Prairie Grass Cafe’s March Vegan Subscription Is the Antidote to Weeknight Chaos

When Sarah Stegner left The Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago — where she had spent 21 years ascending to one of the most celebrated culinary posts in the Midwest — she had a specific vision in mind: a neighborhood restaurant where delicious, thoughtfully sourced food could become part of everyday life. Two decades and two James Beard Awards later, Prairie Grass Cafe in Northbrook has delivered on that promise in ways that continue to evolve.

This March, Chef Stegner is bringing that vision directly to guests’ tables with the return of Prairie Grass Cafe’s Takeout Subscription — a monthly vegan meal program designed to eliminate the stress of weeknight eating without compromising on quality or the integrity of where ingredients come from.

For a one-time charge of $250++, subscribers receive a package each Monday in March — March 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30 — that includes One Vegetarian* Entree, One Hearty Winter Salad, and One Vegetarian* Soup or Side. A protein add-on (not vegetarian) is available for $325++ total. Each order is prepared cold with reheating instructions as needed, ready for pickup after 4 p.m. at the restaurant’s Northbrook location. Please note that all takeout orders are subject to an 18% taxable service fee.

*This package is vegan. Prairie Grass Cafe is not a vegan restaurant; however, there is a group of vegan customers, and this is a way for them and others to experience Sarah’s talents.

What makes this subscription worth a closer look is the sourcing story behind it. Prairie Grass Cafe doesn’t simply purchase from local farms — Stegner jas spent twenty years building direct, sustained relationships with the regional growers and producers whose harvests shape their menus. It is why the team asks subscribers to place orders by calling Prairie Grass Cafe at (847)205-4433; the kitchen needs time to work thoughtfully alongside those farmer partners before each Monday pickup.

“This is how I enjoy eating, and I’d like to share that with you,” Chef Stegner said. “The end goal is delicious and nutritious food that supports your schedule and lifestyle.”

The subscription also speaks to Chef Stegner’s broader work in the Chicago food community. She is a founding member and past president of Green City Market, co-founder of Chicago Chefs Cook — which has raised more than $1 million for humanitarian relief — and founding member of The Abundance Setting, a nonprofit supporting women and mothers in the culinary industry. At Prairie Grass Cafe, sustainability and community are not marketing language; they are the operating philosophy, expressed through one direct farmer relationship and one Monday pickup at a time.

Prairie Grass Cafe | 601 Skokie Blvd. | Northbrook, IL 60062 | (847) 205-4433 | prairiegrasscafe.com

Sign-up by calling Prairie Grass Cafe at (847)205-4433.