Prairie Fire, the latest restaurant from Sarah Stegner and George Bumbaris of suburban Prairie Grass Cafe, opened today in the former Powerhouse space at 215 N. Clinton. The extensive, eclectic menu ranges from appetizers like warm baked feta with banana peppers, duck and chicken liver patés, Asian-style shrimp and ahi tuna, and pizzas to 20 entrees including steaks, Greek-influenced dishes, five fish preparations, and a breaded pork schnitzel.
Leo’s Coney Island of Chicago, the local outlet of a Detroit mainstay for Coney dogs, breakfast, burgers, and other diner standards, opened soft in Lakeview last week; its official opening is Monday, February 15.
Chef Cary Taylor’s regional-American reworking of Chaise Lounge, the Southern, opened Friday, featuring dishes with a southern twist such as duck cassoulet with black-eyed peas. There’s also a decent selection of cocktails (including mint juleps and Planter’s Punch), bourbons, and southern beers at what’s touted as being a “kickass bar.”