So in wishful thinking, I had been checking OpenTable every few days for a reservation to pop up that wasn't at 10:30 or 11:00 at night, but to no avail.
 |
| Not my photo, but the interior of Girl & the Goat |
Sitting at my desk at work, having my coffee, I willfully checked OpenTable for a reservation. Expecting to be disappointed once again, my heart skipped a beat as I saw the "5:45" time slot appear on the screen. I immediately clicked and reserved. I didn't want to lose it. I texted my roommate immediately. I needed a dinner date.
Over the moon about this impromptu dinner outing, we arrived at the restaurant. I could barely contain myself. Aside from a snarky hostess, we were seated immediately at a cute little table for two near the front windows.
The atmosphere was chic, but also very whimsical. For the most part, the restaurant looked polished with its clean lines and neutral decor, but there was a touch of whimsy with the large, colorful goat mural on the wall.
Our waitress was wonderful, and walked us through the menu. There are several sections with small plates to share from each: Bread, Oysters, Fish, Meats, Veggies, and Goat. We picked four different dishes, and so began our feast.
We began with a bread…the Culture Club. That night, it was a challah loaf with a leek butter and an onion spread. Of course, the little loaf was warm when they brought it out. Spreading on some of that delicious leek butter, and spooning on some of those caramelized onion mixture (which had some sort of fruit in it), I was just about in heaven. The butter itself was so flavorful, and well, buttery…but it had an heir of lightness to it that made it seem even more addictive. The onion spread, of course, was right up my alley.
One thing I can remember reading about Girl & the Goat before I went was that the flavor combinations are surprising, but often delicious. The onion spread was just one of the many flavors of the night that had such a bold contrast, but also maintained a simultaneously perfect balance.
 |
| For those out there who have never tried carpaccio, do it. Just because it is raw meat does not mean that it is something to be afraid of! |
Next came the goat carpaccio, which was probably one of my favorite parts of our meal. I love carpaccio (for those of you out there who are unfamiliar with this little nugget of deliciousness, carpaccio is raw meet sliced very very very thin). And although I've never had goat, I was really excited about this dish.
The Goat Carpaccio was served with capers, and olive vinaigrette, and smoked trout roe (caviar). The goat itself was wonderfully mild, which was an excellent combination with the saltiness from the capers and caviar. The texture differential was also nice, with the crisp greens adding nice crunch. My one problem with this dish was that I wish that there was more of the goat, and less of the other toppings. As a whole, it was incredibly delicious, but never having tried goat before, I was almost a little disappointed that I did not get to taste it in its most basic form, which is something that you expect from a carpaccio dish. That being said, it was one of my favorite dishes of the evening.
 |
| Check out the recipe for the cauliflower on Stephanie Izard's website! |
Next came our vegetable: the roasted cauliflower. Although the carpaccio dish had been small, the cauliflower dish was surprisingly large. I just finished up the leftovers tonight, meaning that we got four servings out of it! This cauliflower dish had relatively simple flavors, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Cauliflower, pine nuts, pickled peppers, and parmesan, you can't get too much better than that. The pickled peppers, I felt, were what was unexpected in this dish. They added such a nice acidity and spiciness to an otherwise very warm, traditional cauliflower and cheese dish.
And guess what? I found the recipe on Stephanie Izard's blog!
The third dish was what I had been reading about online that whole day, and I just had to give it a try. The pork jowl was one of my favorite dishes from The Purple Pig, and since Girl & the Goat had a pig face on the menu, I had to give it a try.
 |
| Pig's Face! Don't let the name scare you! Might be the best "breakfast" you ever have. |
My roommate was a little apprehensive, but when the waitress described it as being "just like breakfast," she was on board. In essence, the pig's face is very much like scrapple from the heavens. With a flavorful salty layer of fat coating the outside, it is one roll of deliciousness.
Now, I'm sure you're asking what pig's face actually is…it is exactly what it sounds like. Click this link to see how it's made! I thought this was cool, you may think it is gross, but either way, it is delicious.
The pig's face is served in two rounds with a fried egg over top, and a bunch of little crunchy potato sticks, cilantro oil, and a tart tamarind vinaigrette. The face, itself, is fired in a wood oven, picking up some of the delicious smokiness from the wood. Like I said, it's like the best scrapple you've ever had…coated in bacon-y goodness. Crack the yolk over top, let it ooze, and take a bite, sopping up the goodness of the sauces and the yolk with your pig's face.
Last came dessert, which was one of the most creative dishes I think I've ever had. Coffee and grapefruit together don't sound like a good pairing. Neither does grapefruit and chocolate. But the "Coffeecake" Semifreddo with ruby red grapefruit and cacao nibs was one of the greatest flavor combinations I think I've ever had.
First of all, the grapefruit itself was fantastic, which is often a rarity. I've never had a grapefruit that was as sweet as the one in this dessert. Over it was the coffee-flavored semifreddo, topped with cacao nibs, and what tasted like thin slices of dried papaya. Put it all together for a dish that had one of the best combinations of textures…the cold semifreddo, the crispy cacao nibs, the chewy papaya, and the juicy grapefruit…and flavors, that I have ever had the pleasure of eating.
I'm not sure when I'll be able to make it back to Girl & the Goat, although I am planning on making it to The Little Goat Diner, which is right across the street. Although I cannot wait to do some more exploring on the menu…the lamb ribs, the goat empanadas, the stuffed peppers…they're calling my name. But for now, I'm glad I got lucky.
And I can now say I've eaten pig's face, which is pretty awesome, too.
No comments:
Post a Comment