Culinary inspiration from America and beyond in stylish surroundings at Sepia and PROXI in Chicago

I’ve been lucky to be surrounded by hospitality and amazing food my whole life. Raised in the French countryside by parents who were true bon vivants, they passed their love of good food and entertainment down to me. After attending culinary school, I decided that my path and love for hospitality was leading me to the front of the house, so I transitioned to the service side from the kitchen and haven’t looked back since.

I fell in love with the Windy City many years ago and decided to put down roots here. Developing and opening Sepia was a true realization of my lifelong professional dream. At Sepia, we blend style with comfort, past with the present, and timeless design, showcasing Midwestern hospitality with international flair.

I found an amazing partner and chef in Andrew Zimmerman, who has garnered us national acclaim for his inventive and delicious cuisine, which have earned Sepia a Michelin star every year since the Michelin Guide launched in Chicago in 2011. We then opened PROXI together next door to Sepia, offering a more casual and global restaurant, which has received a Michelin Bib Gourmand every year as well.

Since we opened in 2007, Sepia celebrates tradition with a modern, contemporary twist. We want to offer the best of both worlds: stylish without being too sleek, comfortable yet lively. Sepia’s menu showcases the quality and purity of the ingredients, letting both the ingredients and Chef Andrew’s passion for what he does shine through. Our seasonal menu is rooted in tradition to showcase pristine natural ingredients that are organic and sustainable. We support local artisan farmers and proudly encourage craftsmanship and the revival of traditional practices.

We do everything we can to make our restaurants welcoming and accessible to any guest. At PROXI, the small plates and cocktail list are perfect for dinner and drinks with friends, and Sepia is an amazing date night spot or destination for celebration.

Every night I visit different tables and genuinely inquire about the experience of my guests. I also talk with friends who often frequent my restaurants, and these are friends who I know will give me honest feedback. Many of them have given me great ideas and suggestions that our team has implemented to ensure we’re always taking feedback and evolving with the times.

In addition to this, I am constantly visiting restaurants in other cities and keeping up with the latest culinary magazines and trends. I am honestly very passionate about what I do, so I am constantly reading and talking with people about food and the customer experience.

Emmanuel: I am gay, and certainly, many of our patrons are people who have known me for many years and have come to support, and then they have told their friends who have told their friends. Thus, we developed decent size gay following! It has really made me feel overjoyed that once they’re here, they really have resonated with what we are trying to do at the restaurant. They see the quality. They see the attention to detail. And I know that they appreciate how much my staff and I care about their experience and their well-being. Patrons are truly treated more like friends.

Bryan Herb: Emmanuel’s restaurants are so popular because he imbues each restaurant with the type of style and sophistication that the LGBTQ community really appreciates and responds to. There is a tremendous focus on quality without charging an obscene amount of money. Emmanuel also hires personalities that really resonate with LGBTQ audience. These are people who have the ability to connect with a wide variety of people, and this shows from the moment you walk into the restaurant. Gay people simply feel at home, but like at a really really sexy chic home, where everyone is a ridiculous chef!