Off Alley

"No single restaurant can please everyone; at Off Alley, a 14-seat brick-walled restaurant in Columbia City, chef Evan Leichtling and partner Meghna Prakash embrace that truth. You don’t always find a meticulously seasonal chef’s-choice cooking style and a hand-written list of cool natural wines paired with punk music and attitude, but that approach is working here. The menu changes daily, so check the website to see what you might encounter, from juicy smoked mussels with celery on sourdough and whole quail with nettles in a cream sauce to salt cod with squid ink rice and a burning-hot Scotch bonnet ice cream." - Eater Staff

"This tiny Columbia City restaurant has an exciting offal-focused dinner menu that changes by the day, by the hour, and by whatever the chef grabs from the nearby farmers market. But the sneaky hit here is their ice cream. Flavors include a rich foie gras scoop that spoons like thick frosting, a nutty pistachio black sesame concoction, and sorbets made from whatever is the freshest and most in-season produce." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley

"This tiny 12-seat restaurant is like sitting through your aspiring actor friend’s improv show, except enjoyable, with an exciting menu that literally changes by the day, by the hour, and by whatever the chef grabs from the nearby farmers market. While half the fun of a meal here is not knowing what to expect, you can always count on some kind of offal. Like blood sausage with vinegary marinated asparagus that cuts through the richness, or sweetbreads placed atop grilled baby lettuce that make you reconsider just how versatile different animal parts can be." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley

"The only constant at Off Alley is that you will have a great meal with the most seasonal ingredients available. This tiny Columbia City restaurant is like sitting through your aspiring actor friend’s improv show, except enjoyable, with an exciting menu that literally changes by the day, by the hour, and by whatever the chef grabs from the nearby farmers market. There’s charm in the brick-walled space—diners cram elbow to elbow, poring over the options on the chalkboard and a weather-beaten, handwritten drinks notebook. Dishes like excellent pull-apart ramp knots and sweet-and-salty fried pig ears drop on and off the menu depending on ingredient availability. And while half the fun of a meal here is not knowing what to expect, you can always count on some kind of offal. Like blood sausage with vinegary marinated asparagus that cuts through the richness or sweetbreads placed atop grilled baby lettuce that make you reconsider just how versatile different animal parts can be. You’ll need to text in advance to reserve an early dinnertime seat or take your chances with a walk-in later. Those who prefer more personal space and don’t mind the whoosh of Rainier Avenue traffic should nab a spot on the sidewalk patio and hang out with a refreshing rosé float (fingers crossed they still have it)." - Kayla Sager-Riley

"Off Alley has awfully excellent offal (sorry), you’ll end up ordering everything off of Paju’s menu of Korean hits, and Archipelago and Musang are Filipino standouts, the latter led by 2022 F&W Best New Chef Melissa Miranda." - Daniel Modlin