I'm still full. Already ready to search for those beans to make with the chard & those lentils.

Happy to do it--you're all a pleasure to lunch with

I agree--this was a delicious meal --highlights for me were:
Apps: the lentils with stewed tomato and goat cheese, the stewed prunes with candied orange on the duck balloutine (which was also very good but that ORANGE-mmmmm) and the tasty pea tendril salad.

For entrees: the entire skirt steak dish including the different beans stewed with chard; the light and flaky pizza/flatbread studded with bacon and the portobello mushroom and cheese crepe which was surprisingly flavorful considering that it was sauce free (which I liked!).

As great as all the savory food was (and this is actually really out of character for me to say), my favorite part of the meal was the strawberry cream pie. Crispy, buttery crust filled with ethereal cream and lusciously sweet-tart strawberries that I think were sprinkled with salt. Whoa.

I highly recommend Prairie Fire for a group event--Madi (sp?) was incredibly accommodating and great with follow through. Service was excellent and the pacing of the meal was perfect.

Looking forward to going back (especially while strawberries are still in season!!)

See you all at C&G in a month!

Not to gush, but given B's organizational and personable skills, with or without LTH power, she has put together some awesome loop lunch packages. Even more so in this case, given the LTH cache.

Wonderful food and service and as always, love being among such great compadres.

Thank you, Jen, and to all fellow participants for elevating my dining adventures to the next level.

pairs4life wrote:I'm still full. Already ready to search for those beans to make with the chard & those lentils.

Concur on all counts. Both of the Prairie locations have a way with pulses; they know exactly how to treat them so they're cooked perfectly, speak for themselves, and harmonize with the other simple flavors in the dish. As at Prairie Grass, skirt steak in any preparation and bacony flatbreads are also can't-miss stalwarts.

I thought the only underachievers (and these are minor, both dishes still being perfectly pleasant) in the context of this meal were the fries and crepe. If this makes any sense, the fries were both not greasy enough, and had too strong of a deep-fried flavor to complement the feta and seasoning. All of the elements worked on their own, but I missed thinner potatoes a central acid like lemon zest to bring the mix together. I would have preferred the crepe more simply folded - it was piled pretty thick, and the layers were so delicate they deserved more space to breathe.

This was an expertly ordered and attended event - thanks, Jen!

I didn't eat dinner yesterday, and I blame it on the ridiculously huge, excellent spread. Thanks again Jen!

P.S. I'm typing this with one hand, and eating leftover bacon/scallion pizza for breakfast with the other. Good times!

Obviously, I have very high expectations for this restaurant and yesterday's lunch managed to exceed them. I was very happy with everything we ate but especially loved the crusty char on the succulent, perfectly-cooked skirt steak. The ancho seasoning on that steak is just, well, addictive. The medley of beans and chard with which it was served was also sensational. My other favorite was the panko encrusted halibut (Lerdawg was correct -- panko encrusted at Prairie Fire, brioche encrusted at Prairie Grass) served atop a delicious puree of pea tendrils, along with a mix of mushrooms, including morels. It's impressive to me that a restaurant that is so touch-oriented manages to turn out successful food, even when serving it family-style . . .


Ancho Marinated Skirt Steak with Local Beans & Rainbow Swiss Chard Ragout, Grilled Onions



Wild Alaskan Halibut with Pea Tendril Puree and Mushrooms (including morels)

Other dishes from our lunch, a few of which were mentioned above . . .


Duck Ballotine Pate with Cornichons, Whole Grain Mustard & Cognac Marinated Prunes



French Lentils, Slow-Cooked with Tomato Marmalade, Crumbled “Capriole Farm” Goat Cheese & Crispy Shallots



Pea Shoot Tendrils & Romaine Lettuce with Crispy Shallots, Apples, Goat Cheese & Sherry Vinaigrette



Strawberry Cream Pie



Thin Apple Tart with Creme Anglaise

As is the case at most LTH events, the company greatly exceeded the food. We had a great group and the conversation was lively. As others have mentioned -- and rightfully so -- Jen did a spectacular job of setting this up. Not only did she plan a great menu but she also did a fantastic job of planning and organizing the event from beginning to end. Thanks again, Jen!

=R=

wow.. how did any of you go back to work after that meal? everything looks great.

jimswside wrote:wow.. how did any of you go back to work after that meal? everything looks great.

I don't know about the rest of them, but I went home and took a nap.