Aug. 18--It's been a terrific first year for Parachute, the Korean-American restaurant in Avondale by chefs/owners/spouses Beverly Kim and Johnny Clark.
Glowing reviews (including three stars from the Tribune). A James Beard Foundation nomination for Best New Restaurant. And now, the restaurant has made it onto Bon Appetit's "Hot 10" list, which names the 10 best new restaurants in the country.
The full "Hot 10" list is online at bonappetit.com.
"I don't even have the words to describe how I feel," Kim said. "We're super-grateful for our staff; it took a lot of teamwork. This is the culmination of so many people who have helped us along the way -- friends and family, a lot of people who believed in us and the support of the Avondale community and Chicago. Part of it was believing in ourselves and not giving up, but we had so much support."
No doubt the recognition will make Parachute, already an extremely popular dining destination, even more in demand. Kim sounds like she and Clark will be ready.
"We're just trying to keep calm, be ready to ride whatever wave comes, and enjoy every moment," she said.
Phil Vettel is a Tribune critic.
pvettel@tribune.com
Twitter @philvettel
