Seems like only yesterday that Stephanie Izard was seemingly making a career out of underground dinners to build interest for her upcoming restaurant. But now the term “Underground Goat” refers to the basement dining room in her (hugely successful) restaurant Girl & the Goat, and last night twenty guests joined her there for a beer dinner celebrating the launch of Virtue Cider, the new venture from ex-Goose Island honcho Greg Hall. (It was billed as the first preview of his cider… though it wasn’t quite the first first preview, and apparently won’t be the last, since there’s also one at the Hideout on April 12.) Also on hand as a special brewmaster guest was Brian Strumke of Stillwater Artisanal Ales, with several interesting brews including the Stateside Saison and a lavender-tinged ale called Of Love & Regret. Our man Huge Galdones was there in the basement, snapping away at the porkerrific things being served to go with these terrific brews, and he passes along word that when some version of the BBQ ham and fried naan dish (which he likened in effect to a gordita) hits the Little Goat menu, as was suggested it would, you want it, very very much. Here’s his slideshow from the basement last night.
