She's the co-owner and executive chef behind three of the most-loved restaurants in all of Chicagoland—Girl and the Goat, Little Goat Diner and Duck Duck Goat—and, now, Stephanie Izard is expanding her Windy City empire with two new dining concepts...and they're in a surprising place.
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For her latest restaurant project, the James Beard Award-winning toque and television personality—who made TV history as the first female chef to win Bravo's Top Chef—is partnering with Hollywood Casino to unveil a new burger concept at two of the casino's suburban locations. In keeping with Izard's livestock theme, the new concept will be dubbed Lucky Goat and will sling specialty burgers, French fries, milkshakes and more. It remains to be seen if Izard's popular patties like the Chili Crunch Burger from Little Goat Diner will make their way into the Lucky Goat menu or if the spread will be made up of entirely new offerings. Needless to say, we're game for either option.
Lucky Goat will be found at Hollywood’s Joliet and Aurora casinos as part of the locations' new Boulevard Food & Drink Hall, a food hall concept that will spotlight Chicago-based eateries and vendors. The celebrity chef's new venture will be joined by Rick and Ashley Ortiz’s Antique Taco, a neighborhood Mexican spot with locations in Wicker Park and Bridgeport and a menu full of handmade tacos, salads, salsas and more; as well as Dana Salls-Cree’s Pretty Cool Ice Cream, known for its unique scoops, bars, cookie sandwiches and more, with storefronts in Logan Square and Lincoln Park. Five50 Pizza will also debut on site, offering the masses New York- and Neapolitan-inspired pies.
The Boulevard food halls will be designed and operated by McClain Camarota Hospitality, which was founded by Shawn McClain. As area foodies might remember, McClain is the Chicago restaurateur behind eateries including Spring, Green Zebra and Custom House.
“We’re proud to feature local area chefs and restaurants at the new Hollywood Casino Joliet,” said Ruben Warren, Vice President and General Manager of Hollywood Casino Joliet, per Patch Chicago. “Boulevard Food & Drink Hall will offer premium dining options, and we can’t wait to introduce our guests to this new social space later this year.”
We can't wait either.