In a city where a well-made cocktail can easily run north of $18, The Radicle is planting something different: drinks at $10, served with the kind of intention you usually only get when you’re paying double. Opening this autumn on Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago’s Logan Square, the all-day bar and restaurant comes from the team behind Daisies—2023’s Eater Chicago Restaurant of the Year and the city’s only Green Michelin star holder.
Where Daisies redefined vegetable-forward dining, The Radicle wants to reshape how Chicago drinks. Think: the breezy sociability of the Italian coastline with the soul of the American Midwest. The name itself—radicle—refers to the first root that breaks ground from a seed. And that’s exactly the kind of growth chef-owner Joe Frillman is hoping to bring back to Logan Square’s post-pandemic bar scene.
“Since Covid, late-night culture has really taken a hit in Logan Square,” Frillman says. “We want to be one of the spots helping bring those vibes back. Whether you’re here for a happy hour Spritz or strong drinks at midnight, we’ve got you.”
The $10 cocktail menu, led by bar manager Nicole Yarovinsky—twice Spirited Awards–nominated—doesn’t play it safe. The Sunday Negroni blends pomegranate, myrrh, gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. The Sbagliato Rossini riffs with Lambrusco, Klug Farm strawberries, rose vermouth, and Campari.
Low-ABV and zero-proof options don’t sit in the corner either. The Vermouth & Soda mixes Vermouth di Torino with figs, fig leaf soda, and a whisper of balsamic (5% ABV). The Peach Fizz—a non-alcoholic standout—shakes up fresh peaches, basil, fermented whey soda, and egg white.
Food at The Radicle is made for drinking. Small plates range from deviled eggs crowned with trout roe to crispy lake perch with whitefish tonnato. There are pizzas, chilled seafood, and golden raisin–dressed pepper carpaccio—all echoing the Daisies ethos of fresh, seasonal, and unexpected.
Interior design comes courtesy of Debaun Studio, known for textured, lived-in spaces that favor comfort over pretense.
There’s no official opening date yet, but The Radicle is already shaping up to be the kind of place where dinner stretches into late night, where the cocktails are priced like it’s 2012, and where neighborhood spirit isn’t just marketing—it’s what’s on tap.
