Stephanie Izard is the American chef, restaurateur, cookbook author and television personality widely recognised as one of the defining figures in modern American casual fine dining and small-plate cookery. Born 9 March 1976 in Evanston, Illinois, USA, Izard grew up in the Midwest and graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in sociology. She subsequently attended Le Cordon Bleu in Scottsdale, Arizona, for formal culinary training, and worked at multiple Chicago restaurants through the early 2000s including La Tache and Spring before opening her first solo venture Scylla in 2004 at age 28.
Izard’s 2025-2026 work centres on continued expansion of her Boka Restaurant Group portfolio. In March 2025 she opened Valley Goat at the Treehouse Hotel Silicon Valley in Sunnyvale, California, her first West Coast operation. She has noted plans for additional West Coast Goats and the upcoming 20th anniversary of her restaurant group. In April 2025 she finished third on Season 2 of 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing on Food Network. She continues guest judge appearances on Hell’s Kitchen and competes regularly on Tournament of Champions, alongside her sustained Chicago restaurant operations including Girl and the Goat, Little Goat, Duck Duck Goat and Cabra.
TL;DR
- American chef born 9 March 1976 in Evanston, Illinois
- University of Michigan sociology; Le Cordon Bleu Scottsdale Arizona
- First female Top Chef winner (Season 4, 2008)
- Founded Girl and the Goat in Chicago 2010 with Boka Restaurant Group
- James Beard Foundation Best Chef Great Lakes 2013
- March 2025: Opens Valley Goat at Treehouse Hotel Silicon Valley California
Stephanie Izard key facts
| Born | 9 March 1976, Evanston, Illinois, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | University of Michigan (sociology); Le Cordon Bleu Scottsdale Arizona |
| Major win | First female Top Chef winner (Season 4 Bravo, 2008) |
| Restaurants | Girl and the Goat Chicago (2010); Little Goat; Duck Duck Goat; Cabra; Valley Goat Sunnyvale CA (March 2025) |
| Major awards | James Beard Foundation Best Chef Great Lakes 2013 |
| 2025 highlight | 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing Season 2 third place (April 2025) |
Early life and training of Stephanie Izard
Izard was born on 9 March 1976 in Evanston, Illinois, USA, and grew up in the Chicago suburbs. She attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and graduated with a degree in sociology in the late 1990s. After Michigan she pursued professional cookery, attending Le Cordon Bleu in Scottsdale, Arizona, for formal culinary training in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Through the early 2000s Izard worked at multiple Chicago restaurants including La Tache and Spring, gaining classical French and modern American restaurant technique. In 2004 at age 28 she opened her first solo venture Scylla, a Mediterranean seafood restaurant in the Bucktown neighbourhood of Chicago. Scylla operated through 2007 and gave her early experience as a chef-proprietor before her Top Chef breakthrough.
In 2008 Izard became the first female contestant to win Top Chef on Bravo, taking the Season 4 Chicago title in a closely watched final. The Top Chef win established her at the front rank of American chef-television figures of the late 2000s and provided the platform for her subsequent restaurant openings. In 2010 she partnered with the Boka Restaurant Group to open Girl and the Goat in the West Loop of Chicago, the restaurant that has anchored her career across the past 15 years.
Stephanie Izard career timeline
- 9 March 1976: Born in Evanston, Illinois
- Late 1990s: University of Michigan (BA sociology)
- Late 1990s-early 2000s: Le Cordon Bleu Scottsdale Arizona
- Early 2000s: Works at La Tache and Spring in Chicago
- 2004: Opens Scylla in Bucktown, Chicago (closed 2007)
- 2008: Wins Top Chef Season 4 Chicago on Bravo (first female winner)
- 2010: Opens Girl and the Goat in West Loop Chicago with Boka Restaurant Group
- 2011: Eater Chef of the Year
- 2012: Opens Little Goat Diner in West Loop Chicago
- 2013: James Beard Foundation Best Chef Great Lakes
- 2013: Publishes Girl in the Kitchen cookbook
- 2016: Opens Duck Duck Goat in West Loop Chicago
- 2017: Publishes Gather and Graze cookbook
- 2019: Opens Cabra at the Cindys at the Hoxton Chicago
- 2020-2022: Continues Chicago operations through Covid-19 pandemic
- 2024: Continues sustained Chicago restaurant group operations
- March 2025: Opens Valley Goat at Treehouse Hotel Silicon Valley Sunnyvale California
- April 2025: Third place on 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing Season 2
- 2025: Plans for additional West Coast Goats and 20th anniversary preparations
- 2026: West Coast expansion continues; Chicago group continues
Stephanie Izard signature style: bold-flavour American small plates and goat-themed cookery
Izard’s central argument, developed across more than 15 years from Girl and the Goat onwards, is that bold-flavour American small-plate cookery combining global influences (particularly Korean, Mediterranean and Latin American) can anchor sustained casual fine-dining restaurant operations. The Girl and the Goat menu features signature dishes including the goat empanadas, roasted oysters, pig face, and Korean-influenced small plates that have become reference points in modern American casual fine dining.
The second defining element is the multi-restaurant Chicago and now California portfolio. Girl and the Goat (2010), Little Goat Diner (2012), Duck Duck Goat (2016), Cabra (2019) and Valley Goat (March 2025) together represent one of the more substantial American chef-restaurateur portfolios of the past 15 years, anchored in the Boka Restaurant Group partnership.
The third pillar is the sustained television presence and the 2008 Top Chef win as the first female winner. Within the current American chef cohort Izard sits alongside peers including April Bloomfield, Alex Guarnaschelli and Suzanne Goin as one of the defining American chef-television figures of her generation.
Notable Stephanie Izard work
Several Izard projects have become reference points in modern American casual fine dining. Girl and the Goat in West Loop Chicago (opened 2010) is her defining 15-plus-year operation. Little Goat Diner (2012), Duck Duck Goat (2016) and Cabra (2019) extend the Chicago operation. Valley Goat at the Treehouse Hotel Silicon Valley Sunnyvale California (March 2025) is her West Coast flagship. The 2008 Top Chef Season 4 win as the first female winner remains her defining television achievement. Cookbooks include Girl in the Kitchen (2013) and Gather and Graze (2017).
Stephanie Izard awards and recognition
- 2004: Opens Scylla in Bucktown Chicago
- 2008: Wins Top Chef Season 4 Chicago on Bravo (first female winner)
- 2010: Opens Girl and the Goat with Boka Restaurant Group
- 2011: Eater Chef of the Year
- 2012: Opens Little Goat Diner
- 2013: James Beard Foundation Best Chef Great Lakes
- 2013: Girl in the Kitchen cookbook
- 2016: Opens Duck Duck Goat
- 2017: Gather and Graze cookbook
- 2019: Opens Cabra at Cindys Hoxton Chicago
- March 2025: Opens Valley Goat at Treehouse Hotel Silicon Valley
- April 2025: Third place on 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing Season 2
- 2026: West Coast expansion and 20th anniversary planning continue
Stephanie Izard impact on American casual fine dining
Izard’s most concrete contribution is the 2008 Top Chef win as the first female contestant to take the Bravo title. The win established her at the front rank of American chef-television figures of the late 2000s and 2010s, and helped open the Top Chef format to a more diverse cohort of competitors and winners in subsequent seasons.
The second contribution is the 15-year Girl and the Goat run from 2010 onwards in Chicago. The restaurant defined modern American casual fine dining in the West Loop neighbourhood, and the subsequent Little Goat, Duck Duck Goat, Cabra and Valley Goat operations together represent one of the more substantial American chef-restaurateur portfolios of the past 15 years.
The third contribution is the March 2025 Valley Goat opening at the Treehouse Hotel Silicon Valley as her first West Coast operation. Within the current American chef cohort Izard sits alongside peers including April Bloomfield, Alex Guarnaschelli and Suzanne Goin as one of the defining American chef-television figures of her generation.
Stephanie Izard FAQ
Was Izard the first female Top Chef winner?
Yes. Izard won Top Chef Season 4 Chicago on Bravo in 2008, becoming the first female contestant to win the show in its competitive history. The win established her at the front rank of American chef-television figures and provided the platform for her 2010 Girl and the Goat opening with the Boka Restaurant Group.
What is Valley Goat?
Valley Goat is Izard’s first West Coast restaurant, opened in March 2025 at the Treehouse Hotel Silicon Valley in Sunnyvale, California. The restaurant features her signature small plates including roasted oysters and goat empanadas, extending the Goat-themed Chicago restaurant brand to California.
How many restaurants does Izard have?
Five primary restaurants as of 2026: Girl and the Goat in Chicago (2010), Little Goat Diner Chicago (2012), Duck Duck Goat Chicago (2016), Cabra Chicago (2019), and Valley Goat at Treehouse Hotel Silicon Valley California (March 2025). Additional West Coast Goats are in planning.
Did Izard win a James Beard Award?
Yes. Izard won the James Beard Foundation Best Chef Great Lakes award in 2013. The award cement her status as one of the defining Chicago chef figures of the 2010s and was one of several Eater, James Beard, and food-press recognitions through the period.
Where did Izard train?
At Le Cordon Bleu in Scottsdale, Arizona, in the late 1990s and early 2000s after graduating from the University of Michigan with a sociology degree. She subsequently worked at multiple Chicago restaurants including La Tache and Spring before opening Scylla in 2004 and winning Top Chef Season 4 in 2008.
What is next for Stephanie Izard
Valley Goat continues at Treehouse Hotel Silicon Valley through 2026, alongside Girl and the Goat, Little Goat, Duck Duck Goat and Cabra in Chicago. Additional West Coast Goats are planned, and the 20th anniversary of the restaurant group approaches. Her public Instagram (@stephandthegoat) is the best source for current updates.
