the first wandering goat dinner has come and gone…and it was a blast! i was very happy with the way things turned out, especially after some of the curve balls that were thrown during the days leading up to it. almost like being on a television show where the producers try their very best to f@#k with the chefs over and over again to see if they can hang. interesting…

luckily we were able to pull it off.

the party was fun and casual with tasty food and beverages, just as the restaurant will be come january. in working on the design for the new space, we have come to describe it as rustic and casual with some quirkiness and a little bit of bad ass. pretty much the same at the first party with our hanging goat piñata (his name is hector) and the mannequin wearing a drunken goat t-shirt with a goat skull head welcoming guests at the door.

as for the food, i tried to showcase the type of flavors and foods we will be serving at the goat. grilled oysters with a creamy horseradish aioli melted over top with a hint of pancetta; fried dough topped with braised short ribs, caponata and goat feta; grilled octopus salad with pineapple, romano beans and prosciutto; lamb stuffed calamari with marcona almond butter and crisp onions; crisp polenta with creamy brandade and gooseberries; and buttermilk biscuits topped with smoked pork shoulder in a peach bbq sauce. will get some of these recipes posted very soon so you can try at home… just need to remember what went in to most of the dishes since the stress of the tc challenge erased a bit of my memory.

special thanks to allen brothers for providing delicious meats, to three floyds whose beers were a perfect match for the event (and the leftovers were great for the after party), to seedling farm for delicious frais du bois and other fruits, to chicago game for various imported foods, and of course to black dog gelato for a delicious finale.

already looking forward to the next wandering goat dinner on september 2. get ready to eat some bacon in celebration of national bacon day. details coming soon…...