Sarah Stegner facts for kids
| Born | Evanston, Illinois |
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| Spouse | Rohit Nambiar |
Quick facts for kids
Current restaurant(s)
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Television show(s)
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Award(s) won
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Sarah Stegner is an American chef who owns and runs a restaurant called Prairie Grass Cafe. She has won two important cooking awards, called the James Beard Foundation Awards. She won for "Rising Star Chef" in 1994 and "Best Chef Midwest" in 1998.
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Becoming a Chef
Sarah Stegner grew up in Evanston, Illinois. Her grandmother was a caterer, which means she prepared food for events. Sarah first studied classical guitar at Northwestern University. But then she decided she wanted to be a chef instead!
She went to the Dumas Pere Cooking School to learn how to cook professionally. After finishing school, she got a job at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Chicago. She worked very hard and moved up to become a sous chef. A sous chef is like the second-in-command in a kitchen.
Winning Awards
While working at the Ritz-Carlton, Sarah won her first James Beard Foundation Award in 1994. This award was for "Rising Star Chef," which means she was a talented new chef to watch. Four years later, in 1998, she won another James Beard Award for "Best Chef Midwest." This showed she was one of the best chefs in the Midwest region of the United States.
Sarah also appeared on a TV show called Great Chefs twice. She was on the show in 1994 and again in 1998 for a special episode about barbecue.
Opening Her Own Restaurants
In 2004, Sarah Stegner and her fellow chef, George Bumbaris, opened their own restaurant. They named it the Prairie Grass Cafe. It is located in Northbrook, Illinois.
In 2010, Sarah opened a second restaurant called Prairie Fire. This restaurant was in downtown Chicago. It was a more casual place where people could enjoy good food in a relaxed setting.
Teaching Healthy Eating
Outside of her restaurants, Sarah Stegner also helps teach kids about healthy food. She shows students at Northbrook Junior High School how to prepare meals that are good for them. She supported Michelle Obama's efforts to encourage healthy eating across the country in 2011.
About Her Life
Sarah Stegner is married to Rohit Nambiar. They have a daughter together.
