Eater Inside

Inside Proxi, Where Sepia’s Andrew Zimmerman Will Unleash Global Flavors

The West Loop restaurant and lounge opens on June 13

by Ashok Selvam@Shokdiesel Jun 9, 2017, 11:45am CDT

Photography by Marc Much

Though the menu at Proxi, the second restaurant from Sepia’s Emanuel Nony and chef Andrew Zimmerman, concentrates on global street food, diners will hardly feel like they’re at a hot dog stand. Yes, Nony and Zimmerman have described the restaurant as more casual compared to Sepia, their fine-dining destination since 2007 in the West Loop. But Proxi’s decadent touches and thoughtful finishes still could make it a spot for special occasions too when it opens to the public on June 13.

Crews have transformed the former Werner Printing Co. into a mid-century American brasserie. Ownership contracted Meyer Davis, the New York-based studio that worked on St. Cecilia in Atlanta. Earlier this year, the studio earned the James Beard Foundation Award for outstanding design for a restaurant with 76 or more seats.

Oversized leather booths lean against the southern wall, cut off by the central bar. Look for brass-framed mirrors, rustic wood floor planks and custom-designed cement tiles splitting the dining room from the bar and lounge. While there is a division, the menus will remain the same for the entire space. There’s also a chef’s table that peers into the kitchen. Maybe eaters there will see Zimmerman’s precious wood-burning grill.

Check out the photos below. Proxi opens on Tuesday, June 13 at 565 W. Randolph St. Sepia fans can’t miss it — it’s right next door.