New Restaurant Opening In Downtown Evanston From James Beard Award-Winning Chefs: Report

EVANSTON, IL — Downtown Evanston is set to get a new restaurant from James Beard Award-winning chefs Beverly Kim and Johnny Clark, according to a report from the Pioneer Press.

The husband-and-wife team confirmed they plan to open Alleyway Grill in early 2027 at 1710 Sherman Ave. The new venture will take over ground-floor space in the historic former Varsity Theater building, now home to apartments, restaurants and retail.

After gaining national acclaim for reshaping Korean-American cuisine in Chicago, Kim and Clark said the Evanston project will take a different path. Alleyway Grill is intended to invoke some of their “earliest memories of food,” reflecting their Midwestern roots. Kim is from Downers Grove and Clark is from Cincinnati.

Kim and Clark already operate two Chicago restaurants. They own Parachute Hi-Fi, which Clark labels an “evolution” of the original Parachute restaurant. The original Parachute closed in 2024 after a 10-year run in Avondale.

The couple also owns Anelya, a Ukrainian restaurant located about a minute's walk away from Parachute Hi-Fi.

Alleyway Grill will be located inside Bookman’s Alley, with an entrance that is not immediately visible from the street. Kim said that hidden location is what first drew both chefs to the space.

The restaurant will be open seven days a week, open from brunch through late evening, with pastries and coffee in the morning and full-course meals at night.

Read more from the Pioneer Press: James Beard Award-winning chefs Kim and Clark to open Midwestern restaurant in Evanston