Prairie Grass Cafe
New American restaurant · Northbrook
601 Skokie Blvd, Northbrook, IL 60062
Highlights
Modern American comfort food using local ingredients
Modern American comfort food using local ingredients
"Sarah Stegner (Rising Star Chef in 1994, Best Chef: Midwest in 1998) is a Chicago-area native, a co-founder of the Green City Market, and one of the best examples of the values and ethos that make the city great. Before she opened her suburban Northbrook restaurant in 2004, she spent 20 years at the Ritz-Carlton and won a pair of Beard Awards for Rising Star Chef in 1994 and Best Chef: Midwest in 1998." - Naomi Waxman
"Celebrate at home with a $130 dinner for two including matzo ball soup, slow-braised barbecue brisket with cauliflower mash, and flourless chocolate cake. Chopped liver, apple kugel, and extra slices of cake are available to add on. The restaurant will also be offering Passover specials for dine-in customers on Saturday, April 12." - Sam Nelson
"Sarah Stegner, the two-time James Beard Award–winning co-owner and chef, reached out to White via Instagram about six months after his nonprofit began, saying, “I don’t know exactly what you’re doing. But it looks interesting.” That initial outreach led to meetings and a roundtable she organized—one session included Paul Kahan and Rick Bayless—which then prompted Stegner to invite White to participate as support staff at events and helped integrate him into Chicago’s dining scene. Stegner explains her motivation clearly: “I thought, ‘This guy understands the value of our food system and he’s working with kids,’” and praises White’s approach: “He talked to me about [the organization] where he creates a space within the classroom around food to use his therapeutic skills and just by making that space safe, giving kids the opportunity to really appreciate and feel comfortable and move forward in their lives.” That collaboration helped spawn a pop-up diner series, “A Seat at the Table,” designed to bring together chefs, students, parents, and supporters; participants have included Paul Kahan, Ken Polk (Batter & Berries), Darnell Reed (Luella’s Southern Kitchen), and Tigist Reda (Demera)." - Ximena N. Beltran Quan Kiu
"In suburban Northbrook I can order holiday brisket dinners for two from James Beard Award winner Sarah Stegner that include salad, barbecue brisket, roasted cauliflower, and a warm sticky toffee date cake, with add-ons such as chicken noodle soup, tzimmes, and chopped chicken liver; call (847) 205-4433 by Monday, September 30 to order, with pickup 4–7 p.m. Thursday, October 3." - Sam Nelson
"Prairie Grass Cafe is involved in the Emilia-Romagna Dinner Series, with co-executive chef Sarah Stegner participating as one of the leaders of Chicago Chefs Cook." - Samantha Nelson
