Kara Lane Brooks
| Kara Lane Brooks | |
|---|---|
| Born | Kara Lane |
| 🏳️ Nationality | American |
| 💼 Occupation | Real estate agent, lawyer, chef, author |
| Known for | Co-founder of the Still River Café; co-author of Paradise Found; James Beard Award nominee |
| 👩 Spouse(s) | Robert Brooks |
Kara Lane Brooks (née Lane) is an American real estate broker, former trial lawyer, cookbook author and chef. She and her husband Robert Brooks created the website SBHonline about the Caribbean island of Saint Barthélemy and co-wrote the cookbook Paradise Found: The People, Restaurants and Recipes of St. Barthélemy. They later opened the Still River Café in Eastford, Connecticut, which received regional acclaim and earned Brooks a nomination for the James Beard Foundation's Best Chef: Northeast award.[1]
Early life and education
Brooks was born in the United States. She studied business before attending Boston University School of Law, where she earned a Juris Doctor degree.[2] She subsequently worked as a trial lawyer in the northeastern United States.[3]
Career
SBHonline and cookbook
Brooks and her husband launched SBHonline in 2002 as an “insider’s guide” to Saint Barthélemy.[4] The site also included discussion forums that developed into a global community for visitors to the island.[5] In 2003 the couple co-authored Paradise Found: The People, Restaurants and Recipes of St. Barthélemy, a large-format cookbook profiling eighteen of the island’s restaurants. A review in *The Civilized Explorer* noted that the book contains more than seventy recipes along with background information on the chefs and restaurateurs.[6]
Still River Café
In 2006 Brooks and her husband opened the Still River Café on a 27-acre farm in Eastford, Connecticut.[7] The restaurant emphasized seasonal, locally sourced ingredients and became known as a sustainable dining destination.[8]
The café received positive critical attention. In 2007 *The New York Times* review rated it “Extraordinary,” the newspaper’s highest classification, praising both the setting and the menu.[9] *Connecticut Magazine* named it the “Best Overall Restaurant in Connecticut,”[10] while *Boston Magazine* ranked it the number-one foodie destination in New England.[11]
In 2012 Brooks was included on the James Beard Foundation’s semifinalist list for Best Chef: Northeast for her work at the Still River Café.[12]
Real estate
After the café closed, Brooks relocated to St. Petersburg, Florida, where she began working as a real estate advisor.[13]
Personal life
Brooks is married to Robert Brooks, her business partner in SBHonline, Paradise Found, and the Still River Café.[14]
Bibliography
- Brooks, Robert; Brooks, Kara (2003). Paradise Found: The People, Restaurants and Recipes of St. Barthélemy. SBHonline. ISBN 0-9743127-0-3. Retrieved 4 September 2025. Search this book on
References
- ↑ "Congrats Chefs! James Beard Nominees". Chef Lovers. 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
- ↑ "Kara Brooks, Real Estate Advisor". Premier Sotheby's International Realty. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
- ↑ "Kara Brooks, Real Estate Advisor". Premier Sotheby's International Realty. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
- ↑ "About SBHonline". SBHonline. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
- ↑ "About SBHonline". SBHonline. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
- ↑ "Paradise Found". The Civilized Explorer. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
- ↑ "Ask the Seller: Still River Café and Residence". LandVest Blog. December 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
- ↑ "Chefs Choosing Less Familiar Fish". Perishable News. March 2010. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
- ↑ Lyness, Stephanie (September 23, 2007). "Still River Café". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
- ↑ "Quiet, Yes; Boring, No Way". Tolland Patch. March 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
- ↑ "Ask the Seller: Still River Café and Residence". LandVest Blog. December 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
- ↑ "Congrats Chefs! James Beard Nominees". Chef Lovers. 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
- ↑ "Kara Brooks, Real Estate Advisor". Premier Sotheby's International Realty. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
- ↑ "About SBHonline". SBHonline. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
External links
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