attempt to train the untrainable.

A variety of squash including Carnival (2nd and 3rd from the left) and Jarrahdale (on the far right).

The chefs describe a couple of different methods for making risotto.

The chefs demo'd 3 dishes; 2 from the dinner we'd be having on this evening (details forthcoming) and another one -- a savory Carnival Squash pudding baked in the squash -- which contained caramelized onions, gruyere and parmesan. This 'side dish,' as chef Stegner called it, was wonderful. I immediately decided that I would 'borrow' the idea for this year's Suburban-family Thanksgiving dinner. This was not served at this night's dinner but we all got to taste it before the next course was served . . .

Roasted 'Home Grown Wisconsin' Root Vegetable and Apple Salad with Jarrahdale Squash Vinaigrette.

I loved this salad. The Squash-assisted vinaigrette was delectable. The roasted root veggies -- especially the cippoline onions -- were sweet and hearty. Chefs made this look so easy during their demo, that I really can't wait to give it a shot at home. I know it won't turn out as good as theirs but hopefully it'll be passable.

Next up was a tremendous risotto . . .

Seared Sea Scallop over Nichol's Farm Pumpkin Risotto with bacon and parmesan.

I loved the balance in the risotto. The squash and the bacon matched up well and made the risotto particularly compelling. The tender and rich scallop was, as you can plainly see, seared to perfection. This was paired with a Robert Young Chardonnay, Alexander Valley, 2004, which was just oakey enough to amplify some notes and compliment others. A great risotto and a great pairing.

The entree was also immaculate . . .

Venison Loin with Roasted 'Amish Grown' Delicata Squash and Poached Pear in Sauce Venaison.

You can pretty much tell just from looking at that venison, how succulent it was. The wine-poached pear was sweet, tart and perfectly tender. But it was the sauce that made this dish. It was immediately clear from tasting this sauce, the amount of expertise, time and care that went into it. It was completely 'old skool' and served to remind me of just how much world-class cooking experience goes into every plate at PGC. Yes, it's family-friendly casual but with 40+ years of Ritz-Carlton seasoning behind it. The pairing here was another great one made by Rohit -- Rosenblum 'Annette's Reserve' Zinfandel, 2004.

Last up was a surprising dessert . . .

Mixed Heirloom Squash Pie with Spiced Whipped Cream

I call this 'surprising' only because I usually don't like pumpkin pie or its derivatives at all and yet this was delicious. Of course, the pie at PGC -- normally made by chef Stegner's mother -- is stellar, and this was no exception. I don't know which chef Stegner made this particular pie or what types of squash it contained but it was really excellent. The filling was creamy and complex -- and not overly sweet. The crust was perfectly flakey and delicious. And the spiced whipped cream was an inspired accent. My 9-year-old son, who really enjoyed the dinner, was too full to finish his slice. We took it home where it finally dawned on me a few hours later, as I was snarfing down that leftover piece, "hey, you like pumpkin pie!"

Not only was it a great meal but I also learned quite a bit and got to taste some outstanding wines. I know that PGC holds these types of events on a regular basis but this is the first one I'd attended. I look forward to the next one.

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[molto e]

Senor Suburban,

That squash flatbread as well as the salad looked amazing. Does Prarie Grass offer these kinds of interactive dinners regularly??

Molto E

[ronnie_suburban]

Does Prarie Grass offer these kinds of interactive dinners regularly??

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Yeah, fairly often and they vary quite a bit. Recently they hosted an apple tasting and I know they've also hosted various winemaker dinners in the past as well.

You can check the News and Events section of their web site for information. And you can also sign-up for their e-mail newsletter as well.

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[ronnie_suburban]

This past Saturday Prairie Grass Cafe named the winner of their 1st annual holiday cookie contest. That winner was none other than eGS member gmi3804! Not only did George win the Chef's Choice category but he swept the entire competition by also taking the Crowd Favorite category with his delectable Capuccino Brownies.

As reward for his victory, George won an iPod and a dinner for 10 at Prairie Grass Cafe. He and the winning brownies were also featured on a segment of NBC's local Sunday morning news this past Sunday. Additionally, the brownies will be offered on Prairie Grass Cafe's menu through the month of December.

Congrats, George!

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