Chef Chat Part 3 Philippe Schmit of Philippe Restaurant + Lounge

Wooden wine cases serve as decor in the upstairs bar.

This week, as we spoke with Philippe Schmit of Philippe Restaurant + Lounge, opening January 25, the one word that kept appearing was "design." Aside from designing the menus, Schmit poured a lot of energy and thought into constructing the layout of the building with designer Lauren Rottet.

The restaurant is divided into two main parts -- the casual cocktail lounge downstairs and the primary restaurant seating area upstairs. The focal point of the lounge is the U-shaped bar, which is adorned with a massive mirror that stretches to the second floor, linking the two stories. Schmit and Rottet also have created a separate room for the chef's table.

Guests seated in the booths downstairs will be able to watch black-and-white films projected on the wall, as well as live-feed video streaming from cameras in the kitchen. Upstairs guests will be able see the action through the glass windows that frame the walls of the Texas-size kitchen.

As for the décor, it's a blend between modern clean lines and American western animal prints - perfect for the man who calls himself the French Cowboy.