Sepia Reveals Name & More Details On New Casual Spinoff

Chef Andrew Zimmerman and the crew from Sepia, the luxurious Michelin-starred West Loop restaurant, have revealed a name for their more-casual upcoming restaurant. They’ve dubbed it Proxi, according to a news release. Initially they planned on opening at the end of 2016, but they’re now targeting a June opening at 565 W. Randolph St.

Sepia owner Emmanuel Nony and Zimmerman have enjoyed much fine-dining success at Sepia. Proxi’s name is a reference to proximity, as the restaurant will stand around the corner from Sepia, inside the former Werner Printing & Engraving Co. It’s a Latin word, and the news release explained how Nony and Zimmerman liked how the word not only referred to the distance between the two buildings, but also to “closeness in space, time, or relationships.”

Zimmerman’s menu will have a global influence, diving into street food. He told Chicago that he’s influenced by visits to Indonesia, Mexico, Thailand, and India. Dishes include Indian-spiced chili crab and a zucchini with pine nuts, feta and mint.

They posted construction photos via Facebook. The interiors will include 16-foot ceilings and a chef’s table in front of the open kitchen. Nony wants it to be boisterous. That sounds a little like what Alinea Group, another fine-dining institution, had in mind for Roister, their more-casual restaurant.

They’re still determining pricing for the wine list, but bottles shouldn’t be as pricey on the high end compared to Sepia. Check back for more on Proxi, one of the year’s most-anticpated openings, in the coming months.

Proxi