Asian Fusion Brunch at Little Goat Diner
See that little goat spinning up there? She's the one we're having brunch with. She's the mascot of Little Goat Diner in the Fulton Market District of West Loop, Chicago, an upscale diner that serves breakfast all day. Our kind of place!
Founder Stephanie Izard is well known for being the first female winner of the competition TV show Top Chef back in 2008, and has since opened three successful restaurants in Chicago: Girl and the Goat, Duck Duck Goat, and Little Goat Diner.
Why all the goats?
Stephanie's last name, Izard, is a type of mountain goat from the Pyrenees Mountains between Spain and France. She honors her namesake with a fun goat theme at all her restaurants, and in her sauce and spice mix line called This Little Goat.
Peeking through the skylight up there is the terrace of The Hidden Goat, another mini restaurant and event space for private parties, inspired by Stephanie's desire to bring people into an intimate setting that reminds them of their home kitchen.
Everything on the menu looked great, from burgers and nachos to Korean chicken tacos, but we were in a decidedly brunchy mood.
After taking a seat at the counter, we ordered this delicious Golden Goat Flatwhite made with oatmilk, honey, turmeric, and espresso. The depth of flavor from the spices surprised us and tasted amazing.
Friendly goat stuffed animals kept us company as we ate.
Brandon and I always order our meals to share. What's more fun than trying a bit of everything when you go out?
Our first course was called This Little Piggy Went To China, a savory combination of scallion cheddar biscuits, sunny side eggs, sichuan pork sausage, chili garlic chive sauce, and tart golden berries, also known as Peruvian groundcherries.
You guys, I could eat this every day!
Next, we tried the Bull's Eye French Toast made with over easy eggs hidden below crispy chicken and lots of strawberries on a bed of brioche, smothered in bbq maple syrup.
I really appreciated that the chicken was cut into tenders and very lightly breaded for this sweet and saucy dish. No one likes thickly-battered fried chicken on an already bready entrée like waffles or French toast.
The modern, yet familiar diner booths looked cozy in this chilly Saturday morning.
My bundled husband, looking handsome.
Take some photos while you wait for a table.
At the back of the diner, a simple doorway leads to Sugargoat, a tiny bakery and sweets shop for every special occasion.
In Stephanie's signature style, the treats feature unexpected flavor combinations like cupcakes that taste like pancakes and a chocolate pie that tastes like french fries thanks to a generous sprinkle of crushed potato chips.
KID, get it?
Fun flavors are everywhere you look, like tahini strawberry cupcakes and oatmeal pickled raisin cookies.
Here they are, the sauces and spice mixes I told you about from Stephanie's line called This Little Goat.
Do you agree with the results of this cookie bracket? Looks like everyone's favorite s'mores came out on top, triumphing over less traditional flavors like lemon lavender and banana coffee toffee.
Some of the cookie pictures have fallen off, so I don't know exactly which competitors made each round, but hey, if they need a taste tester next year to help determine the winner, I'm happy to step up.
Hungry yet? Come visit us in Chicago and we'll take you to Little Goat Diner for a unique treat! In the meantime, click below to read about our other adventures in Chicagoland: