Little Goat

Because who can resist such a cute little goat!!  This is the most adorable logo I've seen ever and it belongs to the group of restaurants associated with Girl and the Goat.  I had the privilege to eat at Girl and the Goat on the 8th, but did not take any pictures!  What a shame!  Bad Lia.  And, to be straight-up about it, it was truly a luscious meal.

Girl and the Goat

In this case, luscious means small plates with exquisite flavor and quality.  The environment, to quote their website, is "rustic and badass." It's truly a unique experience, dining there, and great for special occasions.  

Girl and the Goat

It is rather pricey, but above and beyond expectations.  I had heard of many friends needing to make reservations months in advance, but this seems only true of weekends and peak dining times.  I'm lucky enough to eat dinner at 5:30, so we just walked in.  I was sure we would not be able to get seats, but, again, to quote their website, "Girl & the Goat accepts reservations but always welcomes walk-ins, nomads, adventurers, and those of you who don’t like to plan."

Girl and the Goat

Our tastings:

raw kusshi oysters: muscatel mignonette . tarragon

escargot ravioli: bacon . tamarind-miso sauce

grilled Skirt Steak: root vegetable caponata . cajeta (made from goat's milk)

lamb ribs: marcona almond chopped salad . yogurt jus

grilled baby octopus: guanciale . beans . pistachios . lemon vinaigrette

Go, if you're in Chicago, for goodness sakes, GO EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT!  

If it's out of your price range, then walk across the street to Little Goat.  The diner version.  A bit cheaper, but still pricier than your average diner, the food will still rock your world.  The things they can do with flavor and texture is impressive. 

Pardon the picture quality. We got crispy shrimp wrapped in Somen noodles with some kind of light aioli, Bibb lettuce, and a mild cocktail sauce to start. I usually avoid getting shrimp due to the destructive trolling used to capture them, but these guys are farmed.

Harry got an amazing dish from the Supper Club section called Seafood Fideos. Angel hair pasta with mussels, shrimp, and whitefish.  It was amazing.

When I'm at a place that serves breakfast all day I get breakfast!  It really is a bummer that the quality isn't better, but this tasty dish is called the Bull's Eye French Toast.  It's got french toasted sweet onion brioche with a yolky egg in the center.  The egg is hidden under the strawberries, but it's there.  Then they add breaded chicken and a BBQ maple syrup.  Mind blowing.  Truly.