Guest Chef Night: Chef Evan Leichtling

Long time Seattle resident, and Whidbey Island Native, Evan Leichtling started cooking at the age of 17, and spent over 10 years in some of the best kitchens of Seattle – sous chef to John Sundstrom at Lark, chef de cuisine of Le Bête, Harvest Vine, the list is long.

Evan moved to Europe in 2014 to work at the legendary Akelarre at San Sebastian, and then to Paris in 2015 working under James Henry of Bones. He became chef of Dune in the 11th arrondissement of Paris, developing his signature style of cooking seasonal food, informed and influenced by the various techniques he has learned over the span of his career. He completed a residency at Chardon in the south of France and has helped out over the years at various celebrated Parisian kitchens such as, the Frenchie group, Yard, and Aux Deux Amis.

Evan returned to Seattle in early 2019, and kicked off a series of pop-ups in the summer of 2019, Fowl and Offal, introducing Seattle diners to underutilized proteins and working with local farmers. Off Alley opened on 1st August 2020, since then the restaurant has been featured in NYT’s list of “50 Most Exciting Restaurants” in 2022 and NYT’s “Seattle’s Best Restaurants” in 2023, along with a James Beard semifinalist in 2024 among many accolades and local press.

Guest Chef Night pairs premier local chefs with FareStart students to create a three-course meal served by volunteer community members. All revenue and donations from Guest Chef Night support FareStart’s job training and placement programs.