Stephanie Izard was born in Chicago, Illinois. She grew up in Stamford, Connecticut, and attended the University of Michigan followed by Scottsdale Culinary Institute in Arizona, then returned to Chicago in 2000 to pursue her culinary career. After cooking at various Chicago restaurants for amazing chefs (Jean-Georges Vongerichten at Vong; Sean McClain at Spring; Dale Levitski at La Tache) she opened her first restaurant, Scylla, in Bucktown in 2004.
A few years later she had the opportunity to compete on Bravo’s Top Chef, which she won along with being named fan favorite. The idea for Girl & the Goat began to take shape after Stephanie met her business partners Rob and Kevin of BOKA Restaurant Group. After taking much time and care in choosing the location in the West Loop, the restaurant opened in Summer 2010. Stephanie opened Little Goat Diner across the street just a few years later, and then Duck Duck Goat around the corner on Fulton Market in 2016.
Girl & the Goat was nominated best new restaurant by the James Beard Foundation in 2011 and Izard won the Beard award for Best Chef Great Lakes in 2013. She was also named one of Food & Wine Magazine’s “Best New Chefs” in 2010.
Follow Us