Today’s special guests on “The Simple Life”–Sarah Stegner and George Bumbaris?
Strange, but true. The chef duo that pushed the Ritz-Carlton Dining Room to four stars decided, back in August, to leave the world of fine china and 300-thread-count tablecloths to open a decidedly simpler operation in Northbrook.
I assumed Stegner and Bumbaris were just easing back the throttle a little; instead, they slammed on the brakes.
I expected simple; I didn’t expect shrimp cocktail and pumpkin pie simple.
Open since mid-October, Prairie Grass Cafe is a delightful little haven of approachable food, frill-free surroundings and very friendly prices. Oh, you can still get a $25-plus steak and knock it back with a really expensive wine. But those are the exceptions, not the rule. Most of the entrees are $18 or less.
The dining room capably evokes a prairie-style sensibility, which is remarkable when you realize how little of it was Bumbaris and Stegner’s making. Much of the current decor elements–the soaring ceilings, the cultured-stone walls, the plank floors–were leftovers from the previous tenant, Stonefish Grill. What’s new are some dramatically oversized chandeliers and the room’s focal point: a series of six widescreen plasma TVs that display nature scenes shot by documentary-maker/former news anchor Bill Kurtis, who is a partner in the restaurant. (The art on the walls, some of it commissioned, comes from Kurtis’ gallery.)
No tablecloths here; just sturdy wood tables, set with cute blue-green glass bread plates. No hushed, carpeted atmosphere either; the room buzzes (moderately, for the most part) with conversation ricocheting off the hard surfaces.
This place is a long way from the Ritz-Carlton. Yet, Stegner maintains, not so far as you might think.
“In the main, the food here is not at all different than what I did at the Ritz-Carlton,” Stegner says. “Some of these dishes [at Prairie Grass] are things we’ve served for years [in the Ritz-Carlton], but back there they were garnishes. Our lamb sausage with candied fennel–we used to serve that with our rack of lamb.”
Subtle touches make these former garnishes worthy of the spotlight. One of the killer starters is the pate, which looks a lot like the sort of chicken-liver pate you can get anywhere. This version, however, is silky and delicious, served with apple slices firm enough to act as conveyances (which is the idea) and a syrupy port wine sauce that adds dribbles of sweetness.
Spicy chicken wings, grilled rather than deep-fried, get a muted kick from paprika, cayenne and hot sauce. A perfectly good crabcake is upstaged by its supporting elements–a wonderful roasted red-pepper sauce and an equally fine chilled corn relish with cucumbers and cilantro. Wonton-wrapped tuna rolls with basil are an aromatic alternative to sushi, and cigar-like pastry packets are like postcards from Greece, filled with braised lamb, onions, tomato and thyme, with a cucumber-mint-yogurt sauce.
The shepherd’s pie is close to becoming the signature entree, though it’s certain to take a menu hiatus when the weather warms. It’s a massive crock of braised beef and Swiss chard, topped with a blanket of mashed potatoes, parsnip and butternut squash, broiled in the oven, and it’s a perfect winter tonic. A more universal dish is the flatiron steak, a skirt steak that’s marinated in ancho chile and cayenne and black peppers–enough to give it spirit, not fire–and served with sauteed mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes and onions. It’s a great-tasting piece of meat.
If you want to step up in class, the New York strip steak is prime, and the 12-ounce hunk of meat comes with a twice-baked potato with gruyere cheese and caramelized onions. (“At the Ritz, we did the potato with truffles,” says Stegner helpfully. You’ll never miss them.) Grilled King salmon with a honey-mustard glaze is served over a tasty mix of apples and lentils.
The dessert list is, surprise, simple, the star attraction being “Mom’s Homemade Apple Pie,” which is really a recipe from Stegner’s mother. It’s a good pie, made fresh daily, although my sample probably escaped from the oven a few minutes too soon.
There’s also a sensible double-chocolate cake that doesn’t ooze or dance or tell time, but tastes good. And I’m a sucker for the strawberry crepes in Grand Marnier sauce, another bit of simplicity that simply works well.
Service is happy and efficient, quick with recommendations and generally on the ball. Bread, in the form of hot, crusty baguettes, arrives at your table (with soft butter) as soon as you’re seated and is replenished throughout the meal. The wine list has a nice balance of affordability and sophistication, designed by front-room manager (and Stegner’s husband) Rohit Nambiar, an affable presence who keeps service moving smoothly.
One dish made me flash back to the owners’ former place of employment; surprisingly, it was a burger. It’s a very good burger, but what tickled me was the presentation. The burger arrived with the top half of the bun flipped back like the ragtop on a convertible, the fries and pickle placed just so, the mayo, mustard and ketchup in separate ramekins lined along the rim–every square inch of plate accounted for.
It’s exactly the way your burger looks when you get it at a high-end resort hotel. Apparently, Sarah and George haven’t shaken off all the Ritz-Carlton cobwebs yet.
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Prairie Grass Cafe
(star)(star)(star) 601 Skokie Blvd., Northbrook 847-205-4433
Open: Dinner Tue.-Sun., lunch Tue.-Fri., brunch Sat.-Sun.
Entree prices: $12-$28
Credit cards: DC, DS, M, V
Noise: Conversation-friendly
Reservations: Strongly recommended
Other: Wheelchair accessible; parking lot; smoking in bar only
OUTSTANDING (star)(star)(star)(star)
EXCELLENT (star)(star)(star)
VERY GOOD (star)(star)
GOOD (star)
Reviews are based on no fewer than two visits. The reviewer makes every effort to remain anonymous. Meals are paid for by the Tribune.