LOGAN SQUARE — It has begun.
The Radler has officially become the first to open among a handful of new businesses setting up shop in a fast-developing half-block strip of Milwaukee Avenue, including a distillery, a mystery bar project from the owners of Scofflaw and a new bakery from pastry chef Mindy Segal.
Billed as a German beer hall, The Radler, 2375 N. Milwaukee Ave., will serve all the German favorites, including knockwurst, sauerkraut, spaetzle, and black forest cake, to name a few.
A full menu can be found on the Facebook page.
Gearing up for months, The Radler owners finally secured a liquor license (because what's a German beer hall without beer?) and launched a soft opening last week.
"The soft opening has been a really great experience," said spokeswoman Erin McElhinney. "We have wonderful guests who have given a lot of positive and constructive feedback."
Owners Nathan Sears and Adam Hebert successfully raised nearly $29,000 in June via Kickstarter to fund their new venture, and it shows.
Long communal wooden tables handcrafted by Hebert's father give The Radler its German beer hall feel, and beer tap handles are decorated in black, red and yellow for the German flag.
The second part of the project, a small "fine dining concept" within the restaurant, called D.A.S., is set to open in April 2014.
McElhinney said D.A.S. "will feature prix-fixe and set course menus for a very limited amount of [about 15] guests each night."
The Chicago Distilling Company will likely be the next venture to open in the strip, while a mysterious new bar project from the Scofflaw owners is also in the pipeline.
"It really is a fantastic time to be in the Logan Square neighborhood," McElhinney said. "Our neighbors are excelling in their crafts and we can't wait to be part of this shift."
