It’s rare when a restaurant takes your breath away, Yet there I was, entering a little place on Jefferson near Randolph, little did I expect to find one of the best looking restaurants I have ever stepped into. From the impressive door and entrance, to the chic minimalist bar, to the absolutely breathtaking chandeliers, everything looked “stylish without being sleek,” an amalgamation of different times, styles and aesthetics. Many restaurants in the area benefit from the architecture of the old industrial buildings from the later 19th century, this building happened to be a print shop. There is a degree of intimacy in layout of the restaurant, as well as a huge disparity between some seats. Each and every time a person eats at this place, the ambiance will be different. Ask for the group table (seen below). Basically, they could serve shit on a plate here, and I would have a great time eating it.
is perfect. The service is impeccable, thoughtful pairings as well as definite opinions on dishes (something I find essential among servers). The bar itself is ornate with its contents, and its sheer breadth of cocktails is impressive. While having a great wine selection (the wine rack is one of the more impressive decorations of the place), and a decent beer selection, the cocktails are worth the price of admission. Resident mixologist Peter Vestinos is one talented dude. I had the tangerine nectar, which is subtly sweet, with the perfect bite of Plymouth gin (which they infuse with tangerine herbal tea). The addition of egg white to the mix causes there to be a frothy top to the drink, which combined with the tangerine rind makes this drink un-freaking-believable. I decided to blaze a trail and I also had the Drunk Monk (gin, chartreuse, lemon juice, orange peel) , and a Bourbon Sour (just as good as the tangerine) . From the bar, to the service, to the ambiance, people will find it hard to find better mixed drinks within the city.
The kitchen follows suit, somewhat. The service is still excellent obviously, but there is the occasional flavor slip up. The selection of ingredients is near perfect as well, yet sometimes the execution of the dishes comes to question. A seasonal menu ensures that the experience is going to be crafted to the season. During the winter I had a beef cheek dish here that was to die for, however the veal chop I ordered this time was a little overcooked and a little over seasoned. The earlier courses are unique and interesting, yet the entrees have a propensity (I swore I wouldn’t run a pretentious blog when I started) to let you down. I would digress that it could have been a poor choice by myself, perhaps I should have asked the waitress (with whom I entrusted my drink selections). We also were one of the last parties to eat there, so that could explain it as well. Not to say that executive chef Kendal Duque doesn’t produce some fantastic dishes, yet I would like to see more consistency and continuity with his selections.With a superb front of house, and an above average kitchen, Sepia delivers some of the finest mid-upscale dinning in Chicago. Not to mention that the website is one of the best flash websites I’ve seen for a restaurant. Bravo, Barv-fucking-vo.
http://www.sepiachicago.com/
My Meal:
Food:
peekytoe crab, potato and pesto flatbread 6
Seas scallops with ramps, peas, and pork belly 14
Free range veal chop with roasted root vegetables 31
Bread Pudding (again not on website)
Booze:
Tangerine Nectar: tangerine herbal tea infused Plymouth gin, agave nectar, fresh lemon, egg white 11
Drunk Monk: old raj gin, yellow chartreuse, lemon juice, orange peel 12
Bourbon Sour: wild turkey bourbon, fresh lemon sour, orange juice, eggw hite, bing cherry syrup, topped with orange bitters. 11
Fox-o-Meter
Food: 7 consistency is everything out of 10
Drink: 10 egg whites are everything out of 10
Ambiance: 10 wooooooowie! Outta 10
Service: 8 helpful sweeties outt 10
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