The team behind beloved Chicago classic Sepia, Chef Andrew Zimmerman, Advanced Sommelier Arthur Hon, and restaurateur Emmanuel Nony, announced the concept and location for their forthcoming restaurant.
Located at 565 W. Randolph in the Werner Printing & Engraving Co. building, the restaurant is situated at the corner of Randolph and Jefferson Streets. The establishment will occupy a former print shop in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood like its sister restaurant Sepia. “It is quite ironic,” says Nony, “that we ended up selecting another print shop right next door to our first restaurant. We reviewed many locations that would feel quite different from Sepia, and this one ended up right under our nose.”
The restaurant will feature the Michelin-starred chef’s improvisational sketches of street foods from around the world prepared by elemental cooking. The menu will be guided by tradition but not bound by it. The kitchen aims to take guests on an easygoing ride like jumping on the back of a bicycle in Thailand, walking a beach in Mexico, or hopping the fence in dad’s backyard.
“We want the restaurant to feel comfortable in its own skin,” adds Zimmerman. “My team is inspired by the adventurous global palate that pursues the delicious over the strictly authentic.”
The chef will offer a variety of dish sizes from small to large plates to accommodate guests dining for any occasion. Informal, family-style presentations will provide the freedom to try multiple dishes.
Under the direction of Hon, the bar will serve as a prominent feature of the space and will showcase interactive cocktails alongside rotating ciders, craft beers, and a salted caramel Old Fashioned on tap. The well rounded bar program will draw on the kitchen and incorporate seasonal homemade sodas, house bitters, and infusions. The small but well curated wine list from Hon will express the kitchen’s bolder flavors.
Zimmerman, Hon and Nony are strong collaborators. While the team shares the same appreciation for fine hospitality, each individual brings his own eclectic eye, international experience and point of view from growing up, working and traveling in many different parts of the world.
Nony says, “We’re excited to combine our wildly diverse experience from around the world. Chicago is a melting pot with many ethnic influences. We are looking to create a relaxed evening of food and drink with the same attention to detail as our sister restaurant, Sepia, but with its own wholly unique point of view.”
Designed by the New York-based design boutique Meyer Davis, the space will combine mid-century and industrial influences amongst soaring barrel vaulted ceilings, glazed brick walls, reclaimed wood flooring, and marble bar-top. The 150 seat restaurant and bar will include eclectic vignettes and dining experiences, including the main dining room, bar lounge, al fresco dining in the summer, chef’s table overlooking the open kitchen and a small fully private dining room. Natural light floods in from floor-to-ceiling windows, as the glow of the live fire and the interaction of the culinary team in the kitchen set the picture of a warm and vibrant atmosphere. The new restaurant will share common areas with Private Dining by Sepia.
The restaurant is slated to open in late 2016. A name will be revealed later this summer.
