Why is it dinner and a movie, not movie and dinner? It makes more sense to have dinner after the movie, so you have something fun to discuss at dinner, right? On a very rainy Saturday, Charles and I went to a movie (Thor 2, in case you were wondering) and then to dinner at Little Goat Diner. I may have raised a couple eyebrows with the amount of food I ordered, but I am in training for Thanksgiving.
Little Goat Diner is owned by Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard, and it is the sister restaurant to the nearly impossible to get into Girl & The Goat. The atmosphere is a chic diner, and breakfast, lunch and dinner are served all day. The bread is freshly made at Little Goat Bread next door - which is part bakery, part coffee shop, and part bar. Little Goat Bread serves as the waiting area. A large glass window lets visitors watch the team of bakers prepare bread. It was mesmerizing, and the 30 minute wait went by quickly.
We started things off with a side of macaroni and cheese. The waitress told me this was an acceptable appetizer. It had a night creaminess and was topped with crunchy panko crumbs. It was a well done classic, and just what I wanted on a rainy night.
This is a reasonable amount of food for two people, right?
Charles had the remarkably tall Goat Almighty Burger. It is a goat burger, topped with bbq pork, braised beef, jalapenos, salsa, cheddar, and onion rings, held together with two wooden skewers. I asked our server how people eat it, and she said that most people take it apart. But apparently there was one person who shoved the skewer all the way through, and proceeded to eat the burger corn on the cob style. I bet Charles $100 that he wouldn't be able to finish it. He did come close, but he left the bun behind.
I ordered Los Drowned, a braised beef sandwich with avocado, crunchy pickled peppers and onions, mayo and butterkase cheese, and served with an au jus on the side. The beef was fall apart tender, and the peppers and onions added a nice crunch. Most of the sandwich came home with me since I filled up on brussels sprouts and fries.
The fries are smoked. I don't quite understand how they are smoked, but the flavor is fantastic and the fries are addictive. The brussels sprouts with fried onions, almonds, and bacon are not to be missed.
Even though I had been eying the milkshakes and pies coming out of the kitchen, I was just too full. Next time I might start things off with a milkshake to prevent this problem.
The atmosphere is chic casual. The space is certainly a bit fancier than most diners, but it still is filled with booths and a counter like any diner. Little Goat opens at 7am and closes at 11pm on weeknight and 1am on weekends.
Little Goat Diner is located at 820 West Randolph Street in Chicago's West Loop. They do not accept reservations.
