The Doughnut Vault - Chicago, IL

The Doughnut Vault - selection of the donut of the day (powdered), chocolate, glazed, old fashioned glazed and jelly (raspberry) 

Powder Sugar Donut 

Glazed- Bigger than my hand!

Glazed- Not only big around, but tall and fluffy too.

Glazed up close

Chocolate Glazed up close

Another donut bigger than my hand.

A friend of mine had been in Chicago a few months back and told me how her and her husband stood in line for well over an hour on a Saturday hoping to try one of these beauties.  Unfortunately for them, they sold out of all donuts before they got to the front of the line.  Fortunately for me, we were in Chicago mid-week and I showed up about 20 minutes before opening to find that I was the first one in line.

The donut of the day was the powdered sugar one.  I had no idea that meant you received three powdered sugar donuts!  These were actually probably my favorite along with the old fashioned glaze. They had a good flavor and although they weren't light and fluffy, the density of the donut combined well with the light sugar.

I wasn't a huge fan of the original glazed although it was huge and you could clearly see the vanilla in the glaze.  The donut itself wasn't as airy as I had hoped and had a stronger flavor than most donuts I've had in the past.  The jelly filled was almost the same with some raspberry jelly or jam in the Center.  The jelly actually provided a nice contrast to the flavor of the donut and I'm not generally a fan of any pastries or anything that are fruit filled.

The chocolate glazed was as big as the original glazed as you can tell.  The glaze was yummy and had a good chocolate flavor.  The donut itself was the same as the original glazed and had that same strong taste that I didn't care for as much.  Perhaps it was yeast?

The old fashioned glazed was fabulous! It was dense and moist.  The glaze was the perfect contrast to the flavor of the donut itself.  I wish I had purchased more than one of these as it was gone as quickly as the box was open in the hotel room.

Girl & the Goat - Chicago

Girl & the Goat open kitchen

Greek bread with hummus and kalamata olive butter

Airy and full of feta and herbs... Greek bread.

Chickpea Fritters

The best green beans ever!  Seasoned with fish sauces, cashews and some creamy and delightful cheese.

Pig Face

Any fan of Top Chef is familiar with Stephanie Izard.  She rarely failed to impress the judges and by the wait to get a reservation at Girl & the Goat, her restaurant in Chicago, she isn't failing to impress the diners who are lucky enough to score a reservation.

After checking Open Table for weeks on end prior to our visit to Chicago, it was clear that reservations don't frequently open up.  So, we decided to try to walk in and grab a cancellation or sit at the bar.  Thankfully we arrived in Chicago on a Wednesday and not a weekend, so, we headed right to Girl & the Goat for an early light meal when they opened up at 4:30.  First of all, if you are staying in the Gold Coast area, this restaurant is a bit of a hike!  The walk wasn't bad, but we had to visit during a major heatwave, so, it seemed further than normal.

Upon arriving, there were plenty of seats around the bar area, so, we decided to just grab a seat where we could watch the kitchen and relax a bit.  We had a very late night reservation at Topolobampo, so, we didn't want to eat too much, but there were a few things we wanted to be sure to try.

There were three different breads to choose from which I believe is the norm.  We opted for the Greek bread that was filled with feta and some classic Greek herb combination.  The bread was light and dense at the same time if that's possible.  The hummus that came with the bread was smooth and creamy.  The kalamata butter was definitely strong on the olive taste which is not my favorite flavor, so, I stuck with the hummus.

The chickpea fritters were crisp and creamy.  I was a fan, but my husband didn't care for them much which is surprising considering he loves anything fried.

Then there was the Pig's Face which from what I read seems to be one of the signature dishes.  I'm not sure what I thought it would be like, but it didn't wake up my taste buds.  I loved the maple flavor of the sauce, but the rest was just so-so.

Last but not least were the green beans!  Oh and what great green beans!  They were sautéed in fish sauce, sprinkled with chopped cashews and topped with a wonderful cheese.  The bowl of beans that arrived was beautiful to look at and even better to eat.  There was definitely enough for four people to share, but I will admit that we finished these off easily between the two of us.  These were by far our favorite part of our experience at Girl & the Goat.  Who would think it would be the green beans that would make us want to return?  Green beans will never be the same.