stevez wrote:Wienermobile???

LOL, no I was just kidding around, although I have ridden in it before.

=R=

Eagerly awaiting the preliminary reports....

HI,

I am back. I have work to do. I want to take a nap. Yes, food coma is taking over.

Very nice lunch, which Ron documented very nicely.

Thanks to everyone for making it a delight.

Regards,

I was doing fine until the 8 desserts (or was it nine).
Thanks to all.

-Will

WillG wrote:I was doing fine until the 8 desserts (or was it nine).
Thanks to all.

Yes, many, many desserts . . . We had a very nice lunch at Prairie Grass Cafe in Northbrook and some great company, too. Thanks to everyone for making it so and to Dave for initially bringing it up. I think I lost count of all the desserts but here's an attempt at recapping them . . .

Baked Pear in Almond Cake
Muk Muk Chocolate Cake with Creme Anglaise
Chocolate Chip Cookie a la mode
Chocolate Marshmallow Pie
Chocolate Marshmallow Pie w/ nuts
Vanilla Ice Cream and Fresh Berries
Double Chocolate Cake
Creme Brulee with Berries
Strawberry Crepe with Grand Marnier Sauce

It was very generous of the kitchen to send out all of those desserts for us. They were unnecessarily generous with a couple of appetizers, too . . . not that I'm complaining

It was somewhat dark where we were sitting but here are a few images from today's lunch (as well as a couple pics of dishes we had today that I photographed at previous meals), with commentary on the items I actually tasted today . . .


Guacamole and Chips...a tasty rendition with a healthy hit of red onion and some super crispy chips.



Greek Fries...I love the combination of crispy fries, herbs, feta and vinegar. When the vinegar's applied just right -- as it was today -- the fries maintain their appetizing crispiness.



Baguette from Bennison's...arguably the best baguette in the Chicago area. It's certainly up there.



Crab Cake



Crispy Salmon "Spring Roll Style" lettuce wraps



Grilled Ham and Parmesan-Gouda Cheese Sandwich with Fig Compote



Rare Tuna with Green Beans and spicy sauce (special)



Double Stack Burger with Char-Grilled Red Onions...a great, meaty burger, cooked perfectly to medium rare. This burger doesn't get all the attention it deserves.



White Beans and Swiss Chard...I love the components and the execution of this offbeat side -- rich and tangy sauce, tender white beans and slightly bitter shard. A delicious combo.

As mentioned above, the kitchen directed a veritable avalanche of desserts to the table, and they were all quite tasty. I refrained from taking many pics because I didn't want everyone to have to wait for me before digging into them . . .


Muk Muk Chocolate Cake with Creme Anglaise...warm, wonderful and oh-so-chocolatey.



Baked Pear in Almond Cake...possibly my favorite dessert at PGC. I really love the tender pear and the aromatic cake which is baked around it.



Chocolate Marshmallow Pie w/ nuts...we were told, iirc, that this delicious pie, which initially looked like Pumpkin, was actually Chocolate and Marshmallow, whipped together. This piece had a layer of nuts between the crust and the mousse-like filling.



Strawberry Crepe with Grand Marnier Sauce

It was great getting to chat with everyone over such a nice lunch and, of course, the experience was enhanced with the house going to such great lengths to accomodate us. Service across the board was typically friendly, polite and thorough. PGC is pretty much my primary 'neighborhood' restaurant, so I always feel very at home when I'm there. I think that the distinctively casual vibe comes across for most everyone who visits PGC.

Near the end of our meal, we discussed the possibilty of getting together for another north-suburban lunch next month at Francesco's Hole in the Wall. The general thought was that a Wednesday or Thursday would be best. Any takers?

=R=

Prairie Grass Cafe
601 Skokie Blvd
Northbrook, IL 60062
847 205-4433

edited for clarity

Looks like you all had a great meal, so sorry something came up and I couldn't get there. Would love to try again.

ronnie_suburban wrote:
Near the end of our meal, we discussed the possibilty of getting together for another north-suburban lunch next month at Francesco's Hole in the Wall. The general thought was that a Wednesday or Thursday would be best. Any takers?

=R=

I wanted to suggest this as the next lunch but thought it might be too forward of me. I am SO in. I only work up here, but live near west of the city, so I don't get to leisurely try any of the "spots" for dinner. Been wanting to try Francesco's for a while.

Yes a great time and great company. The kitchen was super generous those deserts were killer. I really loved the muk muk as I am a chocalate freak. All in all a A+ experience in my book. I look forward to the next one and it was great to meeting everyone and making new friends!

seebee wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:
Near the end of our meal, we discussed the possibilty of getting together for another north-suburban lunch next month at Francesco's Hole in the Wall. The general thought was that a Wednesday or Thursday would be best. Any takers?

=R=

I wanted to suggest this as the next lunch but thought it might be too forward of me. I am SO in. I only work up here, but live near west of the city, so I don't get to leisurely try any of the "spots" for dinner. Been wanting to try Francesco's for a while.

It's on!

=R=

I snoozed, I loozed on the Francesco's Hole in the Wall window. (Is that redundant?) I've been living inside like a mole in a molehole lately. (Really; my family's been calling me Mole Girl . Not exactly a superhero moniker.)

But now I'm finally caught up with work, poked my head outside and saw my shadow, and am up for joining the Deerfield lunch group next time.