The West Loop's New Girl And The Goat

Stephanie Izard is one of Chicago's most devoted, outspoken carnivores.

But the biggest surprise of her long-awaited, newly opened West Loop restaurant, Girl & The Goat, isn't the menu's eclectic meat (grilled lamb ribs, crispy pig face). It's Izard's widespread use of seasonal fruit in the most surprising–and savory–of places.

You'll find it in a quarter of the restaurant's 26 dishes–all under $20.

Blueberries add sweetness to a salad of crisp shaved kohlrabi, fennel, toasted almonds and Evalon, a goat's-milk cheese from Wisconsin ($8). Slivers of tart red plums are an inspired addition to pan-roasted triggerfish–a mild, wild-caught fish from North Carolina–served over a rich and mild brandade ($16). Yellow plums make an appearance in a delightfully atypical caprese with sugary Sungold tomatoes and purple beans ($9).

For a taste of the restaurant's namesake, try the smoked goat pizza, with tufts of black kale, fresh ricotta, and a tart cherry sauce standing in for tomatoes ($16).

Izard's deft blending of savory and sweet isn't limited to the dinner menu. That mouth-puckeringly sweet-and-sour accompaniment to the don't-miss dessert of airy, beignet-like potato fritters? Pickled eggplant.

Girl & The Goat, 809 W. Randolph St.; 312-492-6262 or girlandthegoat.com