Little Goat Diner

It's open and the extremely long menu is here
http://chicago.eater.com/archives/2012/ ... -today.php



I passed by on the way to work this morning and grabbed a bite since there were so many open seats. They were only serving breakfast items though. I had the kimchi/bacon/egg/pancakes "Asian Style Breakfast Tasty Thing" on the server's recommendation despite the annoying cutesy name. That was one thing I noticed about the menu- Rachel Ray-esque names that are a little irking. The general cuisine seems to be things you can make from various leftovers from a week of eating out and other stuff in the pantry- not a bad thing, indeed, some of the most delicious meals I've made are in this category, but also some of the worst.



It reminded me a bit of the pajeon I had last night at San Soo Gab San, but unfortunately a much less complex flavor than that and fewer nice crispy bits. But it's their first day and I work nearby so I will be in again to try more of the menu.

I had trouble seeing the menu with the OP's link. Here's another link. http://littlegoatchicago.com/diner/menu/

Went today around 1 and waited about 45 minutes for a table (to be expected). Overall I thought the food was good but kind of on the expensive side: for a sandwich and fries and tax and tip it was $24.


Duck Banh Mi - duck confit . duck liver mousse . pickled veggies . baguette

Overall I thought the sandwich was quite good. There was loads of duck on it with a good amount of mousse but I feel that there needed to be more pickled veggies as they were kind of overwhelmed.


Smoked Fries

These were fries that had been cold smoked and then double fried. The smoke was evident and there was a nice hard exterior/soft interior to them. My only complaint is that they could have been a bit hotter but I'll chalk that up to an opening day snafu. I took the rest home and snacked on them the whole drive back.

Overall, a good meal but could have used to be a bit cheaper. I'm sure I'll be back to check out some of the other interesting looking menu items.

fropones wrote: Overall I thought the food was good but kind of on the expensive side: for a sandwich and fries and tax and tip it was $24.

Kind of? Holy crap. $24 for what is shown in your pics? Damn!

i can't tell from the picture of the room, is there a counter for dining?? i don't mean the bar in the bakery. thanks

justjoan wrote:i can't tell from the picture of the room, is there a counter for dining?? i don't mean the bar in the bakery. thanks

yes there is, but it is via the same reservations/waits as the tables (not the "whoever can get a seat" system Girl and Goat uses at their bar)

Nothing says "diner" like needing reservations to sit at a counter to eat.

jesteinf wrote:Nothing says "diner" like needing reservations to sit at a counter to eat.

really. that's bizarre. i like to sit at the counter if i'm by myself. it's not something i feel like reserving ahead of time.... i might try dropping in on my own and seeing how that works in practice. i never really expected little goat to be a genuine diner, but this is a serious strike against them, in my book.

Not impressed with the menu or the prices.

Not sure where the "reservations" information came from but the website clearly says "no reservations"

JLenart wrote:Not sure where the "reservations" information came from but the website clearly says "no reservations"

This would obviously make a lot more sense.

I don't know though. Between the overly cutesy menu ("Boo Boo Baise"...really?) and the initial crowds, I think I'm going to keep my distance on this one for a while.

The menu does not inspire confidence - and the cutesy combined with a $24 for "sammich" is not on my to do list unless I hear wonders. Disappointing.

Siun wrote:The menu does not inspire confidence - and the cutesy combined with a $24 for "sammich" is not on my to do list unless I hear wonders. Disappointing.

The sammiches mostly run $12 and are fairly large and have good quality ingredients. My wife and I had brunch here Saturday and loved Little Goat. I had the breakfast spaghetti n' clams and my wife the Los Drowned sammich (featuring braised beef, avocado, pickled veggies and jus dipping sauce); both dishes were interesting and tasted outstanding. Our server was nice and attentive (despite a full house) and for it being such a new restaurant with a vast menu she really had good command of the offerings and provided useful advice (so many dishes sounded wonderful I was struggling to choose)! Stephanie Izard was in house and visible in the open kitchen. There is no reservations - so first come, first served and it likely will be bustling for the foreseeable future. Sure the food costs a couple bucks more than typical dine fare, but this is not a typical diner: Nice space, wonderful menu, creative food, high end ingredients and a celebrity chef. I will be back soon!

JLenart wrote:Not sure where the "reservations" information came from but the website clearly says "no reservations"

my mistake, i used reservations synonymous with wait list. no reservations it is.

Now that I've eaten here three times, I feel I can file some early notions about this place. First of all, citing thisMitchell and Webb sketch, the menu is just too long. It makes it very easy to unfavorably compare it with Au Cheval's much simpler diner menu a few doors down. It's hard to figure out what to order. What do they do well? I tried questioning the servers to figure out the more distinct dishes I could order to get a better sense of this place. I chose the "kimchee & bacon & eggs & pancakes asian style breakfast tasty thing," the "goat shepherds pie", and the "beef ravioli." The first two, I was told, have a "kick." But I could not detect any at all, even with the kimchee. The ravioli was just bland. What I like about Girl in the Goat are the spicy, fishy, umami...generally more interesting flavors. The kind of flavors that can make fatty comfort food something a bit more worth seeking out. Most of these seem missing here. Is that to appeal to more people perhaps? Next time I go I'll try the pork belly with brandade which seemed a bit more interesting, but overall I'm kind of happy it seems to be pulling people by sheer force of novelty out of Au Cheval for Friday lunch, freeing more space for me to have some glorious duck heart hash. I'll be back, but I can't say this is worth rushing out to at this point. I like the bakery a lot though.

ALso they have no coat room, which is extremely annoying, especially when dining at the counter.

ALso they have no coat room, which is extremely annoying, especially when dining at the counter.

i make a point of ALWAYS telling a restaurant manager how terribly disappointed i am if there is no coat/purse hook in their bathroom or hook under the counter at the bar. i invite everyone to join me in demanding these basic restaurant rights. our coats and purses deserve a place off the floor. thank you, justjoan

justjoan wrote:

ALso they have no coat room, which is extremely annoying, especially when dining at the counter.

i make a point of ALWAYS telling a restaurant manager how terribly disappointed i am if there is no coat/purse hook in their bathroom or hook under the counter at the bar. i invite everyone to join me in demanding these basic restaurant rights. our coats and purses deserve a place off the floor. thank you, justjoan

Yep, no hooks either. It boggles me. We live in Chicago- people here wear coats for much of the year, and not small coats either.

After two visits to Little Goat I would put it among some of my favorite Chicago restaurants.

Both times I went in were around 1pm and there was a 45 minute wait. They text you when your table is ready and provide a mobile web site that you can check to see how many parties are in front of you. I hate long waits but the extra technology helps. Many people waiting crowded into Little Goat Bread but I'd suggest going down the block to Holiday Bar and getting a spicy bloody until your table is ready.

The only starter I tried was the Hot Crab Dip ($12). The dip was smooth, creamy and delicious. I'd suggest asking for extra crackers. The Fat Elvis waffles ($11) with bananas, peanut butter butter and bacon maple syrup were great as were the Spiced Apple Pancakes ($11). A side of hash browns ($5) were crispy and rich with butter and cheese without being soggy or greasy. Biscuits and gravy ($10) were better on the second visit than on the first. The gravy, made with mushrooms and sausage, was excellent both times. The biscuits were larger and fluffier on the second visit.

Coffee ($2.75) was served in a big mug and was refreshed regularly. There isn't a Bloody Mary on the menu but the one I ordered was served with plenty of horseradish and I'm guessing a dash of BBQ sauce.

They are clearly working out some service issues as it took some time for food to get to our table, however the staff handled the pressure and the crowds with a smile. I'll be back soon.

mgmcewen wrote:

justjoan wrote:

ALso they have no coat room, which is extremely annoying, especially when dining at the counter.

i make a point of ALWAYS telling a restaurant manager how terribly disappointed i am if there is no coat/purse hook in their bathroom or hook under the counter at the bar. i invite everyone to join me in demanding these basic restaurant rights. our coats and purses deserve a place off the floor. thank you, justjoan

Yep, no hooks either. It boggles me. We live in Chicago- people here wear coats for much of the year, and not small coats either.

I'm totally with you, of course, but here's an odd piece of info I picked up while speaking with Dave Breo, the host at Gather in Lincoln Square. LOTS of people actually prefer not to use coat racks or rooms. Why? Breo suggested that some people may have iPhones, wallets, etc., in their coats and so they prefer to keep them close by.

I'm totally with you, of course, but here's an odd piece of info I picked up while speaking with Dave Breo, the host at Gather in Lincoln Square. LOTS of people actually prefer not to use coat racks or rooms. Why? Breo suggested that some people may have iPhones, wallets, etc., in their coats and so they prefer to keep them close by.

interesting....but coat rooms and coat hooks/racks are, in my mind, 2 different things. coat rooms make people nervous; they have to tip, hang onto their ticket, etc. i think the consensus for racks would be high if you asked about them separately. but in any event, i dont care if some people don't want to use them. any civilized restaurant should be able to find a corner for some coat hooks. a coat room clearly is a luxury that restaurants seldom have room for.

David Hammond wrote:I'm totally with you, of course, but here's an odd piece of info I picked up while speaking with Dave Breo, the host at Gather in Lincoln Square. LOTS of people actually prefer not to use coat racks or rooms. Why? Breo suggested that some people may have iPhones, wallets, etc., in their coats and so they prefer to keep them close by.

Really? I'm not saying it's not true, but... do people really do that? Leave a wallet & phone in a coat pocket, then drape it over the back of a chair? Why bother even taking it inside then - you may as well just leave it on the sidewalk before you go in the building. Or, better yet, just find some random dude on the street and ask him to hold it for you until you get back. This way, you can at least see the guy that takes your stuff. Thieving's lost that personal touch from days past.

It seems to me that coat check needs its own thread.

NeroW wrote:It seems to me that coat check needs its own thread.

Agreed. Let's get back to discussion of the Little Goat Diner, please.

Thanks,

=R=
for the moderators

I think that my new favorite dessert is at Little Goat - a milk shake made with bacon flavored ice cream (made by Black Dog Gelato special for Little Goat) and homemade toffee at the top and bottom; incredibly delicious.

I grabbed dinner at Little Goat before last night's Bulls game. I was sort of surprised to walk into a mostly empty restaurant shortly after 5:30pm.

I sat at the counter* and had a Reuben (one of the few things on the menu that didn't have some ridiculous name) and the smoked fries. The sandwich was good. The fries were great. The Reuben (and, from what it looks like, most of the menu) suffered from having one too many ingredients. The sandwich was your standard Reuben plus kimchi. The kimchi added nothing except an odd texture that one shouldn't find in a Reuben. I couldn't help but laugh as I watched just about every sandwich placed on the pass topple over before being served. Just too much going on.

So, Little Goat is serving fancied up diner food at a premium price. Like any other decent diner, I thought the food was good but there is no way I could see myself waiting any more than 10 minutes for a seat at this place.

One other note: There was a staggering number of people working at the restaurant last night. I don't know if they're doing that until they're fully up and running or what, but it was almost overwhelming.

I was underwhelmed by Little Goat, most likely because of the cost, I did not think it was a good value. $100 lunch for four and a toddler that included sandwiches and fries was a little steep. The pork belly pancake had very little pork belly, almost indistinguishable. Burger was good, but should have been great for $12, the fries were very good, additional $5.

The best meal was my 3 year old son's chicken fingers from the kids menu. $6 and had a large serving of fries and 5-6 nicely breaded pieces of chicken.

I really wanted to like it more than I did, but can not see myself coming back unless the prices dropped by 30+%.

I must have the worst luck. Just had a super odd experience at the Little Goat. I'm quitting eating.

Also I sat at the counter and a waiter knocked my coat off a stool and onto the floor. But true.

disagree wrote:I must have the worst luck. Just had a super odd experience at the Little Goat. I'm quitting eating.

Also I sat at the counter and a waiter knocked my coat off a stool and onto the floor.

Did they make you sit at a remote table too?

Hahaha. No! But I ate only half my sandwich - it was both huge and bland ( they were visibly bothered when I asked for hot sauce). When I said I didn't need it boxed up they brought me my check without asking if I wanted dessert or anything else. Which I did. But by then it had become so awkward, I just paid.

Presently I am drowning my sorrows in matzo ball soup at Au Cheval.

My wife and I stopped in today for our third time in nine days to have a predinner snack. Had another excellent experience. Everything we have had there has been delicious and the staff is so friendly. We will definitely be back again very soon.