Chef Joe Frillman, known for his work at Michelin-recognized Daises , initially planned to open another restaurant in 2024, but opening a new business rarely goes according to plan. Just a couple years later, the Radicle recently opened its doors in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood. Frillman walks Eater through the daily grind of operating a brand new restaurant.

Thursdays are reserved for research and development, when Frillman works on ideas for new dishes to add to the menu. He cuts up a whole tuna, building a tuna conserva dish by poaching chunks of the fish in a “tea” full of aromatics. The cuts are moved into an olive oil mixture when the fish is just cooked. Frillman then tests some beans to add to the dish, opening up half a dozen containers of prepped legumes.…