Although a date has not been announced, Eater Chicago reports a new restaurant is expected to open in the space that up until March 2020 housed Ty Fujimura’s Entente. The future of the Michelin-starred restaurant had been up in the air ever since the pandemic caused it to close for indoor dining, but the news of Obélix, the latest venture from Oliver and Nicolas Poilevey, makes it clear Entente will not reopen in its previous home.
Instead, come early 2022, you’ll be able to find the collective vision of two French-American brothers who grew up in Chicago working in their parents’ restaurant Le Bouchon.
“Growing up and working in our parents French restaurants, my brother and I always talked about and dreamed about one day doing our own French spot,” reads a post from Le Bouchon’s social media account. “Well that day has come! So excited for you guys to see what we’ve been working on.”
Chef Oliver Poilevey along with Nicolas Poilevey, who will run Obélix’s wine program and front of house, plans to offer some of the dishes from Le Bouchon and La Sardine, but, according to Eater, the menu will in large part lean into the next generation’s vision.
Chef Poilevey told Eater the menu will include sections dedicated to duck and foie gras, as well as seafood towers. Poilevey isn’t ready to call the cuisine French fusion, exactly, but it will sample from different cuisines, taking influences from the foods he admired growing up in Chicago. The wine program will prominently feature French wines, and carry some California varietals as well.
No word yet on when exactly Obélix will open, so in the meantime you can visit Le Bouchon online or in person, if you’re feeling like a delicious night out.
