I can't say we were thrilled with Little Goat, and I realize there's a price performance issue, but there was stuff to like here.



Chief among them. I don't know if this is similar to the spring onion soup pairs4life had, but good god, I could eat this every day. It's like they yanked all of the harshness out of the onion and you're left with this beautiful, naturally sweet, creamy (despite the absence of dairy, I think), velvety soup that's summer all over. This is seriously one of my favorite soups ever. Too bad it's a special.

I was a little underwhelmed by the reuben, but my hunch is exactly the opposite. I think she didn't go far enough with it. It was this sort of half-hearted pseudo kimchi, which I assume was kind of meant to be positioned halfway between kimchi and sauerkraut. But I think it might have worked if she'd just committed to it. Theorizing, of course. But yeah, didn't quite work. Dry pastrami didn't help, either.

I actually kind of dug my wife's tuna melt. It was basically a salade nicoise piled on top of an openface tuna melt, and I was a little surprised to find that it worked for me.

Not in a rush to return (but for the soup... I'd stand in line for that), but I do feel compelled to note that they were superawesome with kids. Food on the table within moments of a request to get them something to snack on, cutesy but practical straw sippy cups emblazoned with the logo, little activities to do, unsolicited offer to do half portions of regular menu items... this is hardly a primary consideration, but, y'know... it helps and is greatly appreciated.

Dmnkly wrote:Chief among them. I don't know if this is similar to the spring onion soup pairs4life had, but good god, I could eat this every day. It's like they yanked all of the harshness out of the onion and you're left with this beautiful, naturally sweet, creamy (despite the absence of dairy, I think), velvety soup that's summer all over. This is seriously one of my favorite soups ever. Too bad it's a special.

I've had that soup three different times (memory is fuzzy, but I think it was over the course of a month), so while it is a seasonal special (really can't imagine it being served in cold weather), it's also not a one-and-done menu item. And I agree, it was absolutely delicious.

Actually, come to think of it, the specials in general are usually quite good; I think it's really only the regular menu items where the price-quality ratio seems out of whack. I've also had the beef heart gyro (which was also served for quite a long stretch) and the roasted pork shank as daily specials. Both were exceptional, and well worth the rather modest price ($16, I think).

I wonder if the specials menu is acting as a kind of a testing ground for the flagship across the street - if so, it might end up being one of the better deals in the city.

Tried it for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Snagged a taste of someone's sourdough pancakes, which didn't taste much like sourdough, or anything, really. Boring -- served with butter and maple syrup and that's it. I seem to recall they supposedly put stuff in the butter, but that didn't register either. About $10 for some eggs, flour, and milk... whatever.

I had the corned beef hash, which was easily one of the 10,000 best corned beef hashes I've ever eaten. The meat was sliced, which was really odd -- thin slices of corned beef, like it had been cut for a sandwich. (Maybe it was.) So no chance whatsoever of it harmonizing with the potatoes, which were thinly shredded and unevenly cooked. The proportion of meat to potatoes is about 2:1, which some might see as a plus, but which I think makes the dish salty as hell. (Is hell particularly salty? I'm not up on my Dante.) The hash comes with your choice of eggs, although my choice was apparently overruled by the kitchen. The waitress apologized, but didn't seem especially devastated.

Everything was edible, but I don't see myself rushing back. I think they'll do fine regardless.

cilantro wrote:I had the corned beef hash, which was easily one of the 10,000 best corned beef hashes I've ever eaten. The meat was sliced, which was really odd -- thin slices of corned beef, like it had been cut for a sandwich. (Maybe it was.) So no chance whatsoever of it harmonizing with the potatoes, which were thinly shredded and unevenly cooked. The proportion of meat to potatoes is about 2:1, which some might see as a plus, but which I think makes the dish salty as hell. (Is hell particularly salty? I'm not up on my Dante.) The hash comes with your choice of eggs, although my choice was apparently overruled by the kitchen. The waitress apologized, but didn't seem especially devastated.

Everything was edible, but I don't see myself rushing back. I think they'll do fine regardless.

Though I had the burger tonight, my friend had the corned beef hash and he wasn't thrilled with it either. Nor was I based upon a couple of bites. No, there's no harmonizing the beef with the potatoes, and that's a shame. But much worse in my book was just how damn lean and dry the corned beef was, to the point where it really had so little flavor. My friend said that some of the pieces were less lean and more flavorful, but not many. I'd also add that the beef seemed sliced ultra-thin, which probably didn't help. I might have been happier had they poured it out of a can.

But on the plus side, my All American burger with Slagel beef was terrific. It started with a good quality sesame seed bun that held up well to the beef. But the real star here was the incredibly flavorful and perfectly seasoned patty, one of the best I've tasted (cooked medium rare to medium). The remaining components were all designed to mimic a Big Mac and I thought they did an outstanding job (except for the inclusion of an unimpressive tomato slice). I might complain mildly that the burger was a tad dense, but the flavor was just excellent so I hardly minded. I could also complain that I watched my burger sitting under the heat lamps for about 10 minutes, and that my plate was ridiculously hot, but luckily the burger seemed minimally effected (the top of the bun took the brunt of the heat attack).

My wife and I popped into Little Goat Diner on a whim the other night, snagging two seats at the counter with a perfect view of just about everything as it came out. We were pleasantly surprised (well, I was pleasantly surprised. My wife wasn't as jaded about the place before even stepping foot into it). We had the following:

BLAT: Bacon, lettuce, tomato sandwich. We could have sworn the waitress told us that the "A" was for an avocado slice, but it actually had a piece of fried green tomato. Served on their own bread that had pieces of bacon in it. We asked them to sub some spicy mayo for the traditional stuff, which they did. This was a great sandwich. The bacon had a great, smokey flavor and the fried green tomato was a nice counter balance.

Pork Belly Pancake: This is a scallion pancake, topped with pork belly that had been braised and then pan fried (I presume). Topped with a really nice asian-style slaw. This was a really nice, fairly light dish. The pork belly reminded me of the pork face dish that Girl and the Goat does.

Shrimp cocktail: From the 'snacks' menu. Five large pieces of shrimp wrapped in somen noodles, with a classic cocktail sauce. Good, but nothing special.

Tempura mashed potatoes: Again, good, but nothing special. We had just had Big Jones' mashed potatoes a few days earlier and I'm not sure anything else could compare with those. Nevertheless, Little Goat's version didn't have much textural contrast between the tempura crust and the potatoes.

Had a nice late lunch/early dinner on Sunday at LGD.

The vanilla milkshake arrived first (we'd have had chocolate, but SueF isn't fond of malt). A little thin and nothing special. At $6, I was expecting something a bit more spectacular, or larger.

Like Darren, we had the Pork Belly Pancake, and he's right: The texture of the meat is a lot like the pig face, but the slaw and scallion pancake add some other nice textures too. The hoisin sauce was not distributed well, though, so you'd get a dry bite, then a sweet bite, lather rinse repeat.

The goat chilli cheese fries were outstanding: great chilli (wasn't expecting beans in chilli cheese fries, but the few garbanzo and kidney beans worked nicely), gooey cheese sauce. The only thing I'd have done differently is crisped the fries more. Perhaps ask for crispy fries?

Lastly we had the fried pickles and onion rings. Both were what you expect: good examples of tempura frying. Both the ranch and curry sauces were tasty.

Overall, I enjoyed it, although for what's really just diner food (except for the pork belly pancake), prices were high. If you picked it up and dropped it in Andersonville, I'd expect the prices to be no more than 2/3 this.

JoelF wrote:If you picked it up and dropped it in Andersonville, I'd expect the prices to be no more than 2/3 this.

. . . and in Logan Square the prices would probably be no more than 1/2 of this (not that every restaurant needs to be in Logan Square )

=R=

Oh, yeah, Ms. Izard was observed in and near the kitchen. She seemed happy to be working on a Sunday afternoon, but if real life is anything like her TV persona, happiness may be permanently affixed to her (lucky her!).

JoelF wrote:Overall, I enjoyed it, although for what's really just diner food (except for the pork belly pancake), prices were high. If you picked it up and dropped it in Andersonville, I'd expect the prices to be no more than 2/3 this.

The regular menu items are very good, but priced about 10-20% too high for me; I still eat there often because I can usually expense it.

The specials, meanwhile, are often dramatically underpriced. I guess you have to be lucky with the daily selection, but two recent standouts were the roasted pork shank (nearly identical to the one I ate at the flagship), and the beef heart gyro. I think they were both $14 or $16, generously portioned, and excellent.

Does anyone have any good estimation of how easy it is to get a table during the week at lunch? Maybe 11:45? I've got a work friend coming in next week and would like to treat her to an interesting meal. She's a vegetarian and it seems like they have a lot of options that are interesting for a vegetarian. Is it doable?

earthlydesire wrote:Does anyone have any good estimation of how easy it is to get a table during the week at lunch? Maybe 11:45? I've got a work friend coming in next week and would like to treat her to an interesting meal. She's a vegetarian and it seems like they have a lot of options that are interesting for a vegetarian. Is it doable?

If you are willing to sit at the counter or a communal table, absolutely no problem. I'm also a non-animal eater.

Cheers,

So I didn't end up here for lunch but for a pre-concert nosh before a show at City Winery (Aimee Mann & Ted Leo -- they were fabulous but the food at the City Winery is decidedly subpar).

It was a Friday night and very loud and full but they sat me at the counter immediately. It struck me as a very chaotic place but I was enjoying watching the cooks consuming their various colors of soda from takeout containers as they worked. I think I will have to give this place another shot -- maybe at a less chaotic time -- because the pressure of time caused me to order kind of poorly. I had the chicken fingers (which were fine -- but not especially great), a biscuit (which was quite flaky and delicious), the tasty smoked fries (a half order, which was a good size but many of the fries were little nibs that I found difficult to eat) and the soup of the day, which was Beer Cheese. I ordered a cup but got a bowl, which they ended up comping due to their error (and I only ate like a 1/3rd of it because it was soooo rich) and it was tasty and complex but I found later on that it really did not agree with me. Kind of a bummer, that, but nothing that was the restaurant's fault, I'm sure.

I never felt hurried per se, but it was hard to hear myself think. I will try it again at a less crazy time -- and maybe with some pals.

I went here a few weeks ago for the first time and was stunningly underwhelmed. Why this gets any buzz is beyond me; I thought the food was mediocre as was the service.

Chef Izard recently started offering a Sunday Goat Supper series in Little Goat's private dining room. The room has three communal tables (seating approximately 30-35) and Chef Izard and some of her staff prepare a family style meal in the adjacent open kitchen (like with El Ideas you are invited to come and mingle in the kitchen between courses). The dinners revolve loosely around a theme - last week was Moroccan and this upcoming week is Chinese (the theme is more an inspiration than something strictly interpreted).

I attended last week's event at had a blast. The food was bountiful (approximately six different appetizers, three mains and one dessert - all served family style with enough for second helpings). I actually found the quality of the food to be even better than what I have had at Little Goat and Girl & the Goat; the best way I could describe it would be that it is cleaner/purer/simpler yet everything was good quality and well prepared. A choice of red wine, white wine or craft beer is offered and glasses frequently replenished.

The cost of the upcoming event (Chinese) is approximately $80 and this includes all food, beverages, tax and gratuity. You purchase tickets on Chef Izard's website (and the site also explains a bit about the upcoming theme). Last week's event was well run (only minor negative was it started a bit late and people were made to wait in Little Goat Bakery before doors opened - which was rather crowded); once the event began it was such a fun, friendly ambiance. I definitely look forward to attending future Sunday Goat Suppers.

Edit: Tickets may be purchased via Chef Izard's website: http://www.stephanieizard.com/blog/sund ... nye-at-lg/

Gonzo70 wrote:I attended last week's event at had a blast.

Good to know, I had heard about these dinners and wondered if they were worth checking out; will have to get there soon.

Ate here about a month ago. The tuna melt was one of the best, if not the best, I've ever had. Loved the fries as well.

Little Goat announced today that they are doing a Sunday Supper this weekend at 5:00pm; Italian theme. The Chinese themed event last weekend was a blast with loads of wonderful food, free flowing wine and great people. Price is approximately $84 all inclusive (food, wine/beer, tax, gratuity, ticket processing fee). Only negative is that it is during the Bears/Packers game!

Tickets can be purchased here: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/1229-sunday ... nturl_text

Today I swung into Little Goat Bread, and I forget how much of a gem this place is, even if I would not feel compelled to return to the full diner ever again. The staff is always friendly, the cocktails good, and I find that the smoked salmon "schmear" is always delicious, even on a not-amazing-but-pretty-good rye onion bagel. I have also found their baguette to be wonderful the day of (takes on a sourdough taste day 2, for some reason). If they start selling the chicken liver butter that they sometimes have at Girl & the Goat, I'm done for.

Also, while expensive at $5, the Stumptown cold brew coffee is delicious (esp. for us iced coffee drinkers).

My wife and I went to Little Goat Diner before seeing a show at City Winery last night. While nothing was particularly wrong with the meal, I just can't say that anything would compel me to return as well. The Daily Bread was nice; it had a slight sourdough taste and when warm was delicious. Wife got a burger with mushrooms ordered medium rare. It came out more medium but she said the flavor was good (sorry no better reporting on that as I am vegetarian). I had a grilled cheese. Smoked tomato was a nice touch, as was the crisped cheese which extended beyond the bread. We split fries and brussels sprouts. The fries were ok but nothing to write home about (and I did not get much smoke flavor off of them) and the sprouts were a bit salty and lacked the browning that I like to see in sprouts.

With a couple of drinks each, the tab ran around $70 before tip. I'm happy we went and, like I said, I wouldn't say the meal was bad, but as we were leaving I asked my wife "if this place was next to Bad Apple, would you ever go?" and my wife and I both agreed that the answer was no. Geographic impossibility aside, I just feel that other restaurants are doing this type of food slightly better and at a lower cost. Maybe we ordered incorrectly but I can't see much that would bring me to that area to try again.

I found it a big yawn. I believe that if Stephanie Izzard were not associated with it (i.e. name power), it would go unnoticed. To me its quite ordinary.

They failed their health inspection last wk. http://chicago.everyblock.com/food-inspections/mar25-little-goat-diner-failed-inspection-6058801/

Jazzfood wrote:They failed their health inspection last wk. http://chicago.everyblock.com/food-inspections/mar25-little-goat-diner-failed-inspection-6058801/

Do you get shut down instantly when you fail?

Northcenter Joe wrote:"if this place was next to Bad Apple, would you ever go?"

If only...

Hopefully the reincarnation of Market (gross) and the new casual restaurant that is replacing Dragonfly does something more like Bad Apple than Little Goat.

As for failing an inspection, you may often remain open "with conditions". It depends on the severity of the violations. This is more likely with lesser issues. Then upon reinspection, if you've complied as directed, you're good. If not, you're often closed.

I had a quick dinner at Little Goat and had the reuben. Reading the forum, I see there's disagreement on whether there are too many ingredients on the sandwich or not enough. Perhaps they've now found the right ratio because I though it was a very good balance of flavors. The only think that kept it from being the best reuben I've ever had was the overly lean corned beef which was just a little dry. Still, great flavor and the bread perfectly fried and crisp. Despite the leanness of the meat, I'd order it again.

Bumping this up... I went to the flagship for the first time last month and really enjoyed it, so when my +1 was in from out of town we decided to try Little Goat for dinner.

Pros:
- We both enjoyed our main courses. She had the chicken pot pie, I had the sloppy goat. Mine was really good, but not so good that I wouldn't try ordering something else.
- I had the hash browns, and they were absolutely outstanding. I'd drive the 25+ miles into the city on a Saturday morning just to have those and maybe an order of sausage.
- Service was excellent

Cons:
- Devil's food cake wasn't worth the calories to finish, and we were splitting it.
- Parking at $14 is tough. I'm more likely to return for an early weekend breakfast where I can park easily for free within a quick stroll.

despite negative comments, breakfast choices have me interested:
-Sausage/mushroom gravy on biscuits
-Okonomiyaki
-Sesame cheddar biscuit w/sunny side eggs, szechuan pork sausage & chili garlic chive sauce
-Shrimp & cheesy grits

Despite being an Izard enthusiast I must report two recent subpar experiences here, including last week. Things like haphazardly dressed salads (terribly over, surprisingly under; with awkward untrimmed leaves), truly flavor-less and maillard-less "griddled chicken" and $9 fried pickles that were almost entirely batter and totally underseasoned, kitchen ignoring basic allergy accommodations offered by sever.

annak wrote:Despite being an Izard enthusiast I must report two recent subpar experiences here, including last week. Things like haphazardly dressed salads (terribly over, surprisingly under; with awkward untrimmed leaves), truly flavor-less and maillard-less "griddled chicken" and $9 fried pickles that were almost entirely batter and totally underseasoned, kitchen ignoring basic allergy accommodations offered by server.

This dovetails with my experience at dinner about six months ago. Food was OK (no better than that) and service had all the earmarks of overwhelm. (From having to wait a long time for a table despite a reservation; to waitperson clearly having 9 other things on his mind; to just a subtle, pervasive sense from the staff of "life would be so good if there weren't any customers here." I don't blame individual staff members, I blame a system that apparently asks them to do more than can be done with a smile.)

Mrs Willie had the corned beef hash which wasn't hash as usual, potatoes were thin threads rather than pieces, I didn't see any onion or peppers. Corned beef was tasty but I wouldn't order it after seeing the dish.

I had the Little Piggy went to China, Szechuan sausage on a biscuit with over easy eggs, chili oil, chive mayo, some good ma la going on but the whole thing just didn't work.

Service was very nice & prompt.