Prairie Canary resturaunt featured in New York Times

What does a small, eclectic college town do to attract a chef? Eager to fill an empty downtown storefront, Grinnell, Iowa, took an unusual approach: it held a national contest and offered a hefty prize.

Culled from 44 submissions, the three finalists in "Iowa's Best Bite Restaurant Challenge" competed head-to-head, cooking dishes and presenting a concept and business plan to a group of judges that included a local farmer, students and the executive chef from Grinnell College, and the mayor.

Last fall, the winner, Carly Groben, opened Prairie Canary, serving down-to-earth Midwestern fare with a flair. Locals and visitors have flocked there ever since for down-home lunch, brunch and dinner options like buttermilk poppy-seed pancakes and the Canary Burger, with blue cheese, caramelized red onion and bacon.