Catching Up with It Girl Stephanie Izard

Two years in the making, Stephanie Izard, chef and much celebrated winner of Bravo’s Top Chef: Chicago is (finally) about to open her much anticipated restaurant in West Loop. The Season 4 local fan favorite and first female winner has been on the up and up since the show’s 2008 season.

Girl and the Goat (formerly the The Drunken Goat, but changed due to trademark issues) is finally set to open in early June after being pushed back numerous times. The casual eatery will be indicative of Izard’s staple Spanish-Italian style, with some Asian influences thrown in. It’s all about balanced dishes and little plates to share, making sure there’s enough acidity, and a little bit of sweetness. Because she has long been an advocate of a green lifestyle and sourcing locally-grown ingredients, she will be taking full advantage of Green City Market.

To build anticipation, Stephanie has been hosting the Wandering Goat Dinner Series, in which she puts on a dinner party at an unnamed location identified only via Twitter a few hours in advance. Izard is also penning a cookbook and hosts a podcast, The Tasty Life on blip.tv.