Girl and the Goat

Stephanie Izard, Top Chef Season 4's winner, opened Girl in the Goat in summer of 2010. Now, in January of 2012, Chicagoans are still swarming there, eager to eat their way through her unique and affordable menu.

Four of us ventured to the Randolph and Halsted restaurant last Thursday evening and we enjoyed every aspect of our experience. Aside from an inviting ambience, knowledgable servers and friedly staff, the food was adventurous, surprising and downright tasty.

As the plates are meant for sharing, we were able to try a lot of things on the menu. We started with the Bread with Beer Cheese Sauce. While we enjoyed it, the simple starter was quickly forgotten after the markedly more exciting dishes that followed.

Chickpea Fritters

The first dish to arrive was the Chickpea Fritters. Topped with an eggplant-tomatillo caponata, the melt-in-your mouth chickpea mixture was perfectly fried and served as a fantastic start to the meal. The garnishes made the flavors sing, but the chosen element on this plate was definitely the unique contrast of textures.

Next out of the kitchen were the Seared Sea Scallops with mushrooms and diced butternut squash. I love scallops and Stephanie's team executed them beautifully. They arrived perfectly seared and were served over a complex broth you wanted to lick from the bowl. Two more delicious veggie dishes followed. First came the green beans in a fish sauce vinaigrette. Finished with a drizzle of creamy sauce and chopped cashews, this was the dish I'm most eager to replicate at home. The beans had just the right amount of bite, the vinaigrette was salty with a fun Asian influence, and the cashews were a perfect, crunchy accompaniment.

Roasted Cauliflower

The most surprising dish of the night for me was the sliced, Roasted Cauliflower with pickled peppers, pine nuts and mint. From the menu description, I was hesitant about the unusual combination. While the first bite didn't quite sell me, the more I tried it, the more the flavors truly came together. I'm a firm believer in trusting the chef and that dish made me eager to try any other unusual combinations Stephanie Izard wanted to place before me.

Grilled Pork Ribs

While the Goat Empanadas were tasty, the the Grilled Pork Ribs and Roasted Pig Face were by far the more memorable of the meat dishes we tried. The ribs were topped with a grilled scallion vinaigrette and served with a tomatillo-mushroom slaw. Their great smoky flavor just added to fact that they were falling off the bone. Yelp reviews sold us on ordering the Pig Face and we were not disappointed. Served with crispy potato stix and a sunny side up egg, the plate was almost an ode to breakfast. The pig face was of course the star of the dish and we all immediately loved the deep flavor and tenderness of the meat.

Wood Roasted Pig Face

While incredibly full after our expansive tour of the menu, we couldn't leave without trying at least one of the desserts. We went with the Chocolate Cake, accompanied with chili-spiced gelato and peanut fluff, topped off with pomegranate seeds. Let's just say that our level of fullness didn't stop us from scraping the bowl clean. Another fun combination of spicy and sweet.

 

Chocolate Cake

It was a memorable meal and I would highly recommend Girl and the Goat to adventurous eaters. Stephanie Izard uses a deft hand in composing her ever changing menu and you are sure to be surprised many times throughout your meal. I will happily be at the mercy of any chef who can make me recall a 'simple' green bean dish more fondly than the delicious scallops. I'll definitely be back again.

If you're planning a trip there, and you should, be sure to call several weeks in advance for a reservation. Otherwise, be prepared to wait quite a while. Either way, your patience will be rewarded.