Prairie Fire

I found this gem on GDine and would certainly recommend it. We had a party of 12 and had some complications setting up the reservation. This is where Prairie Fire really shined through. After mistakenly signing up for the wrong night, Mari from Prairie Fire called me because she noticed I may have been off. She was INCREDIBLY accommodating and changed the date for me.
The food was good and worth the trip, but Mari’s hospitality was really what one me over and will have me returning.

We came here for dinner last night and let’s just say there was nothing left on our plates when we left!
We both started off with salads. I had the Beet Salad and it was super tasty! Paired with goat cheese and crushed up walnuts, it was very fresh and light tasting. My date had the Terrine of Amish Blue Cheese salad and he absolutely loved it. The log of blue cheese on the plate was enormous and it was rolled in crushed pistachios with some grapes throughout. Um, AMAZE! I of course had to steal a bite and it was a very light and creamy blue cheese. Delish!
For our entrée’s I ordered the Ahi Tuna. O-​M-​G. It was obviously slightly seared on the outside and served with mushrooms and bok choy in this sauce that was out of this world. It was a mix between a spicy soy sauce with sesame. The sauce was by far the best part of the dish. It was just so delicious. My date had the Crispy ½ Duck and his was also out of this world. The duck was cooked perfectly and wasn’t too dry. It was served with a corn relish on the side, which complimented the duck very well. We ended up dipping some of his duck/​the crispy skin in my broth and we were in heaven!
OK, now comes the best part of the meal… the dessert. We ordered the Warm Sticky Toffee Date Cake. The description says enough. It was served fresh out of the oven and the cake tasted just like a banana bread with a scoop of ice cream on top with a sticky sauce underneath. It was out of this world. I cant even put into words how delicious this dessert was. It was so good we discussed it hours later because we couldn’t get it off our minds.
I would definitely recommend a night out at Prairie Fire. The food is spot on and the desserts are amaze. Our service was pretty good as well, although my date was a little creeped out by our server. Great spot in the West Loop!

Not bad if you’re in the area, but not a must-​do.
I actually like the interior design which is probably enhanced a bit by the Near West Side locale (the wood/​leather bar and furniture lend a classy modern feel to the concrete and steel surroundings of apartment and business buildings and El trains).
I was dined on the corporate dollar, so was served a prix fixe menu. The opening caesar salad was suitable, yet drenched in dressing. The baked chicken entrée I had was definitely nice and tender, with a side of green beans and potatoes.
I had to summon some discipline from the Gods to NOT order dessert. The berry tart with ice cream looked delish, but I’m trying to get my sexy back.

This review is for brunch only… but I am dying to go back for dinner.
Excellent bloody mary and mimosas. Highlights were the lemon ricotta pancakes, the salmon benedict, but the huge treat was the bacon waffle (a special).
Normally I don’t venture downtown for brunch, but this time I am so glad I did. A must try for brunch just outside of the loop.

We were looking for an adequate, low-​key place to have brunch where we could be sure to get a table on Sunday morning and that wasn’t too far from the Loop. That’s exactly what we got.
The food we ended up with (bacon and eggs, potato skins, chilaquiles) was a little on the heavy side. The breakfast dishes would have benefited from more prevalent vegetables. But the berries were excellent, and the setting and atmosphere were just what we needed.
(The dramatic pictures of prairie fires on the walls put us a little bit in mind of the weird restaurant in Naked Gun 2 ½, but there was no sign of any pictures of Michael Dukakis.)

This place was fine. been meaning to give it a try since i live so close by.
Came in for brunch.
1. Ambiance– agreed about the hotel comment– it’s low-​key nice, with very cool semi-​cricle booths.
2. Service– fine– nothing terrible or excellent.
3. Food– fine… nothign terrible or excellent– eggs PCG benedict and potato «skins» which was just very heavy.
4. price– fine.
overall– just a «fine place.» wouldn’t say its awesome. or terrible, but 2 stars b/​c compared to other restaurants, it lacks.

I really wanted like this place. School (work actually) was out early and I was walking by. I had read about Prairie Fire a while back and had been meaning to stop in.
I went in and it was dead but it was only 5:30pm or so. I sat at the bar and the bartender was busy so I waited and waited… and waited. Sadly, the music to keep me company just didn’t go with the décor/​theme — Jefferson Starship and Bryan Adams is what I remember. I’d expect something more hip and/​or jazzy.
Interestingly, while I was waiting, the manager greeted and spoke to everyone but me. I shed a few tears.
After about 20 minutes I ordered and got my drink which was good but not worth returning for.

Locally sourced food? Historic building? This place sounded like my cup of tea and I was SO very ready to try it. On board were my parents also keyed up about the dining experience.
As we walked in there was something about the dining room that reminded me of eating in a hotel. You know those restaurants that are located in a nice Hyatt or Hilton? Kind of like that. Modern and comfortable with low ceilings and big booths, but hotel dining. Not necessarily a bad thing, just an observation. It can also get pretty loud in here quickly, though there is a private dining room for special events.
The menu itself all sounded great from what we read but the server was not particularly helpful. I’m one of those people that always asks the waiter/​waitress for a recommendation but he wasn’t biting. On top of that he stood at several tables with his hands on his hips. Very odd, especially since Prairie Fire is a little bit of a finer dining location.
The food was overall very good. I had a salad I enjoyed with beets (wasn’t the best salad but tasty). I did love my duck from Maple Leaf Farm. Everything about it was well executed.
Innovative American food? Maybe, but this restaurant needs to add a little bit of that fire to their prairie.

I enjoyed Prairie Fire and would go back. My husband and I went there last night with two other couples, and I think it’s safe to say that we were all pleased.
Everything I had was delicious (a Cakebread wine, parsnip soup, parmesan crusted tilapia with creamed spinach, a warm chocolate cake and a cappuccino).
Service was top-​notch — experienced, informed, attentive but not overbearing.
The only thing that I wasn’t thrilled with was the dining room itself, which seemed a bit spartan and lacking in atmosphere.

Chalk up another victory for restaurant week. After years of disappointing experiences during this week of gluttony, we finally hit pay dirt.
Prairie Fire is Awesome with a Capital A. This swank little eatery is offers everything you need for a wonderful dining experience, delicious food, top notch service and a fun atmosphere. To me, there is nothing better than being in a packed restaurant surrounded by people who are enjoying themselves. My wife and I were surrounded by nothing but smiles and laughter throughout our whole meal. In my humble opinion, the difference between a good restaurant and a great restaurant is the vibe. You can literally feel that fun vibe at Prairie Fire when you walk in the door.
The food? Well that’s where Prairie Fire really shines. We ordered off the prefixed, restaurant week menu. This menu had something for everybody. As my appetizer, I went with the Chorizo Pizza. This generous portion of Za was loaded with Chorizo, or as I like to call it, the Mexican Nectar of the Gods. This take on Neapolitan Pizza is wonderful.
My entrée can only be described as Drool-​o-​licous. I ordered their signature, beef brisket that’s served on a bed of mashed potato’s with carrots and peas. The meat was tender, juicy and marinated to the nines with flavor. The potato’s were creamy and delicious. This dish was so good that I actually ate the vegetables, and I hate veggies more than a kick in the groin.
The desert was a perfect example of why the rest of the world hates America. The double chocolate cake at Prairie Fire is pure decadence. We are talking a sugar coma from hell. With every bite I could feel my blood sugar rise. By the time I finished it, I was in severe need of a insulin shot. Not that I’m complaining, the desert was amazing.
The delicious bottom line on my visit the Prairie Fire is: Amazing food, great service and wonderful people make this fabulous eatery a place that I can’t wait to return to. It’s the perfect place to blow off some steam, have a few cold ones and enjoy a fun dining experience. I can’t recommend Prairie Fire enough.

Prairie Fire was the perfect start to Restaurant Week 2011. Excellent service, excellent food — what more can you ask for?
I started off with the Citrus Marinated Beet Salad, which came with goat cheese and toasted hazelnuts. The beets were fresh and delicious, the toppings perfectly proportioned with the right combination of textures and flavours. Andy had the chorizo pizza, which while good, tasted more like Italian sausage than chorizo to me.
I then had the fish, which was salmon that night. A very nice cut of fish, flaky, excellently seasoned. It came on a bed of mashed potato and some kind of vegetable — I couldn’t determine whether it was parsnip or white asparagus? Either way, it was good! Andy had the brisket, which came almost like a stew over mashed potatoes.
For dessert, I had the pie of the day which was cherry (and the last piece too! After that they changed it to lemon chiffon or something like that). The crust was awesome — very flaky and light, with a nice tart cherry filling. Andy had chocolate cake which was good, but not compared to my pie!
My one issue with this place is the décor. It is oddly bland and reminds me of dining rooms in mid range hotels. In fact, the hotel restaurant we went to for Valentines Day (Lockwood) was WAY nicer than this. This is very pedestrian with the grey carpet and cream walls. And the artwork (more like stock photos mounted on foam core) are pointless, as well as the lights with the covers that have the fire print on them. They have a nice base with the furniture and lighting, they just need to amp it up a bit.

Finally made it out here for brunch and if it were up to me I would have brunch everyday!
I ordered the egg white only Mediterranean omelet and fruit smoothie.
It was the perfect amount of spinach and feta. The side of potatoes were sauteed with onions and had the perfect crunch on the outside.
The multi gran toast with fresh raspberry preserve was also delicious.
The fresh fruit smoothie was just ok but overall the brunch was very satisfying and the price was just right.

This place is a COLOSSAL waste of money. Stay far away if you value your time and money.
I should have followed my instincts and turned around when I saw the restaurant ¼ full on a Friday night at dinnertime, but my girlfriend and I were cold and hungry, so we decided to give it a shot anyway.
First of all, the décor is ridiculously cheesy, and not in the cute, kitschy way. I get that it’s called Prairie fire… but does that mean that there needs to be 10 prints of actual prairie fires surrounding me while I dine? Not to mention the extremely strange TV monitors with alternating images of natural scenes. Really, don’t walk in unless you’re a post middle-​aged white guy — and I say that because we were literally the only females there not accompanied by men. Definitely not a gay friendly place, to say the least.
My girlfriend ordered the chorizo pizza, which is a great idea in theory, but in reality just a small, pale, sticky imitation of a pizza with chorizo sparingly drizzled around it. Seriously, you can’t even taste the chorizo. The saving grace was the sour cream plopped on top, but who wants to pay $ 10+ for bread and sour cream? (And calories, for that matter!)
I had the penne pasta, which was decent, but not decent enough to cough up $ 14 dollars for it.
My advice: SKIP IT.

My friend picked this place because she had a good experience with Prairie Grass in the ‘burbs.
The experience here was A-​OK — they were running late on their reservations and needing food first, waiting at the bar wasn’t much fun. The service was painfully slow and we literally had to be hawk-​eyed and loud to get our server back to the table.
The butternut squash ravioli and the french lentils were good appetizers to begin with (took absolutely forever to come out though); the phyllo entrée was not as good.
Very dull experience overall and while I wouldn’t say don’t go here, which 2 stars would indicate, I would just shrug my shoulders if someone asked my opinion.

Admittedly, I was not in the best mood when I walked into Prairie Fire today for lunch.
You see, I had noted the address wrong (I thought it was 115 N Clinton). This may not sound like a big deal, but I took a cab there and gave the driver the address. When we pulled up, it was a CVS Pharmacy. Obviously I realized I was not at the right place, but not knowing where to go, I got out of the cab. Then it occurred to me that it might be 115 South Clinton that I needed to go to, so I started walking there. Again, it wouldn’t be a huge big deal if I hadn’t recently relinquished my crutches and still walking very gingerly. Anyway, when I got to 115 S Clinton, it was a Panda Express. Now I’m crabby. I texted a friend for the address, but then duh, it finally dawned on me to call the restaurant. Turns out it was 215 N Clinton so now I had to hike another 4 blocks. Taking a cab wasn’t going to work because Clinton is one-​way going south and I would have had to go way out of my way.
After all that, I arrived 10 minutes late and I detest being late more than just about anything, so I was crabby when I arrived to meet my ex. He jokingly asked for separate tables when he saw the look on my face, but I knew once I had some food in me, I’d be as good as new.
The décor inside is sleek and modern, with lots of wood and ambient lighting. It had a lot of warmth.
Naturally I looked at the menu ahead of time. When we sat down my ex asked me if I knew what I was having. Then he asked me if I knew what HE was having. This was funny because I always insist on ordering for both of us because I am very bossy when it comes to food and he still goes along with it.
We (well, I) decided to order a mish mash of stuff: guacamole, spicy chicken wings, sweet potato fries, and a cobb salad. It was a random assortment but I wanted to try a bunch of stuff and those all sounded good.
The guacamole came out first and it was a huge portion. The chips were fresh and warm and crispy; and the guac had a nice kick to it. The rest of the food followed and we dug in. The wings were good, but they weren’t all that spicy and they could have been cooked just a touch more, but it’s not like we were close to eating chicken sushi or anything.
The sweet potato fries were out of this world. The cobb salad looked great, and was supposed to have come with dressing already on it, but when we started eating it, it was really dry. The server insisted that the dressing was indeed on it, but brought us more. We enjoyed the salad very much; it was fresh and had all of the traditional cobb salad components.
Since Sarah Stegner (the chef/​owner) restaurants are known for their pie, I wanted to save room. I was secretly relieved that the only pies they had that day were pumpkin and pecan. I no can do pecan and I’ll be ODing on pumpkin next week, so we nixed getting dessert, which was just as well, and got coffee instead. Even their coffee was delicious, albeit very strong.
I enjoyed PF very much and now that I figured out where it is, I will be coming back soon.

Dinner and a show date night requires just a few things from the restaurant I choose. We need to eat and get to the show on time, and please whip up something good for us. Prairie Fire was a convenient choice and a great meal.
We showed up like a couple of blue hairs for a happy hour meal. My wife had a work event here once before, but it was my first time eating at PF. The restaurant is sleek and dimly lit with dark wood, booths and screens showing nature scenes. There was already a decent crowd and we were greeted promptly by our server who kept us nicely paced throughout the night. The menu was interesting and very reasonably priced with apps around $ 6 and entrees from the low teens topping out in the thirties. There was plenty to choose from and a lot of seasonal and local options. We started with the Baked Feta Cheese, Spicy Banana Peppers & Tomatoes and the Citrus Marinated Beet Salad, «Capriole Farm» Goat Cheese & Toasted Hazelnuts. Like an idiot, I dove right in to the bubbling crock of feta and singed the roof of my mouth. I don’t know what I was thinking with that jackass move, but it was pretty tasty. The beets were a nice tangy cool down. We enjoyed both of our starters. For our entrees Kris had the Center Cut Ahi Tuna, Seared Rare, Baby Bok Choy, «River Valley Ranch» Shiitake Mushrooms in a Spicy Soy Sauce. I think she gets this type of preparation about every other time she gets Ahi. But, she really liked it and I thought it was very good too. I had the «Mint Creek Farms» Handcrafted Lamb Sausage Grilled Fall Vegetables, Crumbled Goat Cheese, Pine Nuts & Balsamic Reduction. This came with lentils and grilled pumpkin. Portions were very big and this was a lot of food. The sausage was well seasoned and the sides were a tasty compliment. I was very pleased. For dessert we wavered between the sticky toffee date cake (it was date night after all) and the pumpkin pie. In the end, we got a few coffees and the pumpkin pie. It was a generous slice and was quite good. Our server was quick and timely with refills and had us out the door with more than enough time to get to the Bard’s classic tale of star crossed lovers.
No story of woe here. Excellent food at good prices and walking distance from home. That’s a winner to me.

I agree with Laura B and Becky M
1. The food is fantastic and 2. Where ARE the masses?
a friend and I popped in on a beautiful Saturday night… but, unlike other restaurants with al fresco dining, this place was practically empty. The outdoor area had maybe two tables occupied, the bar was deserted and less than half the tables in the dining room were filled… it was only 8 a.m.
I cannot understand why!
The service was perfect! I have an allergy to onion… thus, I always have to ask how dishes are prepared. Add to that, my new ~ probably temporary ~ diet of no meat. The waiter was nonplussed and provided a wealth of information. He was quite helpful in assisting me design a yummy meal.
I started with the salad of the day, that can only be described as divine! It was a yummy chopped salad comprised of tomatoes, cucumbers and avocado… tossed in the most divine balsamic vinaigrette and topped with a huge piece of panko crusted goat cheese. Sublime.
So, while my diet is bereft of meat, I do eat sweets… thus, I indulged in the toffee cake with homemade ice cream. Pure heaven!
There was not one thing I would change. Which takes us back to my original question… where are the peeps?
I know where I will be ~ soon! Back at Prairie Fire trying one of the other tantalizing dishes on the menu!

I’ve been to Prairie Fire three times– once was just for drinks at the bar, twice was for brunch. Since I haven’t been there for dinner yet, I’m giving them 4 stars for now. The next time I return for dinner, I’ll write an update!
The first time we were there, we just wanted to check it out as it just opened and we live in the neighborhood. So we sat at the bar for drinks. My Nordic Nectar was very good– it was one of those chick cocktails. The bartender was very friendly. We asked for the food menu just so we know what items they serve and he also told us about brunch and showed us the brunch menu.
The second time we went back there for brunch. If you’re expecting a typical brunch menu where you have a million options of breakfast foods like at other brunch specialty places, then you may be disappointed here. Prairie Fire’s brunch may not be as extensive as Yolk or Orange, but it doesn’t need to be. Prairie Fire has an adequate variety of brunch items and they execute it well. I had the corned beef hash with eggs and my fiancé had the open-​face smoked salmon omelette. We liked our food alot and our server was also very polite and attentive.
We went back there this morning for brunch again. I had the Signature Benedict and it was absolutely delicious. I’m not a huge fan of eggs benedict in general because hollandaise is usually too rich and creamy for me but the roasted tomato hollandaise that came with the Signature Benedict was so good. Also, I’m generally not a huge fan of English muffins because alot of the ones I’ve had are always dry but the ones that came with my benedict was light, well toasted and yet soft to bite. My fiancé had the Italian sausage sandwich and he loved that too. And now, let’s talk about the lemon ricotta pancakes which we shared. OMG. They were divine. You can ACTUALLY taste the lemon in the pancakes. The pancakes were also extremely light and fluffy. I felt like I was eating lemon chiffon cake! Our server was also extremely upbeat and friendly.
We will return for dinner to try their other food items.
I agree with the other reviewers though that the crowd here seems to be a more matured crowd, at least that was what it seemed like during the past few times I’ve been in there.

We went to Prairie Fire for the first time last night before a show and it was an excellent combination of service that’s on point, deliciousness evoking several yum’s, and mixed crowds including hip peeps, couples, families, and all ages. The classy, cool, and warm (all of it!) décor and the quality of the food will keep us returning.
Our scrumptious dinner started with chicken wings which were juicy and seasoned well with just a bit of kick and slow cooked French lentils with crumbled goat cheese which were richly flavorful and cooked al dente. Entrees were Moussaka (I am typically not a lamb fan but this dish is sooo craveable) and the Goat sausage with crumbled goat cheese and seasoned potatoes was a perfect combination of flavors. The desert: warm Apple Tart (typically others do this too tart/​sour or the apple slices cut too thick but this tart was light, perfectly seasoned, cooked apples — delicious. The Sticky Toffee Date Cake with ice cream is off the charts YummY!

Having eaten at the Prairie Grass Café in Northbrook, I was happy to see Prairie Fire opening up in the old Powerhouse space.
We went on a Saturday night. The space is still similar to when it was Powerhouse (which I thought was a little IKEA like, and lacks the «soul» of a restaurant I would go back to often) but they have added a bar in the front. Know that unlike when the entire building was Powerhouse that the New Line bar next door is not associated with Prairie Fire.
We were seated immediately for our reservation and handed menus. There were several specials for the day as well as a specialty drink and wine menu.
We ordered the baked feta cheese and banana peppers to start. It was good and a nice compliment to our drinks. For our entrees– I had the ahi tuna, my one friend had the Tilapia and the other the short rib as they were out of the beef brisket. All of the entrees were good (not particularly notable, though) and the Tilapia entrée was HUGE! Two big pieces of fish that she could not even make a dent on.
Know that each entrée comes with some type of side (either vegetable or potato) but if you want both– you will need to order it off of the a la carte menu. Entrees are reasonably priced with dinner and drinks for three coming in around $ 140.
My biggest issue of the night was with the service. Our server was inexperienced and we had to flag him down several times. He didn’t really know the menu and had difficulty answering our questions. The bus staff was more on their game in terms of helping us get replacement flatware, and more bread to go with our appetizer as our server was often no where to be found.
While Prairie Fire is, as the rating suggests «A-​OK», my wish would be that it finds it’s «soul». The space just feels sterile, almost like a suburban family restaurant feeling versus that special ambiance that encourages you to linger. It’s the same issue I had with the old Powerhouse restaurant although I thought it would work better for Prairie Rain. The service level needs to come up as well but that could just be new restaurant growing pains.
This neighborhood could use a nice neighborhood place. Prairie Fire has some of the elements right. But they definitely need to work on a few of the others before it will become one of those places that I rave about to my friends.