Obélix

-Grubbing in Chicago  
New to the 'Scene'

In case you missed it Chicago Magazine recently named the city’s ten best new restaurants. The list was compiled by my teammate John Kessler who named Obelix the best new dining destination in town. It’s by no means a surprise pick as other local media types have made the same claim about the French restaurant in River North. Even the national media has taken note with the James Beard awards naming it among the ten finalists for the country’s best new restaurant. It’s become one of the city’s hottest reservations with all of the hype, drawing a full house night in and night out. We visited on a Monday but you would never have known it was the start of the week judging by the energy inside. Obelix is ran by the Poilevey’s, executive chef Oliver and brother Nicolas who’s the wine director. Their late parents started Le Bouchon in Bucktown which the brothers still operate.

Recently Opened in River North 

Obelix is the type of place you go to celebrate. It’s a good spot for a special night out. On our visit the crowd was mixed with young neighborhood professionals and older couples plus everything in between. It’s an inviting space that I could totally see being just as popular in Paris as it is here. This is in large part to the menu and the food that comes from it. It’s French at heart but by no means traditional, it’s updated so to say. Updated with a little bit of energy and I could totally see the food here being a hit in Paris which is saying something for a city with 45,000 dining options. Obelix is the type of restaurant that would be popular in every major metropolis. The foie gras taco was what caught my eye when I first glanced at the menu. It’s called “The Foie-co” and it’s constructed with a piece of seared foie gras on a house pressed corn tortilla with huckleberry jam, salsa macha, pickled red currant. It’s an awesome snack but unfortunately it’s just that. I could’ve eaten a few of these.

The Foie-Co at Obelix 

I imagine the menu will switch with the seasons but for now they feature the hearty Alsatian dish known as Fleischschnacka. The version served at Obelix is meatless but does not lack the heartiness that the meat stuffed pasta from Alsace is known for. Maitake and Black Trumpet mushrooms plus Comté Cheese is rolled up with egg pasta and placed in a roasted vegetable demi glacé. Delicious.

Fleischschnacka

I got a small taste of the Skate Wing Katsu Curry and it was very good. This is where we start to see some of the more modern and untraditional French dishes that Obelix offers. The Japanese influence in this one is obvious to anyone that’s ever had Katsu Curry which is a breaded pork loin served with a Japanese style curry. Obelix breads a piece of Skate Wing with panko and serves it with a shrimp mousseline, chrysanthemum, King Trumpet Mushroom and made from scratch Japanese Curry.

Skate Wing Katsu Curry at Obelix

I started to realize just how much I like a well cooked piece of duck breast on a recent trip to Paris. It wasn’t always this way but I’ve really come to love it and was very much intrigued with the version served at Obelix. Actually there’s an entire section of the menu dedicated to duck and all of it sounds good. The breast is a 10 day dry aged piece served alongside a grilled duck sausage sitting on a green papaya salad. First off let me just say I was very satisfied with the dish but wondered if the dry aging made the duck breast a bit more firm than usual but other than that I really liked it even if it wasn’t the best piece of duck breast I’ve ever had. The sausage was a ground blend and had some of those lovely southeast Asian flavors that I always enjoy. Paris is crazy for Asian food of all kinds so again I could really see this being a hit over there. No pic but a scoop of mixed fruit sorbet was some of the best sorbet I’ve had in the States. I wish they sold it in pints. All in all Obelix is deserving of all the accolades. It’s destination dining for Chicagoans looking to celebrate on the extravagant side.

10 Day Dry Aged Thai Duck Breast 

Obelix
700 N Sedgwick St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 877-5348
Website