This was probably the best meal of my life. I'm also not too well versed in fancy dining (see other yelp reviews), but I still like to think my palate is refined. It is minorly annoying that you can only get a reservation online- but if you call ahead of time, they can put you on a waiting list for a specific day and if something opens up, they will call you (which is how I got my reservation). Even though I thought it was far-fetched to get a valentines day reservation, I put my name on the waiting list, and to my surprise they called me two days before to let me know there was an opening! My boyfriend (who's birthday happens to be Valentines Day) and I were super excited. They recommended bringing a sparkling white wine and a good pinot noir as the complementary wines- let me reiterate how much I LOVE BYOB anything btw. The meal was about 2.5 hours long, which was great because it gave us time to digest everything and feel full, but not overly stuffed by the end.
Nina Nugent (Chef Nugent's wife) was a wonderful hostess and really made us feel welcome and comfortable. She had Chef Nugent sign a menu for my boyfriend's birthday and there was a candle in the last dessert. Would love to return at some point in the future. The price was obviously a little higher, but not outlandish for the amazing food and service we received.
Also- I have learned that if you "like" Goosefoot on Facebook, they announce when they have openings for same night tables. So if you're having trouble getting a reservation, it may be worth it to follow them on the book.
2nd best restaurant in Chicago (only behind the super ridiculous Alinea). Â The food is amazing and very reasonably priced considering the quality. Â Some restaurants you save up for and go once....I honestly would go to Goosefoot every three months so I can experience the delicious tasting menu each time it rotates. Â
Keep doing whatever you are doing...as your cuisine matches up with anything my wife and I have had in Chicago (except Alinea) or during our Michelin star focused travels through Europe.
You gotta pay to play here...and it's worth it. Â This restaurant is inspirational; it inspired me to go out to eat more, to discover new restaurants, and to pay attention to what I eat and how it's prepared. Â The service was as solid as it gets, as a team of servers handles each patron. Â The decor is very zen, peaceful, and simple...creating a relaxing effect. Â As far as the food, expect the beef, duck, chicken, etc to be cooked to perfection- that's the easy part. Â What makes this place unique is the combination of ingredients and the different approach to using those ingredients (I think they freeze dried truffles, ground them to a powder, created a liquid, and converted that to foam???). Â In order to get a glimpse of the chef's capabilities, he provides 9 courses. Â The experience took 3 hours, so plan accordingly. Â If you want to blow your mind, be entertained by food, and satisfy your hunger...this place will do it.
Review Source:Chris and Nina Nugent's treasure Goosefoot has quickly catapulted into one of Chicago's favorite fine dining options. Â The restaurant got a Michelin star less than an year in operation. Â Chef Nugent is Chicago Tribune's chef of the year and Jean Banchet's rising chef of the year . Â The restaurant is intimate and endearing. Â The atmosphere is relaxing and welcoming.
The restaurant is BYO; a bonus if you want to enjoy fine dining without the restaurant markup on wine. Â However, I do admittedly enjoy restaurant wine pairings as it is often an opportunity to experience wines I've never heard of before.
This, in February was our second trip to Goosefoot. Â Our first one was in August last year. Â An emerging trend with Chi Town fine dining has been the surge in prices. Â We paid $90/pp in August and the cost is now $115/p.p.; an increase of roughly $60 for a party of two once you include tax and tip. Â This used to be a 8 course menu; it's now 9 courses plus an amuse bouche, a palate cleanser, and a one bite final berry course served on a wood stump. Â
Goosefoot is tough to get into. Â They accept reservations via Open Table except you can never find availability. Â It took multiple phone calls and e-mails over a 2 month period to secure our latest reservation. Â
We walked in nearly an hour early for our reservation and were immediately welcomed into our seats. Â We brought bottles of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, a reserve Malbec from Mendoza Valley Argentina, and a Washington State Cabernet. Â I realized a bottle of Sancerre to accompany the last three courses would have been ideal.
Nina Nugent is the hostess. Â She remembered this was a return trip for me and my husband and welcomed our dining companions who had not been there before. Â An ultra cool feature at Goosefoot is their menu is printed on planting seed paper. Â I had excitedly planted the menu after our August visit. Â This go around, I had a picture of our sprouting but not yet flowering plant to share with Nina.
The menu hadn't changed a lot since we were last here. Â I was surprised at that. Â What did change was a welcome addition. Â The new dish on the menu was a blend of interesting creamy flavors with pureed shrimp, garlic, and rosemary presented in an egg shell. Â We were all scraping the egg shell to get every last drop out. Â The chestnut soup with mushrooms and potato is exquisite, gorgeously comforting, and the standout dish in the menu. Â The duck and the beef were beautifully cooked. Â I especially enjoyed the very colorful side of carrots, goosefoot, cumin, and shallot jus that accompanied the beef. Â The crispy goats milk cheese is a nice break in the menu.
We left about 3 hours later - satisfied but not stuffed.
We did not see Chef Nugent either of the times we were at Goosefoot. Â Shucks.
It seems a little ironic to say that a nine course tasting memo at $115 is a steal. But it is. Each dish is a surprise and each one is delicious. The portion size is just right so that one is not full to bursting.And the pacing is also perfect. And the fact that the restaurant is byob means that you can be drinking fine wine without completely breaking the bank. Hard to isolate which dish tastes better. The chestnut soup is high up there is the single perfectly cooked scallop. But the piece of duck with a crispy skin, and the filet of beef is right up there too. The hostess is the Chef's wife and she provides a warm welcome, also checking to see that things move along. And the service is efficient and helpful. A special treat.
Review Source:A very late review. Went in October 2012. I first heard of "goosefoot" from my husband. He mentioned difficulty of reserving seats. I was on a high after having tasting with reserve pairings dining at Alinea, Everest, Boka, and Moto. Sadly Blackbird is dead last on my list.
I was determined to make reservations at "goosefoot." Â One day out of the blue, available dinner reservations popped up on OpenTable! Â I refreshed the screen, still there. 911 my husband at work. Contemplated booking. Bloop. Gone. Noooooo...Blip. Reservation back. Â Success.
It was a mad rush to get ready, drop the kids with a sitter, mad dash to the liquor store, and beat Chicago traffic and find parking.
Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted by Nina, wife and owner. Â The rest was just phenomenal.
All the five star yelps hold true. The menu constantly changes here and there. So the September menu posted from a yelper did not exactly match ours.
The savories were served at the perfect temperature. Paired well with our blended red Rubicon wine, from the vineyards of Academy Award Winning Director Francis Ford Coppella. Favorite dish, sunchoke soup.
It was wonderful for Chef Chris Nugent and Nina to give us autographed menus for our anniversary. Thank you!
Kristin M. 9/20/2012 has a well written review.
Delicious! For the experience, 4.5 stars! Minor imperfections though... so.. ehh why not. FIVE STARS!
By some miracle, I snatched up a reservation out of what looks like maybe 2 or 3 that suddenly opened up 3 days before the date on Open Table. After around 3 months of checking periodically it happened! So don't give up if you have trouble getting in! Though I suppose your dates would have to be flexible.
Walking in I immediately noticed how laid back the place felt, due to both the decor and and the way people were casually chatting, eating, having a nice time. The place is pretty loud. It made us feel very at ease. But dim. I wish it weren't so dim, but that's okay. Nina greeted us with a smile both at the beginning and end and made us feel really welcomed. It was a little weird that we chose not to B our own B, and I think that does take away from the experience a little because during some potentially long waiting time between courses, we could really use something to sip on.
As for the food, I liked the first half of the menu more than the second. The warmth and richness of the chestnut soup really made me wanna food coma, go home, and take a nap and dream more about the soup. Plus that's when the long waits between the courses began. Looking back, the duck and beef were cooked beautifully (bf reallllly loved the beef and kept talking about it) but in my sleepy state they were unable to shock me out of it with explosive flavors. Oh how I wish I could go back and just reexperience those 2 dishes to truly appreciate them :( I was able to appreciate how amazing dessert was though. It made me really sad that the meal was over. Usually I'm not a huge dessert person since it's always too sweet and rich, but I could've had a lot more of both courses.
Aside from the long wait time between a few of the courses in the second half, our dining experience was top notch. Everyone was nice, everything done promptly. If their menu changes at some point I'll definitely want to be back.
Chris Nugent and his wife Nina continue to go from strength to strength - our third time and it was as magical as the first, with the additional burden of great expectations. Â The wait staff is expert and not intrusive. Â The kitchen continues to turn our wondrous dishes. Â Our last meal lasted over three hours and it seemed like only a few minutes. The presentation, food and sense of discovery remain exemplary. Â Keep up the good work and the wait to get a reservation is well worth it. Â It also gives one the opportunity to pair some of your own special wines with the food - BYOB saves a lot on the final bill. Â Bravo...
Review Source:I struggled with how to rate this place. Â It's been a long time since I was this excited to go to a new restaurant. Â However it fell shirt of my expectations.
The amuse bouche was completely unmemorable. Â Of the nine courses, all were at least good, and I thought seven of them were actually very good. Â Particularly the shrimp/custard served in an egg shell, chestnut soup, loup de mer, duck, beef, goat cheese, and both desserts.
But none of them were transcendent. Â And at this level of restaurant, I expect at least one to two courses that really blow my mind.
My biggest criticism is over use of microgreens. Â They showed up on far too many of the dishes. Â From what I understand, Chris grows the microgreens at home. Â I applaud his desire to insist on seasonably available ingredients. Â However where are the pickled or preserved items?
Overall it was a very good meal, and the service was outstanding. Â I love what Chris and Nina are trying to do here, and I hope they continue to do well. Â
Everything was flawlessly executed. Â However there was something more I was looking for here, and I just didn't get it that night. Â I do recommend everyone try Goosefoot out for themselves, and I will definitely return at some point.
Chef of the year: Chris Nugent.
Enough said.
Seriously, I came into goosefoot with mild expectation that it's going to be a great meal. I mean, they just got their first Michelin Star recently and barely passed their 1 year anniversary. However, they blew away my expectation. The food here is absolutely delicious, authentic and, at times, mind blowing. The following is what I had
1) Golden Beet/ Goat Cheese/ Parmigiano Reggiano
2) Lobster/ Scallop/ Licorice Root/ Curry
3) Shrimp/ Preserved garlic/ Rosemary/ Parmigiano Reggiano
4) Chestnut soup/Alba Mushroom/Potato/Truffle Foam
5) Loup De Mer/ Leek/ Yuzu
6) Duck Braest/ Spiced Beluga Lentils/ Ginger/ Compressed apple
7) Angus Beef/ Heirloom carrots/ Goosefoot/ Cumin/ Shallot jus
8) Crispy Goats Milk Cheese/ Lemon Balm/ Red Pepper/ Balsamic Vinaigrette
9) Pomegranate & Olive Shooter
10) Pear/ Armagnac/ Cassia/ Pine
11) Chocolate/ Passion Fruit/ Coconut/ Ice Wine
They take every dish to the finest detail, from plating to flavor. The ingredient they use aren't exactly the most exotic, however, the flavor is all there. I'd have to say this is probably one of the best menu I've had since I've been to Chicago and I'm looking forward to come back when I can.
Oh yea, Chris and Nina are some of the nicest chef I've met. The warmth and the food really makes it a great experience!
Who are these people? Â They look sort of normal, but apparently don't flinch at $140/head for weird food at a BYOB. Â But how do you get a reservation? Â We had to e-mail and it took literally months because the "Open Table" and telephone didn't work at all. Â We expected the crowd to be a little more chique and well behaved. Â The place is loud considering it seats 32. Â 3.5 hours for a 9 course meal of consistently tiny little fancy plates with flowers on the side? Â I think it's the drinking that makes it work, but it didn't do it for us. Â OK, the all female server team in black and eyeliner is excellent, as is the food. Â The deal killer is 25 minutes (I timed it) between some courses. Â Are you serious? Â This is for the birds...as in the portion size and the goose theme.
Review Source:Food: 5/5
Decor: 3.5/5
Staffs:4.5/5
+ Huge plus for being BYOB!
My lovely bf took me here for our 1-year dating anniversary.
The place was small, only 7 - 10 tables being closely set.
The food was just phenomenal.
My favorites were:
scallop: seared to perfection. Perfectly browned outside.
shrimp and preserved garlic: The taste was just amazing. The presentation was very really interesting too. I wanted it more!
angus beef: Wow. just WOW! I'm a medium rare kind of girl and this little piece of meat was seared just perfectly that it literally melt in my mouth!
Bottom line:
Bring your favorite wine or Goosefoot website has a list of wine suggestion to pair with the course.
And just go enjoy! it's gonna be a life-changing experience.
Our Goosefoot visit was a very satisfying experience. The 9-course dinner (actually 12 courses, including complimentary entries) was presented well, with entries' palate ranging from amazing to very good.
The atmosphere is casual and the hostess and the chef are very friendly which adds to the overall experience.
BYOB in the restaurant of such high caliber is a wonder to behold! It is great to be in control of the wine characteristics; and for the fraction of the usual price. So, I recommend to come prepared and with the wines of your choice. Wine suggestions are listed on their website.
I had to tick off one star for these reasons (if I could only tick off 1/2 of a star, I'd do it).
1. There is no bread service. For the style of food (I mean "Western") Goosefoot serves, there must be bread. I suspect that since the restaurant is relatively new, they didn't come around to making bread yet. But I sincerely hope that they can add the bread service soon.
Or, perhaps, BYOB really means "bring your own bread"? :)
2. The visual presentation of some dishes is repetitive. However, I experienced similar defect in such high-flying places like Alinea. Still, hopefully, as they grow, they can address this.
Overall, I highly recommend the visit to Goosefoot - it will be memorable.
Honestly, how does one really do Goosefoot justice even with giving them 5*. I can truly say, this may have been one of the best meals that I have ever had. It wasn't just the food, but everything included. I'm writing this a few days after coming here, and I still shake my head in awe at how great the meal and service was. I'm honestly dumbfounded and I had to immediately made reservations for my friend's birthday in march. Â
I guess in a way I could end it right there, butnahhhhhh. I mean, there is just soooo much to say and it's all positive.
I love the general vibe as you walk in. There is a modern feel to it, but it's far from cold. Instead it's small and very relaxed. You are certainly close to other diners, but you aren't even close to on top of them. Â I will also say that the staff is completely top notch. Chris Nugent's wife is the Front of House and she greets you with a smile right as you come in. The rest of the staff is just as nice and friendly. Everything was very precise and you could tell that it's a pretty well oiled machine right now.
In some ways, it's hard to hit the highlights as everything was very unique and wonderful. Still, there were some obvious stand out dishes. The lobster and scallop dish was the first dish that stuck out to me. Granted, it was the second dish, but still. The scallop was done perfectly and the lobster was pure heaven in the sauce. The portion of it was exactly on point. The chestnut soup was absolutely amazing. It was extremely savory and was layered with flavors. It's rare that soup excels like this for me, but this was transcendent.
The two meat dishes also stood out tremendously. The duck was done sous vide and was extremely tender. Granted, I'm a sucker for duck in the first place, but this was taking things to a completely different level. It was done medium-rare and it was beautifully tender. The beef was in a rarefied air level as well. It was rich, but without being too much. What was insane was a truffle powder that you re-hydrate with the sauce around the angus.
Even with all of this great food, it was then followed up by 3 tremendous small desserts. I really can't pick between them as to what was better. I will say though, the goat cheese may have been the best. It was in a phyllo dough and was a piece of happiness. There was also a final palate refresher that was off the menu. It was a nice berry-ish plate that finished things off perfectly.
The best part was Chris Nugent coming out and spending time talking to us at the end. It was a great touch and it makes you feel good. It did help that we had a later reservation, but I noticed other tables getting a chance to talk to him as well.
The fact that they allow BYO is completely amazing. I absolutely love it and it makes someone like me, who does dinners when I can, make me want to go here even more. I've felt push backs before on bringing wine and doing big dinners at restaurants, but being this wine friendly doesn't make you feel like you[re doing something wrong.
It's going to be a few months before I get back, but I'm already getting a slow burn of giddiness going. I can't wait and I know I'll make another reservation when I'm there next.
I was so fortunate to go to Goosefoot on my birthday this year on August 9th, so this review is long overdue. Â I'd been trying desperately to get a reservation, and Nina called me that morning to tell me there had been a cancellation at 9pm!
Nina and Chris do an incredible job at making everyone who walks in the door feel like they are playing a part in their dream. Â The restaurant has the sophistication of many other top restaurants, but a with a touch of familiarity- from the chef's wife taking the reservations to their explanation that they hired waitstaff who are new to the business and trained them to be top notch servers in-house. Chef Chris walks around at the end of each seating to talk to guests about the food, and kindly stayed by our table for more than a couple minutes answering our questions about his food.
The food was delicious, and it really felt like a great deal for the price. Â Each plate was extremely well executed. Â I'm a pescetarian, and they happily made substitutions in the meal for me. Â At the end of the dinner, Chris and Nina brought me out a signed menu wishing me a happy birthday! Â What a wonderful evening.
Congrats to Chris, Nina, and their team on their well-deserved Michelin star! Â Everyone else....go to Goosefoot!
There's nothing to say that hasn't already been said, so I'll keep it brief. Â Goosefoot is a must try, although you'll have to try heartily, since it's super hard to get in. Â The staff is supremely friendly, though, so when I called explaining that I had a gift certificate that desperately needed using, they did allow me to bypass the midnight-90-days-in-advance-opentable dance. Â But it was 90 days out nonetheless.
As for the dining experience, delightful. Â Not nearly as stuffy as some of the other high end pre-fix places in town, and the staff is great. Â The only reason for four stars is my need to compare everything to the late Bonsoiree (RIP), which was the best pre-fix place ever. Â But really, it's very very good, and I highly recommend it.
Goosefoot is a very special place - Nina and Chef Chris put great care into their restaurant from the decor to the food - we felt like we were a guest at their table.
We enjoyed an amazing 12 course dinner - everything was fresh and delicious. Each plate came with a beautiful arrangement of the most delicate flowers, microgreens (grown in their home garden), Â and flavored gelees. Â It was too pretty to eat - but we did! We loved the symmetry and design of each plate. Â Every flavor was harmonized and balanced.
Our favorites were the parmesan and lobster in an egg shell, the delicate chestnut soup, the duck and angus beef were mouthwatering. Â The service was excellent. The staff was so chic but not stuffy. We kept wondering how did they pull this off? Â
Chef Chris was a delight to meet and doled out much praise to his kitchen staff and his lovely wife who also gave us a warm greeting.
We learned that Goosefoot came to life by the dreams of two people - no corporate backing, no partners. It is incredible that anyone could accomplish so much and  do it to perfection. This is a wonderful, personalized dining experience, not to be missed.
My food buddy had made a reservation here three months ahead, but she had another opportunity to visit so kindly donated her reservation to me.
The platings were pretty too look at, but I wouldn't describe them as creative. Compared with some other great meals I've had in Chicago lately (e.g. Alinea, Elizabeth, Yusho) there was a lot of visual repetition in the dishes: with each perfectly piped tower of foam and assortment of cubed gels not standing out from the one before it. The servers described every dish, and the words I remember most are not the ingredients or flavors, but the techniques ("ragoût").
This minor critique aside, the flavors were fantastic: my favorite dish was the sunchoke soup, and the beef which was served had been poached and was delicious.
Service was perfect (it's BYOB, and they helped us switch from our white to red at the appropriate point in the menu). The hostess repeatedly introduced herself as the chef's wife, which was an interesting but irrelevant factoid.
It was a nice touch that bottled sparkling water was an option, but came at no extra charge.
Goosefoot, you have amazed me by exceeding every expectation in terms of food, service, and atmosphere.
We arrived promptly for our 5:30 reservation with a bottle of red and white wine in tow to partake in their BYOB policy. Since we were the first to arrive, the hostess let us pick which table we wanted. Upon being seated the hostess revealed herself as the Chef's wife and told us that the menu outlined nine courses but there would be two additional samplings, making it an overall eleven courses.
The first dish that came out was one of the off menu samplings from the kitchen. There was a morsel of  a beet nestled on top of a smear of goat cheese and drizzled in a citrus oil. The beet soaked up the citrus oil, and it was bursting with flavor that was mellowed out with the goat cheese which was very enjoyable.
After the plates were cleared away, we were able to dive into the actual menu, which was as follows:
1) lobster/scallop/licorice root/curry: What a fantastic start to the meal both in terms of taste and presentation. One perfectly seared (and non-gritty) scallop was nestled in an orange puree of lobster infused with a subtle curry flavor. Off to the side were a few colorful greens that you could incorporate as you liked to add texture to the dish. The licorice root added a nice hint of flavor and substance to the sauce. Outstanding.
2) shrimp/preserved garlic/rosemary: Wow. There really isn't an easy way to put into words how outstanding this was in terms of presentation and flavor. The dish was served in a hollowed out eggshell that was filled with pureed shrimp, garlic, and rosemary. Well done, Goosefoot, well done.
3) sunchoke soup/potato/truffle essence: When this dish came out it was overpoweringly aromatic with truffles due to the frothy foam on top that permeated the soup. The truffle luckily was balanced out with the small bits of potato that sunk to the bottom. I have never had sunchokes before and they didn't seem to have a strong flavor in the soup, which I can't decided was good or bad. Overall, this was probably my least favorite of the night.
4) arctic char/maltake/english pea/espelette: Delicious! The arctic char was enhanced by the spicy red espelette pepper and mellowed out with the english pea that it was perched on top of. This was a small dish, but the flavors were fantastic.
After this dish we were served one of the "off menu" courses which was a pomegranate and beet shooter that was laced with olive oil. This was tart at the beginning and then mellowed out with the pomegranate flavor at the end. It had a unique texture due to the olive oil addition, but it was a great palate cleanser and set us up for the next "phase" of the menu.
5) duck breast/spiced beluge lentils/ginger/compressed apple: Without a doubt, the duck was one of my favorites of the evening. The duck was properly cooked at a medium rare temperature and we received a fair portion with this dish. The spiced beluge lentils were perfectly cooked and added a nice flavor and bite with the duck. Off to the side of the duck were small gelatin squares of ginger along with two compressed green apple globes which was an amazing flavor.
6) angus beef/cauliflower/goosefoot/trumpet roylae/shallot jus: After thinking I had experienced the best of the meal with the duck, the angus beef gave the duck breast a run for its money. The angus beef was perfectly cooked to a nice medium and the simple seasoning was spot on, making it a truly fantastic piece of meat. The presentation on this was superb--the beef was circled by a pristine circle of shallot jus and nestled in a cauliflower puree and garnished with goosefoot. Each bite was heavenly and it was obviously a favorite as I savored every bite and it was gone within seconds by my boyfriend.
7) crispy goats milk cheese/lemon balm/red pepper/balsamic: And the awesomeness continued. The phyllo dough added a great crunch to the cheese and the richness was balanced out with the tartness of the lemon balm and the sweetness of the red peppers and balsamic. This was another favorite of the evening without a doubt.
8) cinderella pumpkin/turkish coffee/cassla/citrus: I'm a sucker for pumpkin, so I LOVED this dessert. The pumpkin was moist mousse like texture that was encased in white chocolate and topped with a chocolate covered espresso bean. This was a beautiful presentation and went wonderfully with the incredibly potent citrus mousse on the side.
9) hazelnut/chocolate/caramel corn/coconut: Delicious. This again had a mousse like texture that was incredibly rich. The chocolate and the hazelnut flavors were superb, and I loved the texture profile of this dessert. The caramel corn provided a nice crunch and the coconut marshmallow was light and airy. Fantastic.
We ended the meal with another surprise from the kitchen which was a gooseberry dipped in dark chocolate-this was simple but scrumptious.
I can't wait to celebrate another special occasion here, thank you Goosefoot!
This place is spectacular. The food is superb. The ambiance is like being in a friend's living room/dining room, like at Alinea.
Came here for the first time and when I first sat down, I didn't know what to expect. The place seats about 32, and it's just one room. I sat with my party of 4 with an open mind. Once the food came out, the place blew me away!!
The presentation is nice, and the food is spot-on. Sunchoke soup and the shrimp custard dishes were my favorites, but all the plates are excellent - any favorite is simply based on personal preference. This place totally beat my expectations. BYOB is amazing as well.
We were there for 3.5 hours, so just go with a leisurely mindset :)
I was very excited when my wife told me she made a reservation at Goosefoot for my birthday. Â The excitement was well deserved, as the entire evening could not have been better. Â
The food was outstanding, and the plating exceptional. Â There was nothing served that we didn't like. Â And, as the meal progressed, we liked it even more. Â For the price, it is a great value. Â BYOB adds considerably to the value.
Well worth the time and effort to snag a reso. Â Can't wait to go back.
I came here in early spring and had the 8-course menu (the web site mentioned a switch to 12 courses at some point; I'm not sure if that ever happened). Â I made reservations with my wife and another couple and we had a great time! Â
Food was wonderful with some bonus mini-courses thrown in and we took full advantage of the BYOB pairings suggested on the web site. Â Service was excellent and the chef came to visit us at the end of the meal.
We rarely/never spend that much on dinner, but for $90 each it was a world-class meal we were very happy about.
We made reservations at Goosefoot for our wedding anniversary celebrations. We received a reminder call from the restaurant and they were mindful of our dietary restrictions and reconfirmed what we had mentioned during our reservations. We brought along our wine and were promptly seated by courteous and friendly Nina Nugent. The wait staff were attentive as they served our wine and water (you can order still, tap or sparkling).
The location, as several have mentioned, is not out of the ordinary. They had a power  outage earlier that evening due to weather but by the time we were seated the kitchen appeared to have caught up with any delays that may have caused as we didn't experience any glitches.
We started with a palette cleanser (wasn't on the menu). It was a refreshing spoon of beet and goat cheese in olive oil. It was followed by amazing lobster and scallop in curry sauce (DELISH)! Then came the potato sun choke soup - we both thought that the quantity of the soup could be smaller considering the other portions that were yet to follow. The arctic char was very well prepared - buttery and perfectly seasoned. The next course was the duck breast with beluga lentils - this was a very balanced and perhaps one of the tastiest course for both of us. Instead of the beef we had opted for the seared tuna - very satisfied!
The cheese course came next. A warm phyllo filled with goat cheese with aged balsamic and lemon balm reduction. Great way to set the stage for the two desserts to follow. They first gave us a palette cleanser - a pomegranate lemon oil and beet concoction. The first of the two desserts was a passion fruit vanilla creme on a crisp.. light and perfectly balanced. The second desert was a chocolate sea bean with orange mousse. They were thoughtful of putting a happy anniversary greeting in caramel.
We ordered some espresso with hot milk (which they were kind enough to bring for us) and ended the meal with a gooseberry dipped in chocolate served on a small wooden block - great way to end the dinner. Chef Chris Nugent stopped by and greeted us and signed our menu (which by the way is printed on planting seed paper). He was very down to earth and warm. He was very appreciative of his patrons and his staff in the kitchen and wait staff. Genuinely a nice guy which makes the dining experience so much better.
Overall, we couldn't have asked for more. Loved it and would visit again for sure!
Goosefoot is a great addition to Lincoln Square. Serving up some inventive dishes on their 8 course menu leaves you happy and satisfied. Esp for the price - $90 for 8 courses and it's BYOB - this is quite a bargain. Â
My faves were the poached beet amuse-buche, lobster and scallop with curry sauce, angus sirloin with the gelatin carrot purée, and all of the desserts. Really good. We also got to visit with Chef Nuget for a little while and the was most modest cook I've ever met - he used every opportunity to give credit to the small staff at goosefoot.
The whole thing took close to 2 hours capped off with a nice coffee at the end. I would go back once he updates his menu.
Came here for my birthday dinner and was mostly let down.
For starters their air conditioning wasn't working. This didn't help when the closest CTA stop is a good five minute walk away. In the summer heat it wasn't nice to walk into a hot restaurant.
The servers are all very personable and knowledgeable about the dishes. They did apologize about the a/c being out, but not until much later in our meal.
The dishes themselves were all very good, however I was surprised at 1) how small they were and 2) that it took quite a long time between dishes. My wife and I finished our bottle of wine before the 4th course had even arrived.
Based on the length of time it will take many to trek out here and the slowness of service, I wouldn't recommend this place to the many other fine dining options with wallet friendly prices in this city.
This is the best bang for the buck anywhere on the planet. The food is by far the best food you will get in the country right now. Â For $90 per person and BYOB, you are going to have a great meal. Â Go out and get yourself some decent bottles of wine, the recommendations are right there on the website. Â
The menu comes on paper that you can plant that will grow wild flowers. How cool is that?!?! Â We had 8 courses and each one was delicious. Â The menu changes regularly so your dining experience will hopefully be just as good. Â
Our courses
Scallop over lobster and curry with licorice root
Sunchoke soup with potato and shrimp and truffle essence
Arctic char with morels and peas
Duck breast with beluga lentils
Steak (mmmm) with heirloom carrots and shallot jus (FAVORITE COURSE)
Fried goat cheese course
Chocolate dessert....perfect ending
Best food I've eaten so far in 2012 and maybe to date. Â Highly recommend getting a reservation. Â The staff was so nice from the instant you walked in until they hailed a cab for you after dinner. Â We had brought a little too much wine, but we shared with the table next to us as well as the staff.
This place's flavor profile is very similar to les nomades for the most obvious reason. But for $90 per person plus BYOB, it's worth every penny! Â
I won't write about every course, my two favorites were the sunchoke soup and angus beef. The soup was probably the best soup I've had. Â Creamy, flavorful, with some veggies on the plate to add texture. The angus beef, omg. I am not a steak person, and I tried to make eating out to steakhouses as least often as possible to counter my husband's obsession with steaks. But we still went to some of the good steakhouses in Chicago (Gibsons, David Burke's, Joe's, Morton's steakhouse etc.) So trust me when I say this because I have a very good sample size to compare to--this piece of angus beef is probably THE best steak you will ever have. And it's not some fancy schmancy dry aged or wet aged steak, nor does it have any sauce on it. It's pure, flavorful, perfectly cooked, and melts in your mouth.
When we were done with dinner, we went outside to catch a cab. Nina came outside with us and tried to help us catch a cab. Other than Next/Alinea/Aviary, this is the only normal restaurant we've been to that actually went over and beyond to help us catch a cab. It might not mean that much to other people, but I am a sucker for that. And it speaks to their service level. I will definitely be back.
It doesn't get much better than this - to say I love this place is an understatement. Delicious food, amazing service, great atmosphere, great price (considering the experience), and BYOB!
I could go on and on about each dish and how much I loved it, but I will spare you. All you need to know is that this place worth every penny. For me it was all the things I loved about every other fine dining experience I have had but for a fraction of the price ($90/pp). The food is inventive but with purpose, and you get a little of everything! My husband and I were super bummed when we had to leave and couldn't believe that we were there for close to 4 hours!
So if you are a foodie, get your butt there and thank me later.
I had one of the best dinners of my life at Goosefoot. No gimmicks or hype (hmm, what could I be referring to?)-- just awesome food. We spent some time talking to the chef and his wife and they are very nice people who are excited about cooking and running a restaurant. Their skill and enthusiasm are reflected in the high quality. Bonus points for having Bulls center Omer Asik in the house with the fly bottle of Veuve.
HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION
On another note, one of the reviews below suggests that Goosefoot is in an unsavory neighborhood. Goosefoot is in Lincoln Square. C'mon, white girls. You're better than that.
Simply put, one of the best dining experiences you will ever have for the price!
Forget the pain in the you know what to get tickets for NEXT and spend $365 pp, forget restaurants that won't answer their phone to get a reservation, and come to Goosefoot for a 8 course tasting menu for $90 pp with BYOB! Â Hands down the best value for upscale dinning. Â
Top chef quality food, professional and attentive staff, artistic and creative dishes, Goosefoot delivers an exceptional fine dining experience from start to finish. Â I enjoyed every dish but the sunchoke soup with a truffle essence, angus beef with heirloom carrots, and desserts were incredible! Â My only word of caution is that if you do not enjoy truffle, then tell the staff and they will do their best to accommodate. Â Truffle is used in a lot of dishes. Â Goosefoot gets six stars.
Okay everybody simmer down now....I'm going to try and remain calm.
I guess I should start out by saying I sat down at my table with expectations so freakishly high that there was no way I wouldn't be disappointed, impossible. Then the courses started...an amuse- a silver spoon adorned with a wedge of golden beet and flower petal. If you can make a single bite of beet that extraordinary- you've got my attention, I will follow you where ever you take me on this food journey...I am in your hands.
Each course dazzled and amazed. Can they not repeat a course?!?!?! I need to have that taste again!!!!! I was torn whether or not to lick the plate...for every course. Even the final gooseberry dipped in dark chocolate and nuts- why yes I'll need a dozen to go?!?!
Three of us had earlier in the year dined at Alinea....we came to the conclusion that Chef Nugent's food is simply on par with that of Chef Achatz. They may need to go on Iron Chef and battle it out. The major difference is the price tag- the total tab for four of us was still a hundred dollars less then for just one person at Alinea. It is also BYOB, they recommend on their web site what to pair with your dinner.
Goosefoot was so extraordinary I will make it a point to experience each of their seasonal menus. I might even have to repeat ones I have already tried. We talked with the Chef and his wife. HE is the one personally in the kitchen preparing your food, not a sous chef. He is humble and outrageously talented. Service is delightful, the ladies are super sweet and charming.
Arguably one of the most unique meals I've had in the last few years. After seeing all these raving reviews and numerous people talking about this place on Chowhound, I decided that this place was next on our radar when we visited the Chicago area. Considering that we had wanted to come here in January and saw that it was booked completely a few weeks out, I didn't want to chance our most recent visit by waiting too long to make a reservation. Sure enough, things booked up quickly, but we were able to grab a 5:30pm reservation time for a Wednesday.
Prior to dining, we had driven around the area just to see what it was like, as we aren't too familiar with the Lincoln Square neighborhood. We really admired the fact that in this hipster type of neighborhood, there stood goosefoot looking unassuming. With a simple black awning on the outside with bold white letters, we knew we were in for a treat.
To say that what we experienced was a treat is a true understatement. Upon entrance, we were greeted by Nina Nugent, wife of Chef Chris. Sweet, cheery, and warm, she showed us to our seat immediately, and we were lucky enough to get a corner table near the wall sconces that you see in the main restaurant photo. The decor was neutral with a pop of marigold, and simple and modern. Since we were the second table to arrive, it was very quiet. By the end of our meal though, the place was filling up quickly, and it definitely got louder.
Onto the meal, or should I say experience. :) There was only the 8-course for us, even though the website says that their 12-course is supposed to debut early this year, and then Nina informed us that there would be 3 additional surprises. Our jaws nearly dropped because 8 courses already seemed like a lot! lol
The wait staff seamlessly flowed through and explained each dish that came to our table, and not only were each knowledgeable, they each had their unique style in explaining it. We love those little quirky idiosyncrasies about a dining experience, and goosefoot definitely delivered. Each dish that came was amazing. Not one was superior to another, and the pacing of each was perfect all the way up to the final 11th course and dessert.
I am still thinking about our evening here. Like I said, this place is definitely an experience, and I can't believe how polished the food is, having only been open for 7 months. Chef Chris is really a true talent and perfectionist (as noted by his wife) and though we didn't get a chance to personally meet him, I can only see this place going further, pushing the envelope, and offering diners a wonderful, and inspirational evening. The wait staff were welcoming and knowledgeable. Great, unpretentious atmosphere and food.
Oh, and did I mention all this for $90 and BYOB? Such a great deal, so hurry and make your reservation now! It definitely books out months in advance, so if you know you'll be in the area in the distant future, I'd give them a call now! :) You certainly won't regret it.
I don't really want to ruin it for people by explaining how things went. Â I live fairly close, and noticed this place when driving sometime last year, taking down a mental note to check it out. Â Finally made it over, and this place is doing elegant, delicious, incredibly balanced food that would make anyone smile after eating it. Â Also, the way it is priced, at $90 for what turned out to be 10 or 11 courses is stealing money, and the BYOB helps as well. Â In a tasting menu of more that 5 or 6 courses, I usually expect there to be at least 1 item that I don't care for, simply from the diversity of ingredients, flavors etc. Â Not with Goosefoot. Â Not a single miss on the whole menu, and rest of the table felt the same was as I did.
Read some of the other reviews, the neighborhood is fine, Lincoln Square is harmless. I enjoyed this as much as a trip to the two star Michelin restaurant Providence, in LA. Â In fact, our table didn't want to admit as much, but when we compared our much hyped trip to the French Laundry in Napa, everyone preferred Goosefoot to the FL. Â I might be gushing a little too much, so I am going to stop. Â I don't want to spoil it by going to often, but am very excited to go back sometime soon.
We went here Friday night for my husbands birthday dinner. I made reservations at the end of January for mid- April and got one of the last available tables. Plan ahead. It's worth it. We had an 8:30 reso. I will say the only downfall of this place is the location. Totally in the sketch and having a nice car we were worried about it still being there when we got done but it was and the food made us forget all our worries.
We were greeted by Chef Nugent's wife Nina, who showed us to our table. I know others have gone into detail about the courses so I won't but I will say that everything, from amuse to dessert, everything was flawless. Every dish was inspired, perfectly executed and amazing. Highlights for us were the scallop, sunchoke soup with baby shrimp, and the angus beef filet. Melted in your mouth. The food is more classic and less about innovation than Next, but just focuses on great flavors.
The Chef came out and talked to our table for at least 10 minutes. He really wants to meet his patrons, get feedback, and you could tell he genuinely cares. It was honestly one of the highlights for us. He's a brilliant chef and I'm happy to support his latest venture. Go here. It's amazing and for the price it's even better. You can't find this quality byob tasting often.
I will tell you a (quick) funny story...and then I will elaborate as much as posisble on the exceptional meal we enjoyed at Goosefoot this past Friday night.
I secured a Friday night 9pm reservation at Goosefoot 2 months ago in anticipation of our arrival back in Chicago on the good recommendations of some trusted eaters. We were going to be back in our cherished fair city, in our new home...let's celebrate!
Two days before the reservation, Mrs. Nugent (hostess with the mostess!) called to confirm our reservation and asked me if we were celebrating anything special. Well, of course we were celebrating the above...but had also been discussing wedding plans, etc. There was no formal engagement, but I told her "yes! we're engaged." Because, we basically were...so...ok! Not to fret, I did disclose this to my boyfriend so that he wouldn't be taken off guard and I look like a freak.
Well, the stars aligned and he actually proposed before that dinner (and it had been planned all along, unbeknownst to me)...so in actuality, we REALLY were celebrating our first dinner as engaged people at Goosefoot. Funny how things work out, right?
Ok, pardon my setup to the real story here: the experience at Goosefoot! From the moment we entered, we were treated as treasured guests. Our coats checked, shown to a corner table, wine glasses presented (it is BYOB, bring something nice!), waters filled, menus explained. We settled in and enjoyed the fan fare of the 8-course celebration before us.
It's a small (but extremely well appointed and classically decorated) restaurant just west of Western on Lawrence. Unassuming location and decor. But obviously, the treat to be had is really in the presentation, experience of the chef, passion in the staff, and overall experience of a team working thoughtfully together to make their diners feel like the most important thing to them. This really struck a chord with me. Such legitimate and genuine thought is put into everything at Goosefoot right down to the smallest detail. It's really quite rare.
OK THE FOOD THE FOOD! Here's the thing, despite eating out ALL THE TIME, I'm not a typical "foodie." I'm not anti-foodie, I'm just not really one. I like the whole experience of dining, and that includes not having a camera, and not really paying attention to each and every ingredient in my food. However, for Goosefoot I can make an exception because they did such a fine job of explaining each course, using locally sourced items and being so gosh darned awesome.
However, I did not take any photos. I'm sorry, I am not able to do this. However the girl next to me did take 7 photos of each course, so perhaps she will write a review? hehe. You'll find my comments aren't going to be super scientific on each dish, but suffice it to say: it rocked my socks off.
We were lucky enough to snag the winter-turning-to-spring menu:
amuse-bouche (lovely, rotates nightly)
lobster/scallop/hubbard squash/licorice root/curry (heaven)
sunchoke soup/potato/shrimp/truffle essence (brilliant)
loup de mer/meyer lemon/leek/tapioca pearls
roasted quail/spiced beluga lentils/ginger/compressed apple (the cutest dish)
angus beef/heirloom carrots/goosefoot/cumin/shallot jus (my favorite!)
pleasant ridge reserve/celery-truffle caponata/almond
passion fruit/coconut/lime/vanilla cremeux (light and fluffy and fruity)
chocolate/sea beans/orange/mulled wine (I died, find me in heaven)
*word to the wise, if you do NOT like mushrooms/truffle, do tell them and they will accommodate. It's in many dishes, and while I love it...you may not, and they will do their best to exclude it. Obviously though it impacts the overall flavor, but it is a strong one. They do the same for food allergies, etc as well.
It was a fabulous meal, capped off by a visit from Chef Nugent himself...who is quite possibly the most down to earth chef I've ever met. This includes ones that aren't very good or aren't particularly esteemed/reputable. Chris is genuine and thoughtful, and it permeates each and every nook, cranny and dish at Goosefoot.
$90/pp for the 8-course tasting menu.
No corkage fee.
Can't get into Next? Skip the ultra-headache and super scene and dine here instead. It was right up my alley, and might tickle your fancy more than you expect...even if you ARE a foodie ;) Wait, especially if you are a foodie. Whatever, just go!
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