It's rare to find a restaurant in the burbs that I really like which is not in the city. I found such a gem in the western suburbs a couple of weeks a go. Prasino, the new eco-friendly restaurant in LaGrange, promotes "green" and is doing it very well.
Prasino (means “green” in Greek) is the first eco-friendly restaurant for Chicago’s western suburbs. With an eco-chic design, and family friendly environment, this 200-seat restaurant is committed to promoting organic agriculture and supporting local growers & artisanal food producers whenever possible. General Manager Peggy Maglaris Kopley was inspired to start the concept after her husband was diagnosed with stage four non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2007, that brought the family’s attention back to the importance of “all things fresh.” She soon started buying organic products from the grocery store and attributes her husbands recovery to his organic diet.
Prasino's menu appears to have similar menu items that you can find at other restaurants, but the key is that they're organic and healthy. For example, their "Blue Crab Nachos" appetizer are served on baked yukon gold crisp with steamed blue crab, mango salsa, and cilantro bearnaise. The "Grilled Fresh Monterey Calamari" features blistered cherry tomato, braised cannellini beans, baby spinach, sea salt crustini, and a truffle mustard vinaigrette. Prasino has an attractive list of meat and seafood entrees, but I chose to sample the "Miso Chili Glazed Alaskan Black Cod" and the "Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna". Both dishes were extremely fresh, delicate and complemented by steamed basmati rice and baby bok choy. The flavors were light but present and the wasbai cream added a pleasant touch to the tuna. Side dishes range from "Grilled Asparagus" to "Roasted Cauliflower Gratin". I thought the "Asparagus & Corn Risotto" made with truffle oil and lemon butter would be a dream, but it turned out to be a little too salty.
Prasino has a drink menu that works for everyone. Besides the standards of specialty coffees and teas, other organic highlights include fruit and veggie blended juices, sodas, smoothies, bottled beers and ciders, and sparkling wines. They have nice red and white wine selections, but Prasino's specialty alcoholic cocktails take the blue ribbon. Be sure to order my two favorites, the "La Grange Manhattan" and the "Rose Hipster". Top off your dinner with the apple waffles or bread pudding, although the latter of the desserts was very average.
Prasino is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and has affordable prices. The atmosphere has a friendly family feel and the service was good. It's a great place to dine with kids and is located steps from the Metra station in downtown LaGrange enabling easy access from the city and other suburban areas. My wish is for Prasino to bring their concept to the city. Check out Prasino at www.eatgreenlivewell.com. My "Tru" ratings are below.
Our rating system is named after my son Tru. Tru means “loyal” and “honest” and I wanted our ratings reflect that. I hope that our “Tru” ratings connect with foodies by being clear, unique and different. The six “Tru” rating categories are denoted by a full upper case “T ”. They are rated on a scale of 1 to 4 “T’s” with 1 being the lowest and 4 being the highest.
1.) Palate – Cuisine quality.
2.) Assist Me – Refers to the level of service at the restaurant.
3.) Buzz Factor – Relates to drinks and the cocktail menu.
4.) Pretty People – Determines the ambiance and vibe of the restaurant.
5.) Pocket Change, Checking or Savings – Indicates the cost of an average dinner. Pocket Change ($10 - $15 per entrée) Checking ($15 - $25 per entrée) Savings ($25 - $35 per entrée)
6.) I’ll Be Back – Our overall dining experience at the restaurant
Tru Rating for Prasino
Palate– TTT
Assist Me – TT
Buzz Factor – TTT
Pretty People Alert – Tt
Pocket Change, Checking or Savings – Checking
I’ll Be Back – TTT
(**note: a lower case “t” denotes a half rating.)Labels: bloomingdales chicago dining, dc crenshaw, eco friendly, family dining, fete select tv, green dining, lagrange, organic, organic products, prasino, restaurants, western suburbs
It's rare to find a restaurant in the burbs that I really like which is not in the city. I found such a gem in the western suburbs a couple of weeks a go. Prasino, the new eco-friendly restaurant in LaGrange, promotes "green" and is doing it very well.
Post a Comment
<< Home