Hiramasa crudo at Girl & the Goat

The bad part about trying to snag a table at Girl & the Goat these days without a res on a Saturday night is that, well, it’s impossible. BUT, with patience and appropriately affixed bar-stool eagle eyes you can, maaaybe, get a seat at the bar. That’s what happened to me my first time at the white-hot restaurant, and with an awesomely attentive bar staff (even when they are slammed!) and full menu, the experience was still amazing. From the housemade breads and butters (uh, coffee butter?) to the braised short ribs with edamame and fudgesicle dessert, everything we tried was truly ridiculous. But…I have to admit that I can’t stop thinking about the hiramasa crudo. A suggestion from our bartender, the combo of juicy crisp pork belly with aji aïoli and hiramasa crudo (yellowtail) lingers in my taste memory and is pretty much the first thing I utter when people ask me what they should order. I love not only the combo of crispy, juicy, warm pork belly, creamy aji aïoli cool crudo too delicious for words, but it’s just different, and new, and a refreshing menu item I haven’t seen or tried elseware. A lot of the dishes at the restaurant display ingredient combination brilliance: Smoked goat, black kale and ricotta on pizza, pig face, a sunny-side egg and cilantro, whipped fat back and bourbon, scallops and marcona almond butter..I could go on.. This restaurant is perpetually packed for a reason, with reservations on Open Table booked through October I hear (really?). So I will just have to keep the memory of the crudo in my mind until my next visit when I fall in love with another dish. Girl & the Goat, 809 W. Randolph, 312.942.6262