Apr 2014

Little Goat – Chicago

Little Goat - Chicago

I’ve got a thing for fancy diners, so I made time to visit two of Chicago’s best while in town.

First up, a late brunch at Chef Stephanie Izard‘s Little Goat. I’d dined at her more formal Girl & the Goat on a previous trip and had a ball—Pig Face, anyone? I expected nothing less than a stupendous time at her latest venture.

Little Goat - Chicago

Opened in 2012, Little Goat serves done-up American diner classics with a smattering of new school hits. Like Girl & the Goat, the diner is perpetually packed. The Astronomer and I waited 25 minutes for two seats to open up at half past three on a Sunday afternoon.

Even though I was slightly annoyed with the wait, Little Goat’s sunny interior, full of natural light, bright accents, and happy diners, made it difficult for my frown to stick around.

Little Goat - Chicago

Twas impossible to stay upset with this cute little goat face staring back at me. 

Little Goat - Chicago

In the great French Fry vs. Onion Ring debate, The Astronomer and I sit squarely in the latter’s camp.

At Little Goat, onion rings come with fried bread and butter pickles, as well as house-made ranch and curry ketchup. We nixed the pickles in favor of twice the number of lightly battered and crisp golden rings. A good call for us.

Little Goat - Chicago

A saucy gal through and through, I appreciated the additional house-made condiments: habanero carrot sauce and poblano ketchup.

Little Goat - Chicago

My pick this afternoon was the “Kimchee & Bacon & Eggs & Pancakes Asian Style Breakfast Tasty Thing”, a creative hybrid of Chinese jian bingKorean pajeon, and Vietnamese banh xeo.

A touch spicy, quite a bit salty, and somewhat crispy, the “tasty thing” lived up to its name. However, the flavors grew monotonous toward the end due to the hefty portion.

Little Goat - Chicago

The best dish of the meal was The Astronomer’s patty melt, a juicy raft of Kilgus goat served on toasty pretzel rye bread with caramelized onions, pickles, “special sauce,” and American cheese.

Little Goat - Chicago

This patty melt was…everything.

Little Goat - Chicago

Little Goat: big flavors. My kind of place.

Little Goat
820 West Randolph Street
Chicago, IL 60607
Phone: 312-888-3455

One year ago: Saw’s Soul Kitchen – Birmingham
Two years ago: Braised Rabbit with Pappardelle
Three years ago: Le Bon Garçon Gourmet Caramels
Four years ago: Just Married!
Five years ago: The French Laundry Garden & Young Inglewood Wineries
Six years ago: Bánh Hỏi Thịt Nướng
Seven years ago: Ajia Japanese Fusion – Philadelphia

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3 thoughts on “Little Goat – Chicago

  1. Fancy diners seem to becoming the norm. I can’t wait to read about your Au Cheval experience. Little Goat is on my list, but that wait frightens me…

  2. I actually went twice in my last visit to Chicago, my main gripe about the place was that the portions were too large so it was difficult to get a feel for the menu.

  3. Esi – Au Cheval…a dream. You’ll see! And you need to dine at both fancy pants diners, IMHO.

    Johnny – You’re totally right! Bummed that I didn’t have any room left for dessert. There were Cheez It sundaes to be had!

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