Chicago's newest restaurant wants to be your spot for every mood

Opening a restaurant never goes quite as planned - and chef Joe Frillman knows that better than most. After making his name at Michelin-recognized Daisies, Frillman had originally hoped to launch his next project in 2024. A couple of years later, the Radicle has finally opened its doors in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood, and from the sounds of it, the wait was worth it.

A restaurant built around flexibility

What makes the Radicle interesting isn't just the pedigree behind it. It's the idea that a great restaurant should be able to meet you wherever you are on any given night - whether you're in the mood for something casual and low-key or a proper sit-down experience worth lingering over. Logan Square is a neighborhood that already has strong dining bones, so any new opening there needs to earn its place. The Radicle seems up for the challenge.

The behind-the-scenes hustle

As Frillman shared with Eater, running a brand new restaurant is a full-body sport. Thursdays are carved out specifically for research and development, where he gets hands-on with new dish ideas and works through what might eventually make it onto the menu. It's a reminder that even at a place with serious culinary credibility behind it, the work of keeping a menu alive and evolving never really stops.

That kind of intentional, iterative approach to the menu is exactly what separates a good restaurant from a great one. It suggests Frillman isn't just opening a restaurant - he's building something he plans to keep refining over time.

Why this one is worth watching

Logan Square has become one of Chicago's most exciting dining neighborhoods, and the Radicle adds another compelling reason to make the trip. With a chef who has already proven he can earn critical recognition and a concept designed to flex across different occasions, it has the ingredients for real staying power.

If you're in Chicago and looking for a new spot to add to the rotation - whether that's a weeknight dinner or a longer, more celebratory night out - the Radicle just moved to the top of the list.