Sepia ( 123 N. Jefferson St.; www.sepiachicago.com/ ) is one of those restaurants that epitomizes elegance. Even its website ( which currently plays Billie Holiday's "God Bless the Child" ) conveys its information in a graceful way.
The decor isyou guessed itcasually elegant, managing to be simultaneously rustic and contemporary. ( It didn't escape either me or my photographer, though, that there are similarities between this spot and the River North space Vermiliondown to the lighting, semi-private room and the fact that they're both named after colors. However, a PR person stated that the similarities are purely coincidental. ) Built from an 1890s print shop, Sepia tastefully retains touches from those origins, including a large camera near the front entrance.
Chef Andrew Zimmerman described his cuisine to Windy City Times with phrases such as "vicarious travel" and "globally informed contemporary American," thanks to touches from such areas as Mexico and Southeast Asia.
He added that he wouldn't serve exotic dishes such as ant-egg omelets ( something found in a few Thai eateries in Chicago ) because Sepia isn't a Thai restaurant; however, he said that you "need to understand customersbut you don't underestimate them." ( One nugget that stood out while discussing global influences is that, in Belgium, fries are often cooked in rendered horse fat. )
However, Sepia does offer duck-fat fries ( FYI: for dinner, not lunch )and does them pretty well. Zimmerman was kind enough to prepare a few dishes for us, including the foie gras royale, which was almost too beautiful to eat. The foie gras was presented in a bowl with sour-cherry gelee and topped with a petit herb saladpurposely looking like a terrarium. We also tried the Sepia burger, with Camembert, onion jam and peppercorn aiolia gustatory highlight along with the Arctic char, served with sunchoke, salsify, black trumpet mushrooms and jowl bacon. It was my first time trying this fish, but I'll definitely order it again. As for dessert, I urge everyone to try the shortbread cookies with buttercream filling that are coupled with whiskey-almond tapioca pudding.
As for lunch, this restaurant also offers pinto boxes ( a take on the bento box named for designer Maria Pinto, a friend of owner Emmanuel Nony ). Options include lamb sugo, endive salad and beet-and-leek soup.
Sepia is an excellent place for celebrating a special event or taking a date you want to impress. I highly recommend this restaurant. ( Sepia also offers vegetarian dishes, by the way, but Zimmerman stressed that vegans should let the restaurant know in advance of their dietary restrictions. )