GIRL & THE GOAT
OPENS LOS ANGELES OUTPOST

For local foodies not in the know, Girl & the Goat in Chicago is a dining staple located on the famed Restaurant Row in the West Loop.  Top Chef Stephanie Izard’s Girl & the Goat Chicago opened in 2010 with a goal of serving bold, global flavors to its local community (and visitors).  So, it was a really big deal when the Girl & the Goat Los Angeles outpost opened recently in the Arts District in Downtown L.A.

And it was a really big shock to me when it, sadly, disappointed.

Definitely one of the biggest restaurant openings of the year, the space is beautiful. It’s big and bright and airy.  The servers are dressed too casual for my liking but they are very attentive.  Be prepared to spend big bucks and be prepared to still be hungry afterwards.  Personally, I was craving an In-N-Out Burger after dinner.

I found the cocktails to be very unimpressive.  I sent my first drink back and regretted the off menu classic that I ordered later.   An average glass of wine saved dinner for me.

The food was good but the portions are way too small.  There’s no way they serve these pipsqueak portions in the Midwest where folks like hearty eats.

Nonetheless we relished the Goat Liver Mousse with heavenly crumpets, biscuit crackers, pickle relish, and marmalade mostarda. This is a divine dish. And with four biscuits it is filling for one or a good one to share as we did.

The Pork Belly Salad with green mango, pickled fresnos, shrimp rice, and coconut crunch was good but not great.

The King Salmon Poke with chili crunch, avocado, and strawberry was nice and refreshing but not filling.  The same can be said for the Lamb Sirloin Skewer with yuzu-cilantro, and pickled rhubarb relish.

The star of the night, alongside the crumpets with the Goat Liver Mousse, was the Sticky Glazed Pork Shank.  It’s costly at $32 but it is filling, especially for one.  Served with shitake, strawberry, hoisin mayo, hot mustard, naan, and lettuce cups, it’s fantastically flavorful.

Girl & the Goat L.A. is a sweet spot but I an in no rush to return. We hit up a local bar to get a decent drink after work and then walked over to not so nearby Bestia and split a pizza and a squid ink pasta dish. Now that really hit the spot.

Girl & the Goat Los Angeles is located at 555-3 Mateo Street in the Arts District.  Open daily from 5pm to close. Sunday brunch is from 10am to 2pm.  Call 213-799-4628.

Story By: Jose Martinez

Photography Courtesy Of: Girl & the Goat Los Angeles