A signature course featuring gnudi (ricotta dumplings) prepared to deliver crispy exterior with a tender, delicate interior. Cottle's approach lets the quality ricotta speak—it's not masked by heavy sauce or extraneous ingredients. This dish exemplifies his philosophy of technique enhancing rather than overshadowing the ingredient.
Tips from diners
One of the most refined takes on gnudi. Each bite should feel like delicate ricotta cloud. Eat them warm right away.
Roasted monkfish—a lean white fish prized for its tender, sweet flesh—paired with fresh little neck clams. The preparation highlights both proteins' natural briny sweetness without heavy sauce. The dish demonstrates Cottle's restraint and his respect for ingredient quality. Source: multiple past menus show this as a recurring feature.
Tips from diners
This is refined preparation. The simplicity is deceptive—it takes precision to make lean monkfish taste tender. Enjoy the delicacy.
A refined dessert that transforms sweet peas into a delicate pavlova meringue. The pea gel provides earthiness, while Meyer lemon sorbet delivers brightness and acidity. This is Cottle's seasonal vegetable sensibility applied to dessert—unexpected but refined, light, and memorable.
Tips from diners
The pea-lemon combination is surprising. Let yourself be surprised by the vegetable forward approach. It's refreshing rather than heavy.
Foie gras in a crispy pastry tart, balanced with rose gelée, peach jam, and aged balsamic. The foie provides richness and umami, the peach and rose add sweetness and floral notes, and the balsamic brings acidity and age. This dish showcases Cottle's ability to balance luxury ingredients (foie gras) with refined technique and creative flavor pairing.
Tips from diners
This is the indulgence course. Enjoy it as a moment to luxuriate in the foie gras—the fruit and floral notes don't detract from it, they honor it.
A refined course marrying Japanese-inspired technique (shiro dashi) with American ingredients (halibut, spinach, caviar). The smoked halibut provides richness, the dashi butter adds umami depth, and the caviar delivers brininess. This type of course is typical of Cottle's technique—elegant without being fussy, seasonal, and grounded in ingredient quality.
Tips from diners
Watch how the flavors layer—the smoke of halibut, the umami of dashi, the brine of caviar. Each element supports the others without fighting.
Established in 2007 as restaurateur Emmanuel Nony's first independent venture, Sepia has held one Michelin star since the guide's first Chicago edition in 2011—an unbroken 13-year run. The restaurant is housed in a historic 1890s print shop with exposed brick, custom tile floors, original architectural details, floor-to-ceiling wine storage, and dramatic chandeliers. In 2020, Chef Kyle Cottle joined as chef de cuisine after serving as executive sous chef at Michelin-starred Blackbird under Paul Kahan. Cottle's kitchen presents inventive American cooking rooted in tradition, where technique enhances rather than overshadows each ingredient's natural character.
Book well in advance—Sepia's 13-year Michelin star means demand is high. Friday and Saturday dinners book out weeks ahead. Monday-Wednesday are easier to access.
The historic 1890s print shop setting is romantic and refined. Request a table with a view of the exposed brick or near the dramatic chandeliers if you're celebrating.
Cottle builds the menu around seasonal ingredients and works with producers using sustainable practices. Ask your server what's in season—it guides the menu's direction.
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