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    Obélix

    Courtney Kenyon-Snider

    In Residence

    Courtney Kenyon-Snider

    Pastry Chef

    1. 01CuisineModern French Bistro
    2. 02CityChicago, United States
    3. 03RecognitionJames Beard Award
    Tables, banquettes and glass partitions in the Obélix dining room

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    French brigade craft

    Obélix is a Chicago French restaurant led in the kitchen by executive chef Sam Handwerger. The team’s own biographies put names to the work: executive sous chef Olivia Fitzgerald and executive pastry chef Courtney Kenyon each bring a different discipline to the restaurant.

    Olivia Fitzgerald’s path to the sous-chef role

    Fitzgerald worked the pasta station at Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio before joining Obélix. She is now its executive sous chef, helping lead daily kitchen operations. That move from a tightly run pasta station to a French kitchen offers a clear view of how cooks carry technique between restaurants without making the menus interchangeable.

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    Pastry across two kitchens

    Kenyon is executive pastry chef for both Obélix and Le Bouchon. Her work spans two related Chicago restaurants, making pastry a named part of each kitchen’s leadership. Handwerger’s biography traces his path through Alinea, Yugen, Alla Vita and Claudia before Obélix. Together, their roles give the restaurant a more useful human story than generic claims about French technique.

    Questions

    Frequently asked

    Who owns Obélix?

    Oliver and Nicolas Poilevey are the owners.

    Who leads the Obélix kitchen?

    Sam Handwerger is executive chef, Olivia Fitzgerald is executive sous chef, and Courtney Kenyon is executive pastry chef.

    The field

    How it compares

    PlaceAwardsCuisineNotes
    ObélixJames BeardModern French BistroRiver North, $$$$
    AlineaMichelin 3 Stars, 50 BestAvant-Garde Molecular GastronomyChicago
    Asador Bastian·Basque-Inspired SteakhouseChicago
    EverMichelin 2 StarsModern American Fine DiningChicago
    Kumiko50 BestJapanese Dining BarChicago
    OrioleMichelin 2 StarsModern French-Japanese Tasting MenuChicago
    SmythMichelin 3 Stars, 50 BestModern American Tasting MenuChicago

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    The Sunday email

    Read about the people behind restaurants like Obélix in the Sunday email.

    Every Sunday we send a lead story and up to four more about the chefs, winemakers, sommeliers and hoteliers behind the restaurants, bars, wineries and hotels we cover.

    See a sample of the Sunday email

    Free. One email a week, and you can unsubscribe from any issue.

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