Restaurateurs Chef Bryan and Andrea Sikora have opened their latest venture, the Noble Goat, located at 200 River Station Blvd. in Downingtown.
The globally-inspired menu showcases an eclectic collection of small plates, freshly-baked pizzas, and creative larger-format dishes that embrace products from local farms as well as some of the best ingredients from around the world.
“Our food is sophisticated yet approachable,” said Chef Sikora. “The Noble Goat is a nod to our favorite things and what we love to eat.” “There is something for everyone,” Andrea added. “The focus is simple – great food and drinks with a nod to fine dining while remaining relaxed and inviting.”
This is the fifth restaurant venture for the Sikoras who also own La Fia, Merchant Bar, and Crow Bar in Wilmington, DE, as well as Hearth Kitchen in Kennett Square.
Menu highlights include chicken liver parfait, brandy-soaked cherries, coconut-lime crème fraîche, a wood-grilled Wagyu cheeseburger, and more. In addition, Chef Sikora has developed an in-house bread program featuring freshly baked sourdough, pita and lavash, as well as house-made condiments and pickled vegetables.
The Noble Goat will launch a wine, beer and craft cocktail program in the coming weeks after final approval of the liquor license. For now, the restaurant will operate as a BYOB. Guests can enjoy a menu of zero-proof cocktails and are encouraged to bring their favorite spirits until the liquor license is in place, which will be announced on social media in the coming weeks.
The Sikoras describe the décor as modern with clean lines, and upscale yet approachable. Boxwood Architects of Philadelphia designed the “contemporary European” 3,230 sq-foot space, which features a 60-seat dining room and 15-seat bar, and will include two extensive patios and an alfresco lounge with a firepit, which will seat an additional 40 guests beginning next spring.
“Programmatically, the central idea was to have an open kitchen, with patrons being able to watch the action at the pass-through expo counter, explained John Weckerly, who is a partner at Boxwood. “The bar sits as a jewel in the center of the space, surrounded by cozy, intimate banquette seating.” Drawing inspiration from the warmth of the pizza oven, rich, dark wood tones fill the restaurant. Attention to edge details on the bar, the tables and millwork form delicate touches throughout the space and earthy tones and textures on the tile, and wall paint complement the detailing so that the space is inviting to the senses.
A CIA graduate, Chef Bryan Sikora first burst onto Philly’s culinary scene in 2001 with the mega-hit Django, earning a four-bell review from the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Craig Laban and the StarChefs’ “Rising Star Award” and “Best Chef in Philadelphia” award in 2004. He later went on to launch Talula’s Table in Kennett Square which earned immense critical national acclaim from The New York Times, Saveur, and others. A second stint in Philly as executive chef at a.kitchen in 2011 quickly earned a three-bell review from the Inquirer.
In 2013, Bryan and his wife took downtown Wilmington by storm, becoming part of a culinary resurgence in that city opening first, La Fia, an intimate rustic bistro, followed by the Merchant Bar, an upscale gastropub, and Crow Bar, an eclectic gastropub concept in Trolley Square. In 2014 Sikora was a James Beard Awards semifinalist for “Best Chef Mid-Atlantic.” In 2017 Sikora returned to Kennett Square to open Hearth Kitchen, a seasonal Italian neighborhood restaurant, where he garnered a Best of the Main Line Award for “Best Upscale Casual Restaurant.”
The Noble Goat is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner from 11:30 AM to 9 PM.
