Recently, my husband and I celebrated the anniversary of the day we met. We don't always mark the…read moreoccasion, but this year it was a milestone worth celebrating. We chose to dine at Girl & the Goat in Chicago, a restaurant we had never visited before. The acclaimed restaurant by renowned chef Stephanie Izard truly lived up to its stellar reputation!
One of the first things we appreciated was the convenience of the restaurant's valet parking, located right by the front patio. At $22 for up to four hours and $26 for four to eight hours, the rates were quite reasonable for the area. As soon as the three of us stepped inside Girl & the Goat (we had made a reservation for 6:30 pm on a Friday), we were warmly greeted by one of the two friendly hostesses, and were promptly led to a comfortable four-top table with a banquette and two chairs along the wall. We felt fortunate to have one of the better tables in the dining room, as some of the others were positioned very close together. The nearby two-top tables, in particular, were quite small and placed only a short distance from ours. The restaurant's rustic-industrial décor was dark but trendy and stylish, the lively and vibrant vibe was warm and welcoming.
However, I have to mention that it was really loud in the dining room, as guests seemed to be enjoying themselves and talked loudly. It was hard to hear our server and the staff who delivered and explained the dishes to us. Our server, Yazmin, was extremely friendly and attentive. It was very sweet of her to wish us a happy anniversary both in the beginning and at the end of the meal. She also checked in on us several times during the evening.
Now, on to the food and drinks. I started with a glass of the NA Sparkling Rosé ($17), which was light, crisp, and quite refreshing. My husband ordered a glass of Le Colture Prosecco ($18), while our daughter chose the Sun Kid ($18). She enjoyed her drink, although she felt the portion was a bit small, as the glass was filled with a lot of ice that took up much of the space.
Since the restaurant offers small to medium plates which are shareable, Yazmin advised us to get 5 to 6 dishes for 3 people to share. We decided to get 5 savory dishes and 3 desserts to share:
Savory dishes:
- Chickpea Fritters ($20), goat yogurt, green chutney, sev spice crunch, pickled rhubarb.
- Pan Roasted Halibut ($37), miso-Marcona almond butter, spring onion blueberry nuoc cham.
- Roasted Pig Face ($28), sunny side egg, tamarind, cilantro, red wine-maple, potato stix.
- Goat Empanadas ($24), smoked tomato-corn salsa, roasted poblano crema queso fresco.
- Confit Goat Belly ($38), strawberry goat braise, smoked yogurt drizzle, pickled strawberries.
Desserts:
- Vacation, Please! ($16), toasted coconut crunch, lemon passion fruit sorbet, rum-soaked pineapple cake.
- Berry Yummy Par-tea ($16), earl grey soaked sponge cake, yuzu curd, spiced blackberries.
- Chocolate Basil Brownie Bash ($16), olive oil semifreddo, chocolate fennel crunch, basil granita.
The meal was just phenomenal! All the savory dishes were cooked perfectly with bold flavors; the meats were tender and full of flavors. There were dishes that we normally would not have ordered if we saw them on menus of other restaurants. Here, we tried them and were delighted that we did! Our consensus is that Roasted Pig Face is our most favorite! It is everything we love in a comfort dish -- crispy on the outside, meltingly tender inside, and packed with rich, balanced flavor. We will definitely order this again! The Confit Goat Belly is a close second, with buttery, fall-apart meat and just the right balance of richness, acidity, and crunch.
For dessert, "Vacation, Please!" is the one that we will always come back for. The toasted coconut crunch adds texture, the lemon passion fruit sorbet brings a refreshing tang, and the rum-soaked pineapple cake ties it all together with just the right amount of sweetness. The other two desserts that we ordered were also very good. The staff even brought out a scoop of Chocolate Ice Cream on the house, with two lit candles to celebrate our anniversary - a thoughtful touch that made the evening even more memorable. This dessert spread was the perfect ending to an incredible meal.
I'd like to mention that the restaurant added a 4% surcharge to the bill, which the customer may request to have the surcharge remove if you choose. We let them keep it.
We spent about two hours at the restaurant. The savory dishes came out very quickly, the pace probably was even a tad too fast, but the desserts made up for it by taking a longer time. We did not mind as we were still full, and had time to enjoy the ambiance more. I would say it is a restaurant great for group gathering and celebratory functions, but not so much for intimate romantic date night. All in all, it was a wonderful dinner, we look forward to returning again.