The name insinuates a love story, and that comes through in the menu as well. Goat’s there, but Izard’s affection also extends to rabbit, skate, escargot and, of course, that staple of the contemporary American restaurant, pork belly.

The menu is divided into three columns, vegetable, meat and fish with dishes increasing in size and price as you move down each column. All plates are meant to be shared, which allows the kitchen to send dishes out at their freshest.

Dinner service was in full swing when we were seated just after 10 p.m. on a Friday night — the only reservation we could get two weeks out. The space is dark and inviting, comfortable without any pretension. Drinks took a while to arrive, but our server, though busy, was attentive and knowledgeable.

He suggested we start with one of the fresh baked bread options and sold us on the idea when he mentioned the in-house baker. The tortone arrived warm and doughy, but quickly became simply the means for sopping up as much of the accompanying onion butter and tasty herbed oil as possible.

Being a party of seven, we were able to order about half the menu. From the first column, our waiter steered us toward the green beans and the cauliflower calling the two dishes, "life changing."

I could have eaten all of the roasted cauliflower myself, and then some. Pine nuts added a layer of richness, and the touch of mint was a surprise that worked well. The sautéed green beans also got an added richness from cashew pieces, but the flavorful fish sauce vinaigrette was a tad too much for me.

As we worked our way through plates of chickpea fritters, roasted beets with anchovies, grilled baby octopus and goat pizza, every single dish was interesting and delicious. But for me, two dishes stood out as most memorable.

From the seafood column, the star was the hiramasa crudo. Slivers of raw yellowtail were topped with rectangles of pork belly — our waiter summed it up as "basically salt, fat and texture" — and a drizzle of aioli. Though odd-sounding, the combo just melted in my mouth, filling me with warmth and happiness. If there truly was a life-changing dish on the menu, this was it.

The grilled beef short ribs didn’t look like anything special when they arrived; however, the meat was tender and perfectly cooked. The ribs and in-shell edamame were coated in a sticky sweet Asian barbecue sauce that left me seriously tempted to lick the bowl.

With an oft-changing menu, I can’t wait to go back this winter to taste what ingredients Izard pairs next. But maybe I will make my reservation now.