A restaurant in Kickapoo is catering to the crowd that wants fresh food and no preservatives.
Eric Shangraw brings a special guest along to the Prairie Grille in this week's You Gotta Eat.

The Prairie Grille is right at the main 4–way stop in Kickapoo. Inside the rural restaurant you'll find rustic elegance: white table clothes and unfinished hardwood walls.
Paul Kelley opened the Prairie Grille after a career in the hotel and retirement community industries.

"We do everything from scratch. We make our sale dressing. We make our breads and sauces. We don't like to open boxes. We like to cook things that are whole foods," said Kelley.

"It is very unique. Excellent food. I like their motto: If it wasn't food 100 years ago, it isn't food today," said Susan Canty.

I brought Jim Garrott, my soon to be ex–boss along. Jim started with pasta Fagoli: white beans, whole–wheat pasta, in a beef tomato broth. After more than a decade, Jim is leaving his news director post to work for the American Red Cross. I figured he deserved a meal on me, paid for out of his budget, simply because he's been a You Gotta Eat fan since its early inception.

"I've told people all over the country that You Gotta Eat is a very simple way for some stations to go visit small communities. Restaurants are the gathering places for smaller communities. And the per capita in our viewing area of people who go out to eat is tremendous. Viewers are always looking for a new place. And they want to support local establishments," said Garrott.

Jim and I both had the day's special: Whole wheat penne pasta, topped with sautéed boneless chicken breast, artichokes, broccoli and a white wine sauce.
–A terrific first and final meal together on the company dime.
Jim followed with a chocolate muffin in chocolate sauce for dessert. I had fresh made in house key lime pie. It tasted like key lime pie in the Florida Keys. Our bill: 29–dollars plus tip. The Prairie Grille is an outstanding destination for any special occasion... whether it's your first day at work, or your last.

The Prairie Grille is on Route–150 in Kickapoo.
They are open for lunch and dinner six days a week.
Reservations are recommended on the weekend.