After five years holding it down at 7th and Folsom, Radius is calling it a day. Inside Scoop reports that owner Jon Whitehead plans to close the farm-to-table restaurant and cafe at the end of February, though he'll be holding onto them to create two new concepts. The first will be Carafe, a cafe by day and wine bar by night that will mostly stick to the formula that already exists in Radius' cafe space; the second will be a full-service restaurant in the sit-down half of the complex.
Radius came to prominence by emphasizing its sustainable sourcing (everything came from within a 100-mile radius, hence the name), but the fine-dining emphasis in the restaurant and the elevated prices in the cafe didn't connect with diners in the industrial, bar-heavy 'hood. (We named it one of the city's most underrated restaurants.) "Fine dining is tough in this neighborhood," says Whitehead. He's planning to do a quick makeover at Carafe to offer more healthy options like acai bowls, smoothies, and fresh juices, though the popular fried-chicken sandwich will remain. By evening, Carafe will feature 20-30 bottles under $40 and a quartet of wines on tap, as well as cheese, charcuterie, and oysters. Carafe's reopening date should arrive in early March; intel on what will happen to the bigger Radius space, are still TBD.