Evan Leichtling
Off Alley | Seattle, WA
December 2025
Evan Leichtling grew up on Whidbey Island between Puget and Possession Sounds, where nights out with his mother sparked a love of restaurants. He began cooking in 2004 as a prep cook at The Braeburn, then rose quickly in Seattle—as a sous chef at Lark, then as a chef de cuisine at La Bête—guided by mentors like Chefs Sieb Jurriaans, Wiley Frank, Tyler Moritz, and Rising Stars alum John Sundstrom. At the Seattle staples, Leichtling was ordained in the art of cooking locally and with the seasons, using technique to showcase an ingredient in its finest form. Seeking peak craft, he worked abroad at San Sebastián’s Akelarre and then moved to Paris to cook at Frenchie and Aux Deux Amis before returning to Seattle.
In 2020, Leichtling opened Off Alley in Columbia City, a narrow 12-seat restaurant driven by whole-animal utilization and European cooking techniques. His food marries old-school French attention to detail with a Pacific Northwest sense of place: meticulous precision, seasonal market produce, and waste-nothing creativity. His dedication to tradition manifests in dishes like his bomba rice-thickened seafood bisque with geoduck, Dungeness crab, and sea greens.
Beyond the plate, Leichtling is diehard about his industry and community. He co-founded Group Therapy, a network for Seattle’s independent restaurants, and helped launch the Independent Seattle Hospitality Alliance. At Off Alley, Leichtling is committed to sustainable wages, mentorship, and an off-kilter menu that takes neither shortcuts nor prisoners.
