AS FAR AS RESTAURANT namesakes go, you could do a lot worse than Obélix. True, this French comic hero is simple-minded and combative, but he has a gentle soul, is a true friend to his bestie, Astérix, and cares deeply about his Gallic ancestry and culture.
That last bit also applies to Oliver Poilevey, executive chef and co-owner, with his brother Nicolas of the new River North restaurant that bears the name of the beloved buffoon. The Poilevey have put a great deal of thought into what it means to be a French restaurant today — not just the food but the team-work. The results, in the estimation of this Francophile, are both original and tone perfect.