Restaurant for Two: a feature where I bring a friend to a restaurant and we write a review together. My pal, Lindsay, and I tried out Prairie Grass Cafe in Northbrook for brunch recently.
Prairie Grass’s menu is separated into meals more typically thought of as “breakfast” and “lunch.” Lindsay and I, we took our breakfast seriously this day. Our meal started out with a Cinnamon Almond Coffee Cake. The dish came out warm with icing sliding down the sides. While this was a special for the day, I sincerely hope they keep it on the menu forever and ever because it was the best coffee cake I’ve ever had.
Another of the day’s specials was the Quinoa Cake (not like the sweet cake above) topped with a poached egg and hollandaise sauce, and set in a sweet tomato sauce.
In the “sweets section” of the breakfast menu, there is a plethora of goodies for the sweet tooth, including all sorts of pancakes like lemon ricotta, chocolate chip, blueberry, and buttermilk. We stuck with the “specials” theme and ordered the Pumpkin Cream Cheese French Toast, topped with fresh grilled pumpkin slices.
On the savory side, the menu is chock-full of omelet choices, including the one pictured below: the Local Omelet. The farmer’s eggs were made with River Valley Ranch mushrooms and goat cheese. All omelets are served with breakfast potatoes, sliced tomatoes or mixed greens, and your choice of toast.
Prairie Grass’s brunch menu is most well-known for its selection of Benedicts, including the Portobello Mushroom Benedict. Two panko-crusted Portobello mushrooms replace the English muffins and were topped with spinach, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce.
Lindsay and I skipped the boozy brunch since we were driving back to the city. Instead, we ordered the Strawberry-Banana Smoothie and the Local Honey Matcha Tea. Both were refreshing, and while the smoothie was sweet and fruity, the matcha was earthy and smooth.
An awesome bonus to the delicious meal we shared was that there was live jazz music playing! The first Saturday of every month is a Jazz Brunch – how cool!
601 Skokie Blvd.
Northbrook, IL
New City Life Adventure 