Girl and the Goat Review

Author: Fiona Lu

Photographer: Katelyn Wang and Fiona Lu

Image from: https://girlandthegoat.com/gallery/?page_number_0=6

Girl and the Goat is one of the most well known hot spots of Chicago’s rich culinary scene, and certainly one that lives up to its hype. Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard’s unique twist on New American cuisine harmonizes Eastern and Western influences into fun, innovative plates. The menu is categorized into “Veggies,” “Meats,” “Breads,” and “Desserts” and features elevated twists on familiar options like “Sautéed Green Beans” for the picky eater, and more avant-garde ingredients like duck tongue for the adventurous food connoisseur. The impressively sized, urban-chic venue, located in Chicago’s West Loop, is packed with people on any given day, making reservations a far-in-advance necessity. However, the restaurant also operates a walk-in policy, using its friendly staff and large bar-and-lounge area to ease the long wait times. The dim lighting, cozy lounge sofas, and upbeat 80s electro jazz music make waiting for a table an opportunity to socialize with the other diners and observe the bustling open kitchen lining the entire back wall, with its massive brick-oven, effervescing warm, smoky aromas that hug the room. 

After waiting for about 15 minutes, our waitress led us to a tightly packed corner table and introduced the menu to us. Her recommendations included many foreign ingredients and global influences ranging from Italian-inspired pasta dishes to Asian flavors like miso; each piqued my curiosity and made my decision very difficult. Izard serves “shareable dishes” in small portions, so it is recommended for each person to order three to four main courses. 

We started off with the Bacon Gouda Sourdough which was complimented with caramelized onion butter and chili tomatoes. The tartness of the tomatoes cut through the smoky bacon flavors and rich butter. 

Next, we tried the Escargot ravioli served in a bacon tamarind sauce on a bed of escarole, celery, and crispy onions. The escargot filling was not too exciting and took away from the cleverly crafted sauce. The pasta was nonetheless delicious and had a wonderfully robust and chewy texture. 

The duck tartare came topped with pickled beech mushrooms, spiced brussel leaves, and tangy mayo served with a side of duck fat crackers. Izard truly set the bar high with this dish; its complex and carefully crafted essences are layered with intention and tell a story to your taste buds in waves of nuanced flavor. At first, the heartiness of the duck emerges as expected, followed by tart--albeit creamy--notes of aioli and mushroom. The chips add a delightful crunchy counterpart to the softness of the tartare. The surprising part is when the dense fattiness of the chips come through, leaving behind a savory and gamey linger. 

Just when we thought that dish could not be topped, Izard proved us wrong with the Wood Oven Roasted Pig Face. The pig face arrived blanketed under a sunny side egg, drizzled in tamarind, cilantro, and red wine-maple syrup. I am a huge sucker for runny eggs so this was an exciting moment for me. This was by far my favorite dish. The meat was incredibly juicy and tender. Each bite carried a marvelous smokiness to it that was softened by the sweetness of the tamarind and maple and the creamy egg yolk. The fatty parts of the pig were roasted to a perfect crisp that melted immediately upon entering my mouth. 

For vegetables, we ordered the Sautéed Green Beans and the Roasted Cauliflower. The green beans were drizzled in a savoury, Asian-inspired fish-sauce vinaigrette and sautéed with cashews. It reminded me very much of something my mom would cook for me, but in a smaller portion. The taste was nothing adventurous, but brought back the comforting and authentic taste of home. The roasted cauliflower was garnished with pickled peppers, pine nuts, and mint— a refreshing palette cleanser. The pine nuts added earthy aromas that grounded the verdant and cooling mint. 

Being that “Goat” is in the restaurant’s namesake, the confit goat belly seemed like a must-try grand finale of our main courses. It is served with bourbon butter, lobster and crab on a bed of fennel. The first thing I noticed about this dish was its overwhelming alcoholic scent that penetrates and stings the nose with each bite. The sickly sweet and bitter spice of the bourbon harshly overpowered the simple richness that these luxurious meats naturally afford on their own. This was not my first time having a bourbon-infused dish, so I am familiar with the effect it’s supposed to offer when done correctly. Given the quality of our other dishes, I am inclined to give Izard the benefit of the doubt and blame this bourbon overindulgence on the slip of a hand, but this dish was definitely a disappointment (especially given its price). 

To top off our experience, we ended with the Goat Cheese Cheesecake for dessert. It came with a flirty combination of blood orange sorbet, shortbread, and sorrel. The sorbet’s zest lightly dances across the mouth before the heavier tastes of cheesecake and shortbread settle in.

We had originally wanted the Caramelized Chocolate Mousse, but they were all out. Luckily, our waitress was nice enough to give us an extra dessert on the side: the Caramel Corn and Malt Balls. This fun take on kettle corn was the perfect way to end our meal. 

Overall, I was most impressed by Izard’s passionate curiosity and her aptitude for innovative creation. She is not afraid to show off her skill in conjuring beautifully balanced ingredient pairings that most chefs would never dream of. Nothing felt overly forced or pretentious because Izard’s main focus is not on the amount of ingredients in a dish nor its presentation; rather, she hones her attention in on detail and how each ingredient interacts with one another. 

It’s safe to say that I will definitely be trying Izard’s other Chicago restaurants once this lockdown season is over.