The Warmth of the season- great soups!

Highly Recommended **** From Fall til Spring, when the weather is from nippy to downright freezing, there is nothing as yummy as soup. Let’s face it, I love soup. In fact, during the winter months, I am just as happy with a pot of soup as I might be with a seven course dinner at one of the areas finest restaurants. I guess as a youngster, growing up in a Jewish home where Chicken soup was a standard ( it makes you feel good, like Jewish Penicillin), and my dad, made the best beef barley ever, I acquired the taste for soup. By the way, in the summer, I love a bowl of beet borsht with a lump of sour cream. Very soothing on a hot day. Back to the winter months.

One of our favorite dining spots on the North Shore is The Prairie Grass Cafe located at 601 Skokie Blvd in Northbrook. They are a “farm to table” establishment and over the years  Chef Sarah Stegner and her partner, Chef George Bumbaris have shown us how creative one can be with basic dining and making it an art. Their menu is terrific. In all our visits, we never tried any soup. I guess it was the wrong season for us, but last month I heard about some pf their tasty soups and made up my mind- I MUST try them.

Tonight I picked up three of the myriad of options that they do during what I will call “soup season”, They were Potato Leek, a vegetarian Lentil and parsnip soup. They are all flavorful and unique in their own way. The first taste for me was the Parsnip. I am not a veggie person, but I must tell you that this was one of the most flavorful soups ever ( not counting Matzah Ball soup, of course). If I did not have two others to taste, I probably would have consumer the entire quart on my own- yummy.

The vegetarian Lentil was tasty and unlike others I have had, left no after-taste. It was filled with veggies and a broth that did not try to overtake the veggies flavors. Jane was truly into this one. While we both tasted the potato leek, we decided that we were going to save that one for our Friday night dinner ( but we both had several spoons during photo time. Let’s face it, the look was far to intriguing not to taste.

With the weather outside being so wintry ( I think when I left the restaurant it was 19 degrees with a wind chill of minus 4) tonight was indeed a perfect “soup night” and thanks to the good folks at Prairie Grass Cafe, we had a special evening.

You can have soup ( as well as a full meal of great choices) at the restaurant or if you are only looking to try the soup, order ahead and pick up a quart. You will  also get some great bread to make your soup a meal. Check out their menu online at www.prairiegrasscafe.com

Question or to place an order call 847-205-4433

Prairie Grass Cafe is located at 601 Skokie Blvd. in Northbrook. They have plenty of free parking and Chef Sarah will join me on-air Sunday , January 23rd at 2:15 so we can talk soup and you will have an opportunity to call in and win some of her top notch delicious soup. Wcpt 820 am radio 2 p.m.- 3 p.m.