It’s a Sunday evening in mid-May as my husband and I walk through the doors of Girl & The Goat—a wildly successful restaurant in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood—and we are stopped dead in our tracks. I’m star struck. Standing at the kitchen is Stephanie Izard, a major celebrity in the world of food and the 2008 winner of Bravo’s Top Chef.

The hostess seats us and our smiles grow to ridiculous proportions. We’re not stalkers; we just love food—this is our equivalent to a 13-year-old having a Justin Bieber moment.

Our attention is diverted once our food arrives—all small plates and all delicious—from oysters in curry sauce to pig face to homemade bread. Reservations are hard to come by (we called in February), but after the first bite, we realize it was worth the wait.

Girl & The Goat is a phenomenon in Chicago. In a town filled with celebrity chefs and top-notch restaurants, Izard’s eatery (opened in summer 2010) has risen above the rest to garner unfailing positive reviews from local, national and international press.

A few weeks after our dinner, I sat down with Izard to hear her story, lessons and advice for budding chefs.

Q: How did you get your start in the food business?

A: I grew up cooking with my Mom all the time. In my house, we didn’t have meatloaf or burgers for dinner, we would have Mu Shu Pork and tempura. Every Sunday I would look through my Mom’s cookbooks and then go to the grocery store with her to pick things out.

In college (University of Michigan), I thought I should get a real job, so I majored in sociology because it allowed me to go to class only two days a week. During the other days, I worked at Olive Garden—my first restaurant job.

I quickly realized that I loved the restaurant industry and the people in it, so after school I went to Scottsdale, Arizona and attended Le Cordon Bleu. From there, I started working in restaurants and moved up to Chicago.

Q: How did you get on Top Chef?

A: The show comes to cities and asks former contestants for suggestions. They are always looking for women. They called me on Friday and asked to interview me on Saturday. I had already had my restaurant (Scylla—in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood) up for sale and they asked me to come on the show. I sold the restaurant just in time.

Q: What was it like to be on Top Chef?

A: It was fun; I did the best I could. Really, it was a bunch of chefs trapped in a house together—we had a great time. Each morning you would wake up and have no idea what was going to happen.

Q: How did Girl & The Goat come about?

A: After my first five weeks on Top Chef, I had a break, was back in Chicago, and met Rob [Katz] and Kevin [Boehm] of Boka Restaurant Group. They were interested in opening something with me, but at the time, having partners freaked me out.

But when I won, I realized people’s expectations would be way beyond what I did the first restaurant, so I went back to Rob and Kevin.

One day, they asked me what type of restaurant I wanted to open. I told them I was interested in a casual place called The Drunken Goat. It would have a lot of local food, a fun environment and have an open kitchen. That is what Girl & The Goat ended up being.

Q: What is your favorite part of running Girl & The Goat?

A: The feedback I get from customers. People seem to really get it. They enjoy the food, service and overall experience. We were able to pull off just what we were going for.

Q: What three lessons have you learned throughout your career?

A: First, I learned that partnering with the right people is highly important. Second, I’ve learned if something costs a few extra dollars, it may be worth it. There is no reason to take the cheap way out and to cut corners. Third, there is nothing wrong with putting your foot down once in a while.

Q: What advice can you give to budding chefs?

A: Unless you absolutely love this business and love cooking and love running a business, don’t do it. It will consume your life.

Surround yourself with the right people.

Promote yourself and your restaurant through social media—get a Twitter account.

Q: What are your plans for the future?

A: I will be opening another restaurant, The Little Goat, about 10 months from now in the same neighborhood. It will be a 20-hour diner so we will get the breakfast people and the drunk people. I will also offer cooking classes there.

I come out with my first cookbook this fall (Pre-order on Amazon: Girl in the Kitchen: How a Top Chef Cooks, Thinks, Shops, Eats & Drinks), and my second cookbook is the works right now. I am also simultaneously working on a third restaurant.

In five years, I’d like to have a television show, and in 10 years (at 45 years old), I will be retired.