"Over the years, the culinary TV champion (she was the first female winner of Top Chef and a winner of Iron Chef Gauntlet) and James Beard Award-winning chef has fine-tuned her understanding of what makes for good chemistry both in her own professional kitchens and at an intimate dinner party table. Recently, she chatted with Eater by video about celebrating her many career milestones, fostering camaraderie in the restaurant industry,"
""It's crazy to think that it's been 15 years since Girl & The Goat opened," Izard laughs, "That's a lot of time in restaurant years." In that time, the restaurant has solidified its place as a Chicago (and more recently, Los Angeles) mainstay in American-meets-global nose-to-tail dining, and helped catalyze Izard's many concept restaurants in the Midwest and West Coast; as recently as March 2025, her latest addition, Valley Goat, opened in Sunnyvale, California."
Stephanie Izard achieved national recognition as the first female Top Chef winner and an Iron Chef Gauntlet winner, and earned a James Beard Award. She emphasizes creating warm, authentic dining environments that foster camaraderie among staff and guests. Girl & The Goat has operated for fifteen years, expanded to Los Angeles, and inspired additional concepts including Valley Goat in Sunnyvale in March 2025. Izard credits strong teams and inviting neighborhoods for sustained growth and says she does not over-plan but attracts talented people. She prizes dinner parties that encourage lingering conversation and suggests thoughtful touchpoints like eye-catching serving vessels and shareable dips.
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