Prasino

Prasino’s is closed.
It died a horrible death.
During the multiple times I have eaten there, personally and entertaining guests, I witnessed a downgraded wine list, a move to servers who are pitifully inept, a menu whose selections they were routinely out of.
Come to think of it, suicide is more accurate.
Too bad, it was a great restaurant.

This was a lovely place for a special occasion dinner. I had never been before, but I almost felt like I had since it’s been written up in Chicago magazine about 25 times!
I wasn’t sure they were going to have the reservation right because when I talked to the hostess on the phone we confirmed the day and date (Sunday the 18^th), but then she said, «So we’ll see you Saturday!» Umm… But it was fine.
Hostess gaffe #2 occurred when we arrived and were being taken to our seats; the young, spry nymph of a girl jetted off, leaving us (and my 81-​year-​old grandmother, whom we were helping along with her cane) in her dust. Wait for us!
Our polished yet friendly waiter made up for it by answering copious questions with ease and flair and giving us plenty of time to peruse the menu, without seeming like he’d disappeared.
One unfortunate fact was that they were apparently between seasons on their menu but «hadn’t printed the new ones» yet (?? The old one was still on their web site as well), so some of the items weren’t available — including the escolar that my mother and grandma had hoped to order.
We demolished an artisanal cheese platter (I have no idea what all the cheeses were — the waiter ran through the descriptions rather fast — but it also contained some amazing comb honey, olives and peppers, marinated figs and crackers and toasties. Try the blue cheese with honey on a cracker; you will die of food lust.)
I got beef short ribs with a truffle wine sauce and a cute soufflé thing that was apparently made of cauliflower and cheese (you could have fooled me). The velvety richness of the sauce had a «wish-​I-​could-​lick-​the-​plate» quality.
And it’s wonderful that they use locally-​sourced, hormone-​free, organic meats (Why should this be something that has to be pointed out and praised?! Everyone should do it.)
In place of the absent escolar, my mother and grandma got salmon, with which they were pleased (I believe the verdict was «melt in your mouth»), and Grandma said it might have been the best salmon she’d ever had.
My dad ordered the «small plate» of skirt steak skewers with a trio of sauces (some super-​spicy hoisin, sweet chilli and a remoulade)…but the waiter realized that when he put in the appetizer order he’d forgotten to put in Dad’s entrée order. There was much bowing and scraping, and they rushed it out, but he was still served slightly after us. It wasn’t a big deal to Dad, but a slight slip-​up.
I also had a faux cocktail because this place is famous for all their pressed juices (this is one of the things mentioned in every Chicago mag review): the Honeymoon, deliciously made with honey, apple, lime and orange juices, and served in a martini glass with a slice of green apple floating in it. It was very sweet on its own, but coupled with the strident cheeses and then my pungently-​sauced beef it was well-​balanced.
The décor is sleek and modern, and we were fortunate to get a walled-​in booth to blot out some noise (the place is a bit echo-​y but wasn’t very loud — until some people arrived with a squalling INFANT right before we left. The vibe of this place at night is just not appropriate for little kids.
Let me just say this now: People, if you choose to have a baby, you relinquish the right to go to nice restaurants. Or else you hire a babysitter. This is logic. I do not think I am being bitchy when I say this.)
At any rate, we left very satisfied. I’d like to see how the other locations compare. On the whole, Prasino, you’re practically perfect.

Prasino — I love you.
I love everything about you. Food — experience — ambiance — service — drinks.
The food:
Locally sourced and organic. Need I say more? Every dish is full of flavor. The ingredients are fresh and paired together quite uniquely. I always try something new and I’ve yet to find something I didn’t like. I can’t even pick a favorite — everything is delicious. And try the cocktails — the mojito is ridiculous!
Here’s what I have had (and recommend):
— grilled skirt steak skewers — trio of sauces: hoisin bbq, sweet thai chili, chipotle aioli
— chef’s whim hummus — grilled pita, lavash cracker, and crudités 8 v
— risotto cakes — tomato confit, basil, parmesan
— miso glazed tofu — brown rice, julienned vegetables, ginger carrot sauce
— grilled skirt steak — pepita cilantro orzo, pico de gallo, feta, guajillo sauce
— grilled amish chicken breast — chickpea falafel, arugula, marinated olives, curry oil, harissa, yogurt
— grilled thai curry pork loin — brown rice, mango salad, coconut cashew sauce
— classic burger — arugula, tomato, onion, pretzel bun
— pomegrante kombucha
Ambiance:
Eco-​chic. Warm and welcoming. The décor is made from recycled materials such as wine bottles and cardboard boxes — very earth friendly.
Great for a date or great for a group.
Service:
Top notch. Everyone is friendly and extremely knowledgeable about the menu. They have a passion for being green and sustainable — and it shows.
I’ve been told Prasino is the place to go for breakfast. Sadly, I haven’t had a chance to experience it — yet. If you don’t live near by — it’s well worth the trip. Your belly will thank you.

The food was on point with the other location I’ve visited (LaGrange). All around no complaints, however, the service was a bit rushed. And for that I take away one star.
The brunch was a working meeting with my florist whom had brought samples and books, not to mention my own laptop and other ideas I brought with. We seemed to annoy the server and/​or she was in a hurry to be done with her shift.
I’ll definitely be back, and next time I need to stop ordering my same old same old!

I was pleasantly surprised at this place. Walking in, it didn’t look like my kind of place, but after seeing the menu, I felt a little more comfortable. I was there for breakfast, and was looking for something hearty, and wasn’t disappointed at all. I got one of their skillets, and it was really very good.
Looked like a pretty cool atmosphere, but it was hard to gauge because I was there on a Friday morning at about 8:00, so there weren’t a lot of people there.

From the moment we parked the car next to a cougared-​out Escalade owned by one of the Real Housewives of St. Charles, my brunch trip to Prasino was just oh-​so-​right from the very start.
Staff at the front door nominated my friend and I for best dressed couple of the morning — a title we were happy to accept — walked us past the liquid-​lunching bombshell wives of rich Chicago businessmen to the scene of our delicious, breakfasty crime. The vibe was relaxed with some upscale touches in this bright, zen resto.
The menu is huge and extremely creative. There are a lot of tempting options ranging from stacks and scrambles to things like carrot cake pancakes which, while sound ridiculously awesome, just couldn’t compete with the sound of scrambled egg stuffed crepes smothered in Hollandaise sauce and feta cheese.
Were they delicious? Absolutely. Did I feel sickly full after eating just one of them? 100%. Did that stop me? Heck no. There may have been just a little bit too much going on in this dish… next time I’d probably ditch the feta cheese. But otherwise? Win win win.

I am still yet to find an amazing dining experience in IL.
My husband and I went for an early Sunday dinner — 5:30. We got sat right away but was left waiting for our waitress to acknowledge us — the place was empty, so I know she wasn’t busy. When she came we ordered drinks. they didn’t have my husband’s first choice of vodka, so they offered something else, then they didn’t have that one either. What he did get, we are pretty sure was not even his third choice but something else entirely — the waitress even asked «can you really tell the difference between vodkas?» when the bill came, I was right, the vodka she brought was not the one he asked for. beyond being not the right vodka, it was watered down and even though my husband asked for 7up as a mixer, there was no fizz to his drink. I ordered a ginger drop — a little too sweet for my taste and there was no ginger sugar rim like described in the menu.
I wanted the chef’s whim ceviche, so I asked what it was the waitress said it was ahi poke. Well, that isn’t ceviche, that’s hawaiin tartare. So I passed, ordered the mussels and the ahi tartare. The mussels were sandy and the sauce was ok, not spectacular. The ahi had way too much firecracker sauce — it was like they dumped the squeeze bottle of sauce — everything was overwhelmed by it. The waitress took the ahi off the bill.
For dinner, my husband had the seared ahi, which was not that great, he was very underwhelmed. I had the braised lamb shank, which was really good. the tomato, olive, lamb jus was tasty and the feta they put on the meat provided as nice finish. the olive oil smashed potatoes were a nice part of the dish, helping to sop up the sauce. There was also some sauteed spinach which added nothing to the dish. The lamb and potatoes were so rich, a nice grilled crunch veg would have added a lot more to the dish — especially if it was finished with a squeeze of lemon — the dish needed a bright finish because of the rich, creaminess of it.

The atmosphere was great, and service was friendly. The menu has a good variety of vegetarian, vegan and gluten free meals and offers a lot of small plate options. As a person who travels a lot for business and is forced to eat at restaurants for a week at a time, small plate options are a big plus for me.
I ordered the steamed peas and shrimp al ajillo, and both were fantastic. The portion sizes on both of the small plates were perfect. The grilled bread which accompanied the shrimp was exactly how my mom makes it, so maybe I was a little more partial to the shrimp al ajillo than I would be otherwise. When in town again, I will be back for sure!

Prasino is a solid restaurant. It’s a nice dining room with a great location right off the Fox River.
I ordered the veg-​out omlette with a side of multigrain pancakes. The food was good, but I wasn’t amazed by it. My friends ordered some other items, such as tacos and burgers, and they looked very appetizing.
I’ll probably end up going back. The prices are not too high.

I am not going to get into the nitty gritty about this place being organic and vegan, because it has already been done. I also believe you have be a hippie to eat here (not that there is anything wrong with that!).
The setup of the place is nice. Bar as you walk in, and then the seating area. My friends and I all love trying to new places together. We’re early 20s, and we are like a group of post menopausal women going out.
I love breakfast. I am going to stick to my food here, because I don’t remember what every one else got. I ended up ordering two eggs (an extra one), fruit in lieu of potatoes, and carrot cakes for my pancakes. They were excellent! I had never tried anything like that for breakfast, so I really liked that. They had golden raisins, nutmeg, pecans, and cream cheese (which I got on the side). I would get these if I were you and went here! I also got coffee.
I would recommend this place. It is a little pricey, when it’s all organic and shit, but who cares? The menu was expansive, so even you picky assholes can eat here!
I paid 17.00 total, and that is including 20 percent tip (after taxes, if you don’t tip 20 percent, no matter how the service, you’re a jackass). I will go back if I want some carrot pancakes for sure!

If you love organic, you will love Prasino. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Their drink menu is especially good. You can quench with organic teas or a variety of coffee options, lattes, OR if you need to detox; try their Kombucha, if you love a truly heavy hitter Chinese tea. The apple Kombucha and their pom Kombucha are 2 of my favorites; if you like it neat, they do it that way too.
My friends go for their smoothies, they have at least 20 and if they are sipping those, I am usually downing a juicer (personal favorite for me is the cucumber melon). A cool glass of heaven.
We have yet to hit them for drinks (in the literal sense), but from what we have seen the cocktails are wild and the wine list is way good.
So eat, drink, chill, and definitely be merry at Prasino. Nice place!

What can $ 100 get you at Prasino???
Cremini mushroom bruschetta (4 slices bread & generous topping)
Laughing Bird Shrimp al Ajillo (6 slices crostini & 12 – 14 pieces shrimp)
Butternut Squash Ravioli (10 pieces ravioli)
Grilled Skirt Steak
2 glasses Sauvignon Blanc
1 glass Cabernet Sauvignon
Tax
20% Tip
Prasino is a welcome addition to St. Charles.
The staff is friendly and the décor is very sleek and modern. The windows face the Fox River. Natural light completely illuminates the dining room before sundown.
The food was very good.
The laughing bird shrimp app was delicious. The sauce is a creamy consistency with a smoky flavor reticent of kielbasa. You’ll want to mop up the sauce with bread.
The steak was also a clear winner. The flavors were clean and refreshing which paired well with the fatty skirt steak.
Definitely a one of the better restaurants at the moment.
Makes me want to visit the city in Greece…

My husband and I went here on a friend’s recommendation and were extremely pleased!
The food was cooked to perfection and the staff was educated and very professional. I wish we could eat here every night but it isn’t the best restaurant for small children.
Also, I believe the bartender has some type of happy juice that is in the mojitos, so delicious!

I was recommended this place by my dad and I was pleased. Located in downtown St. Charles on Route 64, the facility is very modern and very relaxing. My dad and I arrived at 4:30 where they were still technically serving lunch. We asked if they would serve us dinner and with no hesitation, the server brought us dinner menus and notified us all of the dinner menu items with the exception of the tilapia were available.
With that said, the service was fantastic and the food was very filling. We started off with the Mozzarella Risotto Cakes which while light in portion, they are very delicious. The sauce was was excellent and if you love cheese, you won’t be disappointed. My main entrée was the Beef Chuck Burger with Wisconsin Cheddar. I really liked it as the burger was placed on a brioche bun, which is also known as an egg bun. Besides the pretzel bun, this might be one of my favorite ways to eat a sandwich.
To close the meal, I had a slice of the Butter Cake. It was very warm and moist, highly recommended. If you are in the downtown St. Charles area and want to eat at a more high-​end restaurant, you cannot go wrong with Prasino. Great food, excellent service, and well worth the price.
I have been told the breakfast is very good there. I will review it when I get a chance to dine for breakfast.

Went to Prasino again– this time for breakfast. I tried the almond croissant french toast, a Prasino speciality, and felt it was good– but not fantastic. I also didn’t really care for the fact that everything breakfast related is a la carte, so I paid 4 for 3 slices of bacon instead of it just coming with my breakfast.
I do like that they have unique breakfast items, so I will probably return and see if I enjoy any of them. Service was still excllent! I did love this place for dinner more than breakfast– so I still plan to go back :)
Went back to Prasino for a third time– this time for lunch… and I will definitely give the place 4 stars for lunch and dinner (jury is still really out on breakfast). I had the anti-​pasta type sandwich and it was amazing. I will definitely come back for just that sandwich.

Prasino is an unusually elegant, modern, innovative and vegan-​friendly joint in the suburbs (they have three locations as of late 2011). This might be one of few places outside of Chicago proper that offers labeled vegan items that are both unusual and tasty.
I tried a number of their vegan items. First, their tofu scramble ($ 3.50 for a side portion) was pretty tasty, but basic: it was tiny diced cubes of tofu sauteed with some olive oil and some unusual spices. The dish could have used some vegetables, such as bell peppers, mushrooms and onions, to give it some extra heft and flavor, but this was still a tasty dish on its own. Indian spices could have helped as well (garam masala, turmeric, curry leaves, etc.).
The vegan orange-​almond stuffed french toast ($ 9) was excellent: soft, fluffy pieces of bread with a delicate orange crème «cheese» filling, covered in fresh berries. The portion size was huge, too, considering the low price. They also give you home-​made vanilla syrup on the side which was excellent. The waitstaff and kitchen are both really savvy on vegan issues; they left off powdered sugar because they knew it was filtered through bone char. While I personally am not super-​strict about the refined sugar issue (though I am about honey), I was glad that Prasino is really up to snuff when it comes to vegan sensitivities.
I also had their vegan «eggs benedict» which was chipotle tofu with mashed black beans, an english muffin, and green tomatillo sauce. I think this dish was borderline «drab» in that the tomatillo sauce had no zing, and the black bean mash was heavy, dry and woefully bland. I would suggest adding more diced tomatoes to the mix, some green chilis, and using a seitan or veggie sausage patty to liven the dish, forgoing the tofu all together.
The diced red potatoes, by the way, make an amazing side dish. These were little marvels sauteed in olive oil and fresh herbs and just tasted spectacular.
Lastly, the «Elvis» smoothie was delicious: dark chocolate, banana and soy milk make for a great drink. I’d consider having this as a dessert, though, given how filling it is.
Another time I came for lunch and had their veggie burger with soy cheese. The burger was filling, but bland (it was made from a black bean mash, which is always a risk, if not flavored with enough spices). I would prefer a seitan patty, so that the burger is meatier and absorbs marinades and flavors better.
For lunch and dinner, Prasino offers far fewer vegan options, which is strange as breakfast usually is where restaurants struggle to meet vegan demand. I wish Prasino had some edgier, smarter vegan lunch and dinner options; maybe some vegan pastas with cream sauces and gardein chicken?
For dinner there’s only two vegan options (the burger and a tofu dish). I tried the tofu ($ 14) which was tasty but overly basic. They plated it nicely, though.
Prasino finally has a vegan dessert as well! It’s a chocolate espresso brownie; I thought it was tasty and well-​done, but most of my dining companions found it passable.
The service here was consistently friendly and attentive. I like their Prasino Rewards Card, which is free, and earns you points with each purchase; while the points don’t add up to much, it’s a good thought and encourages loyalty to the restaurant.
The space is modern, large, bright and lovely with comfortable seats and booths, as well as a cool bar area. You’d expect to find a place like this in an upscale hotel in downtown Chicago, not in the suburbs.
While Prasino has room to improve in the vegan department, this place still represents a gigantic leap forward for plant-​based diets in the suburbs. I’m glad it’s around and I look forward to returning.

Oh, Prasino, how I love you so. If you were a woman, I’d have my way with you, and would quite possibly be inclined to marry you.
Suburbanites do not need to make the trek to Chicago if they wish to dine at a trendy & modern organic restaurant, Prasino in St Charles has got it all, and then some.
With clean lines, a chic urban look, just the right lighting to set the mood at night, and a soundtrack made of trendy house music, Prasino creates the perfect atmosphere for dinner with friends or with a date.
Modern, trendy, posh, swanky – whatever you want to call it – the stylish look and feel of this place is very appealing, and I like it… A LOT.
But enough about how much I like the atmosphere in this place. On to the deliciousness that fills this place!
We started off with the Mozzarella Risotto Cakes and The Farm. The risotto cakes had a nice texture and were full of flavor, the tomato sauce that came with them was great compliment to the cakes and not too overpowering. The Farm, a whole wheat flat bread, was like a small cheese pizza that was big on flavor and deliciousness. The feta, goat cheese, and truffle honey came together just perfectly with the golden melted mozzarella that topped it all. I liked it so much I was tempted to order another one!
Our starters did not stop our insatiable appetite for deliciousness. We needed to move on to the entrée portion of the menu. I ordered the Roasted Half Amish Chicken, my date ordered the Butternut Squash Ravioli. She tried some of mine, I tried some of hers, both were delicious. The chicken was roasted to perfection – full of flavor, golden on the outside, and juicy & tender on the inside. I really liked the roasted beets that the chicken was served on, I think they went well together. The Butternut Squash Ravioli was great too. The Parmesan on it wasn’t too overpowering and normally I like sauce with ravioli, but but there was no need for sauce with the sage brown butter that was on it.
For dessert she had the chocolate molten lava cake and I had the coffee panna cotta. The molten lava cake was great, as they usually are, but I believe that molten lava cake is passé. I think of it as the quiche of the 2000’s and I didn’t expect to see it on Prasino’s dessert menu. Now, I’m not a big fan of coffee, but I am a HUGE fan of panna cotta, so when I saw that they had coffee panna cotta I just had to have it! The coffee panna cotta was simply divine – it’s smooth, creamy, and melts in your mouth. The presentation of the panna cotta was nice too: panna cotta off to one corner of the rectangular plate with a thin chocolate wafer set in the top of it and some walnuts covered in some sweet coating scattered across the rest of the plate and drizzled in a caramel/​coffee sauce. It was a dessert for the eyes and foodporn for the tastebuds.
I am officially a fan of Prasino in St Charles. It has a great atmosphere, a green approach to operating the restaurant, a delicious menu with plenty of choices that are vegan/​vegetarian/​gluten-​free, and excellent service, all of which could easily earn a solid 10 star rating, but Unilocal only allows me to hand out 5 at a time. So, for now, I’ll give Prasino the first 5 stars, then I’ll give them the other 5 stars when I return for another foodgasm.
Holla!!!™

Sorry Nosh, you were my favorite place for breakfast in St. Charles/​Geneva area, but now Prassino’s here, and it’s awesome! I’ve been here twice for breakfast and everything is great: the food, the wait staff, the ambience.
First: the ambience. Designed to be «green» with reclaimed lumber, straight lines, contemporary design. Windows all along the east side let in plenty of morning light. In addition to the ambience, the wait staff is terrific and knowledgeable of the menu.
I’ve been here twice for breakfast: The first time I had a basic eggs/​bacon/​potatos/​fruit plate with a side of the carrot cake pancakes. You will need an insulin injection to eat the pancakes, but they are SOOOO good.
The second time I went, I got the bacon stack (see the photo I posted). Which is home-​made toast, topped with spinach, tomato, bacon and sunny-​side-​up eggs. That was my far the favorite thing thus far. My friend had a chorizo stack, which looked just as good.
Highly. Highly recommend.
The only place I like better for breakfast is Bouchon in Vegas.

Beautiful space and a nice addition to First Street. I think they have a couple bugs to work out and they’ll do fine.
We had the Farm flat bread pizza as a starter — I liked it, lots of cheese, including my favorite roasted cheese — feta. My wife was not as fond of it. She found the whole wheat crust to be not crisp enough and a little gritty. Maybe a little too much whole wheat?
I had a Goose Island Matilda and my wife had a glass of Zin.
For entrees, I ordered the Fish Tacos with the hot lentil salad. They were really good, although a bit soggy and could have used a thicker taco or maybe a second taco shell? The fish was cooked perfectly. The lentil salad was wonderful and I’d go back just for that…
The real miss was my wife’s Amish chicken. My wife has a real love-​hate thing going with chicken at restaurants. As one of the easier dishes to prepare — roasted chicken — she tends to go for that. But she’s always leery of weird looking pieces of chicken, or worst of all, undercooked chicken. Her chicken came out raw in the middle. After that, it was all downhill… I liked the sauce that came with it.
All in all, there are lots of things to try on the menu and I’d love to come back for a second round.
TIP — They’ve got Dyson Airblade hand driers in the bathroom. 400MPH!

The suburbs have done it to me again.
Just when I think I’ve been banished to the land of boring chain restaurants, Prasino comes along and surprises me with its array of deliciously «green» and creative dishes in its minimalist chic space. Sitting on the banks of the Fox River, Prasino is truly a welcomed addition to the ever growing downtown St. Charles.
Maryum S. and I came in for a weekday lunch. We were asked if we’d be looking at the breakfast of lunch menu as well (breakfast is served until 2pm daily!).
Prasino is a very vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-​free friendly restaurant. I assumed that since they specifically use organic and local ingredients that their menu would not offer too many choices. Boy was I wrong! It wasn’t easy choosing between wraps, whole wheat flat bread pizzas, burgers, tacos, pastas, and more.
We had to get our drink on first… especially since it was a 76 degree day in October… refreshments were definitely a must. Organic chai iced tea ($ 3.45) for me, served in a sexy curved glass. Light. Subtly sweet. Refreshing!
On to the food… We both decided on the short rib tacos (3 per order) which were served with our choice of either fresh fruit, garlic potato wedges, organic chips, or the salad of the day. For a fancy schmancy restaurant, portions here are quite generous. I enjoyed every layer of my meaty taco. The short rib was tender, smoky, and still had a crunch here and there to offer. The guacamole was rich and creamy and the shredded Wisconsin cheddar gave it a great bite! I barely even used the poblano cream, not that it wasn’t delicious, but this taco didn’t need any condiment help. My only complaint would be that the oil from the short ribs did start to pool and by the time I got to my last taco, I was getting a mouthful of short rib oilyness.
Justine, our server, was awesome. Friendly. Attentive. Informative. I asked her if they offered a kids menu and she even gave me the kids menu to take home. (Kids meals are available for $ 6).
On our way out, we stopped by their café area where they sell their very own brand of teas, coffee, oil & vinegar, and even chocolate covered animal crackers. Chocolate covered animal crackers… need I write more?