Introducing... Little Goat Catering!

Introducing... Little Goat Catering! 

 

Whether you're planning a luncheon or hosting a meeting at your office, let Little Goat Bread cater your event. Chose from many of Little Goat Bread's menu items, including sandwiches, chips, salads, bagels and cream cheese, pastries, and cookies. Fill out the inquiry online at littlegoatchicago.com/bread/catering, or just give them a call at  312-600-9601 to place an order. Please make sure to place your order at least 72 hours in advance. Email catering@littlegoatchicago.com with general questions.

 

Coming soon... the Sloppy Goat.

A squish squash bun piled high with savory sloppy goat and topped with a tangy rosemary slaw.

 

 

Birthday Feast at Little Goat Diner – Amazing

It’s my birthday and it’s a tradition to enjoy lunch with my friends from work. I wanted to go to someplace new and have wanted to try Stephanie Izard’s Little Goat Diner for some time. It’s been open for almost a year and none of us had tried it! We’ve been enjoying its satellite operation, Little Goat Bread, at the Chicago French Market, but our visit to Little Goat Diner was long overdue.

Little Goat Diner

Anyone living in or visiting Chicago would be remiss if not dining at Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard’s Little Goat Diner (820 W. Randolph St., Chicago, 312-888-3455). They don’t take reservations so we opted for a late lunch at 1 p.m. When we arrived, we were offered immediate seating at a communal table but chose to wait for a booth, about 10 minutes, no biggie.

The meal was so worth the wait and then some. It was fabulous. I knew that we were over-ordering but couldn’t help it. Everything on the menu sounded delicious and the prices were reasonable.

We started with the Hot Crab Dip, a throwback to the ‘60s, with creamy cheesy (cheddar and cream cheese) lump crab and Ritz crackers. What a kick! For our second course, we split an amazing Pork Belly Butternut Salad (fried pork belly, shredded butternut and Kohlrabi squash, spiced pecans, crisp wonton and sherry vinaigrette). Loved it.

Fish Tostadas

We could have stopped here, but oh no. We each ordered entrees. My Fish Tostadas (crisp whitefish, shallot aioli, chickpeas onion salad, Harissa vinaigrette) were beyond wonderful and now set my standard benchmark. I dare anyone to make ones as good as these. They were that good. Lightly battered fish, housemade tostadas, pure yumminess.

Los Drowned

Lee had the waiter’s recommended Los Drowned (braised beef, avocado, butter case cheese, pickled peppers and onions, spicy mayo, hoagie). I sampled the juicy beef which cut like butter; great flavor. 

Tuna Melt

The tuna melt was unlike any I had ever seen. The menu description, Albacore tuna, Nicoise salad, cheese sauce, sourdough bread, didn’t do it justice. If you like tuna melts, this is the granddaddy of them all. The side of smoky fries was different. I’m not a big fan of the hickory flavor but the fries were yummy nonetheless and my companions loved them.

Lee Barrie and Cindy Kurman Barrie

Now we’re all really full, but in a good way. As Lee says almost every day, “my diet starts tomorrow.” Of course, tomorrow we’ll indulge in leftovers from Little Goat Diner. Lee’s diet might start the day after tomorrow, but I’m not holding my breath.

Pork Belly Butternut Salad

Smoked Fries

Cindy Kurman Barrie, Lee Barrie & Petra Quiceno

Little Goat Diner

Little Goat Bakery

Little Goat Bakery

Girl in the Kitchen, Stephanie Izard

Photos by Cindy Kurman

For more information and to check out the complete menu, visit Little Goat Diner.

Say hello to Little Goat Bread!

Little Goat Bread Opening June 7 at Chicago French Market!

On Friday, June 7, Chef Stephanie Izard will bring Little Goat Bread to the Chicago French Market. This marks the first time Izard is expanding Little Goat Bread beyond the walls of her newly opened West Loop diner Little Goat to serve downtown Chicago.

Little Goat Bread in the Chicago French Market will serve breads in the morning, soup and sandwiches for lunch and freshly roasted Stumptown drip coffee throughout the day. Just like the West Loop location, Little Goat Bread will sell loaves of its artisan breads for take home, including baguettes and a sampling of breads available on the menu at Girl & the Goat, Izard’s award-winning restaurant also located in the West Loop.

The 22-foot booth will be located between Chef John des Rosiers' Wisma and Food Network Sandwich King-featured Fumare Meats. It will have a similar look and feel to the warm and rustic vibe of Little Goat Bread West Loop location attached to Little Goat Diner.

"I’m excited to join other Chicago stand-outs like Lillie's Q, Saigon Sisters, Beavers Donuts, Pastoral in the culinary lineup at the Chicago French Market,” said Stephanie Izard, chef and owner.  “With so many of our clients working in the Loop and commuting on Metra, it will be nice to offer them our freshly baked goods, soups and sandwiches to take to their offices during the week or to take home in the evening, as well as to provide our unique products for breakfast, lunch and dinner at the market.”

In addition to all ready-to-eat items, Izard have her new product line, “The Flavor, by Stephanie Izard,” available for purchase. This unique blends of sauces and rubs is intended to help busy home cooks bring Stephanie’s “make your whole mouth happy” philosophy to life in their own kitchens, providing an aid to create dishes that are the right balance of savory, sweet, salty and even a little spicy. Three sauces, including The Marinade, The Sauté and The Chee, and two rubs, Rub 1 and Rub 2, will be available at the Chicago French Market.

Chicago French Market is the first and only year-round, indoor marketplace that provides access to local artisans and purveyors.  Each retailer located in the market offers fresh selections for cooking at home, dining on premise or taking food to go.  With the addition of Little Goat Bread, the market now features 31 unique individual vendors.

About Stephanie Izard

Stephanie Izard, James Beard “Best Chef Great Lakes” and a 2011 Food & Wine “Best New Chef,” is the Executive Chef/Partner of two Chicago restaurants, Girl & the Goat and Little Goat. A 2011 James Beard “Best New Restaurant” nominee, Girl & the Goat has been praised by many high-profile publications. Izard is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the Scottsdale Culinary Institute and has worked in some of the most respected kitchens in Chicago including La Tache, Spring and Vong. She previously owned the highly-acclaimed restaurant Scylla, which she sold just prior to appearing on and winning season four of Bravo’s “Top Chef.”  Izard’s first book, “Girl in the Kitchen,” was released in the fall of 2011 (Chronicle). Izard also has a newly launched product line called "The Flavor, By Stephanie Izard," consisting of sauces and rubs.

For more information on Stephanie Izard please visit www.stephanieizard.com or follow her on Twitter @StephAndTheGoat

Another win for Chicago as Stephanie Izard takes the Top Chef crown!

I'm obsessed with Bravo's Top Chef! (Ok I'll admit it, I'm obsessed with every show on Bravo). But I first became a Top Chef fan during Season 3 when Kurman did an event last fall with "chef"testant, Sara Mair who ended up finishing fourth. Naturally I was pretty excited when Season 4 was being filmed in Chicago, and that two stellar chefs were representing the Windy City. Right from the first episode, Stephanie Izard became my favorite. (I was probably a bit partial to the name). Last night Steph pulled through for Chicagoans to beat out the mohawked Richard Blais and eternally frowning Lisa Fernandes to become the first female to be named Top Chef! Word is, she's already been scouting locations for a new restaurant in the city!

This comes less than a week after Grant Achatz of Alinea, and Carrie Nahabedian of Naha earned huge props at the James Beard Foundation Awards in NYC. If anyone every doubted Chicago's ability to be on top of the culinary scene, they better be thinking twice!

Congratulations Chefs!

Want to learn more about our stellar gal? Check out this interview with Izard in the Chicago Tribune.

(Photo Credit: Bravo)