Joe Frillman | Source | Owner/Executive Chef Daisies restaurant in Chicago at -

Being one of only 26 chefs in the United States to win a "Green" MICHELIN star in September of 2023, Chef and Owner Joe Frillman of neighborhood spot Daisies, (which was also named Eater Chicago's 2023 "Restaurant of the Year" and one of The New York Times' picks for "America's Best Restaurants" in 2023) stands at the forefront of Chicago's independent restaurant movement.

Frillman's unwavering dedication to championing sustainability and fostering equity within the restaurant industry has set him apart as a trailblazer and one of the industry's most respected chef operators. Starting by partnering with his brother who runs their family farm in Michigan, Frillman has created a network of local farmers from which he gathers an impressive percentage of the ingredients used on his menu. Frillman skillfully upcycles scraps, implementing composting and preservation programs with radical low-waste measures that affect both his kitchen and the agricultural system at large. In addition to the produce and butchery items he seeks out, Frillman has become the go-to call when farmer’s crops aren’t “perfect” enough for market sale or butchers have a surplus of odds and ends like spare hog heads. Frillman then repurposes the items, making porchetta di testa out of the pig heads, fermenting “ugly” turnips and making pesto from weathered arugula.

However, beyond the plate lies one of Frillman’s most trailblazing objectives. Daisies has replaced the traditional gratuity model with a 25% service fee that not only benefits both the back and front of house, but challenges industry norms. This forward-thinking approach addresses wage disparities head-on while paving the way for a more stable, inclusive, and progressive work environment. “Sustainability in the restaurant industry goes beyond what we’re doing in the kitchen. How are we making this a sustainable career path for the people working in it? I wanted to think of a better way to do things," says Frillman.

On his plates: Imagine if the Midwest were a region in Italy, what would the food look like? That level of extreme locavorism and sustainability is what guided chef and independent restaurateur Joe Frillman to open Daisies, which was lovingly named after his grandmother, in Chicago. Critics praise dishes like their Fritto Misto that swaps typical ocean-fare for local mushrooms and Wisconsin cheese curds, fried white fish from the Great Lakes, and beet-filled agnolotti with creme fraiche, caviar, and dill—offerings that honor the Midwestern influences of German, Russian, and Polish immigrants he grew up around on Chicago’s Northside. Aside from a few mainstays, Frillman amends the menu frequently throughout the year, keeping in line with the harvest schedule of the extensive network of small family farmers he works closely with. Thanks to an ample in-house preservation and fermentation system, he’s still able to incorporate pops of local out-of-season produce throughout the year. Not one to let anything go to waste, Frillman practices a humble ‘root to fruit’ and ‘snout to tail’ cooking philosophy in his pasta and vegetable forward menu – repurposing scraps like the portobello stems leftover from Daisies’ Pappardelle with Mushroom Ragu into cocktail syrups, saving the whey from ricotta cheese to beef up glazes, and repurposing rendered animal fat to add umami bursts to vegetable dishes like the popular Potted Carrots starter, a duck fat confit carrot spread served with housemade pickled carrots and gnocco fritto. When incorporating protein on the menu, he opts for offal cuts like pork collars or bone-in fish collars that he serves with horseradish gremolata. With Daisies, Frillman not only honors the rich culinary heritage of the Midwest but elevates humble ingredients into dishes that seamlessly blend local tradition and innovation.