Took the family to Chicago for July 4th and was fortunate to get reservations at Girl and the Goat. Sunday at 10:30pm was the only open reservation time ; no big deal since we were on vacation. When it comes to cooking/eating, I like to think outside of the box and was eagerly awaiting some of the menu items which were previously mentioned on the FDB. G n G menu

We (family of 4) were seated at a four-top table and service was very prompt and courteous. Water and drinks were filled when asked. Average wait time was 5 minutes between the 11 menu items ordered. Ambiance was dim-lighting and not very loud , 3/4's of the restaurant was still full of patrons.

Started off with Yo quiero taco bread - cheddar onion dip, pico de gallo , smoked raspberry jam. Two pieces of bread shaped like small muffins. They were devoured so fast I forgot to take pics, my bad.

Vegetables - Pan fried shishito peppers - parmesan, sesame, miso. Peppers tasted like mini Hatch peppers that were fire-roasted and topped with a baked parmesan and creamy miso sauce. Half the dish was eaten before I could take this pic.

Roasted cauliflower - pickled peppers, pine nuts, mint. Small broccoli pieces were also included as this dish was easily shared between 3 people (my son doesn't do certain veggies)

We ordered 3 "Fish" items : calamari, soft shell crab, and halibut. Calamari bruschetta - clam baguette, goat milk ricotta, goat bacon, and green tomato. Incredible mix of flavors and food texture. Baguette was toasted and the ricotta/goat bacon was sinful.

Soft shell ‘chili crab’ - strawberry slices and crab rice. The sauce had a mild Thai flavor. Soft shell crab was small to medium in size, but did have fat due to the recent full moon. I could have eaten two of these dishes as I love SS crab.

Pan roasted halibut - marcona almond butter, white asparagus, and blueberry nuoc cham. Dish was cooked to perfection as the halibut was flaky and melted in your mouth with the almond butter and blueberry flavor. I can easily see myself making this dish at home since the recipe is posted online .. halibut blueberry nuoc cham recipe

We also ordered 3 "Meats" : Crisp braised pork shank - buttermilk dressing, grilled spring onion kimchee, naan. Meat fell right off the bone and made 4 small mini gyros with the supplied naan. Buttermilk dressing was good but the spicy curry dipping sauce was a better flavor with the pork/naan.

Grilled walter's chicken - chinese spice, fermented tofu jus, grilled potatoes, tatsoi, and cured egg yolk. This was my wife's dish. It was good but didn't make me want to lick the plate clean. Seemed like something I could have prepared/duplicated at home.

Duck tongues - tuna and black bean poke, crispy wontons, and piri piri. Arguably the best menu item from our dinner. Unfortunately 1 dish split 3-4 ways wasn't enough for our surprised taste buds. One dish for each of us would have been fine with me. My wife and kids were initially scared to try the dish because of the name/ingredients. The fried duck tongue were bite size, very tender, and melted in your mouth with the perfect compliment of crispy won tons and piri piri sauce. I could eat this meal daily , just need to find a source for duck tongue. Pictured is my plate, as others had the same size portions. There were probably 25+ fried duck tongues in the original serving bowl.

From the "goat menu" I ordered the Goat carpaccio - smoked trout roe with olive-maple vinaigrette. Thinly sliced goat that literally melted in your mouth. I could have eaten my weight in this dish. Great appetizer meal to share with others but 1 person could have consumed the serving size portion. Carpaccio was light in texture and full of flavor with the capers, smoked roe, and micro greens.

For dessert we shared a miso-butterscotch budino - bacon toffee, glazed pineapple, and candied cashews. Very unique flavors as I've never had this before. I usually order chocolate desserts, but wanted to order something different. Very filling with the creamy "custard-like" budino and bacon toffee. A tad bit sweet and tad bit salty , would recommend.

My kids are teenagers as my wife and I don't drink. Dinner with non-alcoholic beverages was $188 , and total with tip came to $225. For the service, food items, and dining experience, I was very pleased. Would highly recommend to anyone visiting Chicago just be sure to plan ahead since reservations are sometimes booked several months in advance per the restaurant reviews I read.

This post was edited on 7/9/15 at 1:42 pm