| One of the biggest restaurant openings of 2010 is around the corner.The Girl and The Goat, a new restaurant from Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard and the Boka Restaurant Group, is being built out by Chicago-based LG Development Group and set to open its doors in mid-June. We snapped LG Development's Brian Goldberg, Boka Restaurant Group's Rob Katz and Kevin Boehm and 555 Design's James Geier outside the restaurant's site at 809 W. Randolph on Friday. This is Brian's first major restaurant project. He and partners Marc Lifshin and Barry Howard usually build high-end residential in Lincoln Park. One challenge: the site was originally two storage facilities separated by a brick wall that couldn't be removed because it's part of the structural support. | |
| LG and 555 created a burnt cedar covering for the wall and opened a hole so energy could be shared throughout. The restaurant includes one of the biggest beer refrigerators in the city (it can hold 28 kegs) and a large basement kitchen. 555 is also designing vintage fireboxes to display liquor bottles behind the bar. The Boka team says the restaurant's location was a compromise: Stephanie wanted a gritty urban location, while Boka wanted to be close to the Loop so they could meet revenue goals. Close to the expressway and just down the road from the United Center, they're hoping the restaurant will draw others to the area. With just five more weeks, Brian thinks LG should win the Top Chef Quickfire Challenge for Top Contractor. |
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