Strategic Hospitality Opening "French-Inspired" Restaurant Le Sel in Former Tippler Space

Big, big news out of the Strategic Hospitality camp today, as they announced Le Sel, a casual, French-inspired restaurant, as their next project. Slated to open early summer in the vacant space in the ground floor of Midtown's Adelicia condo building, transplanted Chicago chef Rene De Leon will be at the helm, offering up what he refers to in a release as "classic French dishes that most people recognize and love" along with "dishes that represent the current style of cuisine that has emerged in France today."

Split in to two spaces, the main floor of Le Sel will offer lunch and dinner six days a week, with brunch on the weekends. A raw bar with oysters, caviar and seafood platters is also planned. The downstairs is being called The Bar at Le Sel, which will feature its own menu along with wine and specialty cocktails from Strategic Hospitality beverage director Matt Tocco. Additionally, there will be a private dining space that can accommodate up to 24 guests.

Various rumors had been circulating about what the Goldberg brothers might bring to the long-troubled space. Brought on as consultants last August by the owners of the space's previous inhabitant, Music City Tippler, it was clear that the project was too far gone, and it subsequently shuttered at the end of October. But it was widely known that Ben and Max Goldberg were kept on the project, and would be heavily involved in what came next.

Rene De Leon joined the Strategic Hospitality team last summer, having spent a considerable amount of time in the Chicago restaurant scene, including six years in the high profile kitchens of Alinea and Next, as well as briefly taking the helm of The Dawson when it opened. So needless to say, expectations for this project will be high.