gfunkdave

I'm surprised there isn't a thread about this already.

Went here tonight for the third time - a friend had a gift card and wanted to check it out.

I feel like the Girl & The Goat is a good restaurant, but a bit overpriced and overhyped. It's a small plates format. They have a separate menu for their signature appetizers - bread, oysters, and meats - that changes more frequently than the regular menu. We got the delicious homemade pretzel bread with mustard butter and 1000 island dressing.

The three of us shared:

• sauteed green beans with fish sauce vinaigrette and cashews (a really delicious and novel take on green beans)
• roasted beets with haricots verts and avocado creme fraiche
• seared scallops with brown butter XO, goat sausage, white shrimp, and shiitakes
• bourbon poached lobster & crab, goat belly, fennel, vanilla bourbon butter
• goat, pork, & veal sugo over pappardelle with goose berries
• braised beef tongue with beef vinaigrette and salsa verde
  
  

And for dessert, the bourbon apples with maple fat gelato, along with the bittersweet chocolate cake with shiitake gelato.

In other words, a light meal...

All the desserts were new for this time going there. This was the first time I didn't dislike the desserts at G&TG. Everything seemed (as usual) very fatty and more than a little greasy. To me, copious amounts of butter, fat, and meat is the easy way to make food that tastes good (and makes you sick).

All the above, plus two glasses of wine, two beers, and a cider was $165. As I said, a bit overpriced.

chgoeditor

I've been to G&TG three times, and I'll agree that it can be a heavy meal. I have a tendency to get an upset stomach after anything rich (ah, the joys of growing old!), and I'm 3-for-3 with G&TG. Of course, I could exercise restraint and get lighter dishes, but what fun would that be?!

afraidofheights

I've only been here once and was not really a fan. The hostess was annoyingly pretentious and really seemed to like the fact that they couldn't seat us at the time of our reservation. The food was good, but not really my cup of tea. Also, and maybe this is just me growing old, but I thought it was a little too loud in there to hear what my girlfriend was saying.

UNITED959

I enjoy this place. Get the pig face and lamb sausage stuffed calamari and shisito peppers. Oysters are great as well.

pseudoswede

Any recent experiences about walking up without a reservation? Looking for something nice on Friday, 6/28. If being early is important, is 5pm too late.

Other downtown suggestions appreciated. Our hotel is a block away from Frontera Grill.

toomanybooks

Not sure about the reservations/walkup, but my wife ate there about 2 weeks ago and very much liked it.

knoebelsPT

If you don't mind eating at the bar, you have a shot of getting in at 5. The earlier you get there the better.

There are a ton of options near your hotel and and in Randolph by G&G. Blackbird, Naha, Roka Akor, Sepia ( and many more good options).

If you are set on a Stephanie Izard place, you could also do breakfast or lunch at her diner Little Goat. I wouldn't recommend it for dinner.

pseudoswede

We arrived just after 5pm. They said we could have a table by 6pm. We sat in the lounge area (the bar was already packed; there was only one other couple seated in the lounge sofas) with a drink each and ordered a plate. We were seated at 6pm, and the hostess kept stressing that we had to be done by 7:15pm in order to accommodate an existing reservation (please tell me once, not three times in three minutes ). By the time we left just after 7pm, both the bar and lounge area were full of people eating.

The food was amazing, and I'm so glad we were able to get in to try it out.

MonicaL

Still haven't made it there, nor the Little Goat.

Sweet Willie

Mrs Willie has been wanting to go to Duck Duck Goat for quite awhile. It is the 3rd restaurant in Chicago opened by Top Chef Stephanie Izard.

Xiao Long Bao were meh (too little soup & thick wrapper, flavor ok)

Lo Mein, the noodles had lots of good wok char and the goat pieces went well

Ham Sui Gok were delicious, the crispy yet chewy glutinous rice wrapper combined with the savory goat filling really hit a spot with me.

The twice cooked pork hit a note with Mrs Willie but I thought it was just ok. We both felt the goat spring rolls were good but nothing to make a special trip for.

Edited to add: had some delicious cocktails, specifically the BEBOP 'N WOK STEADY - Benz Mezcal, Pineapple Fresno Shrub, Ska Modus Mandarina, Lime, Salt as well as BEFORE THE DAWN - Kettle One Vodka, Blood Orange Liqueur, Ginger Liqueur, Rose Demerara, Lemon, Sea Salt, Activated Charcoal

Duck Duck Goat
857 W Fulton Market
Chicago IL
http://duckduckgoatchicago.com/
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rdurlabhji

I've heard mixed reviews on Duck Duck Goat (especially from Asian people, for what it's worth), but Girl and the Goat is amazing. I'd still recommend making a reservation pretty far in advance if you want to dine at prime times, but if you are OK with sitting at the bar and eating very early or late, you can probably walk in on weeknights.