One Of The Oldest Family-Owned Restaurants In Illinois Is Also Among The Most Delicious Places You'll Ever Eat
By Linze Rice|Published March 30, 2023
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Linze Rice
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Ope! From the rural cornfields of DeKalb County, Linze is an Illinois native and true Midwestern gal who can make a mean bonfire and whip up a perfect marshmallow salad. Since 2014, her bylines and photography have appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Magazine, Chicago Sun-Times, and Block Club Chicago/DNAinfo Chicago, Only in Your State, and more. She has interviewed Dolly Parton, written about beloved diners along historic Route 66, visited the last Rainforest Cafe in the Illinois, and reviewed luxurious English manor-inspired hotels. Whether it's writing about a local gem or world-renowned establishment, Linze brings a heartwarming and historical perspective to each story, using facts, wit, and personal experience to impress upon readers the importance of culture, food, travel, and all things local. Her favorite destinations in Illinois include Starved Rock State Park, Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood, the charming small town of Sycamore, and historic Rosehill Cemetery. When she's not writing or photographing, Linze enjoys gardening, spending time with her husband and pets, cooking, baking, and grilling, and relaxing with trashy TV.
There’s a certain sense of love you get from a family-owned restaurant that chain restaurants just can’t provide. Family restaurants that have withstood the test of time earn even more respect, with the challenging food industry seemingly always in flux. Oftentimes it takes either fully leaning in and sticking to your roots, or completely changing and adapting, to weather the hard times and keep customers coming. And that’s exactly what the oldest family-owned restaurant in De Soto, Illinois did — and keeps doing.
Tom's Place, 17107 US-51, was founded in 1921 by restauranteur Tom Endsley. It's one of only a couple of restaurants in the small town, but in its more than 100-year history, the family-owned restaurant has made its mark.
In the 1920s and '30s, the diner was a Prohibition-era hangout for gangsters gambling and bootlegging booze. Customers who asked for an "orange soda" were actually ordering some homemade brew, according to the restaurant.
While it has had several owners over the years, Lasse and Maryjane Sorensen have been at the helm since taking over in 1998. Lasse, a chef from Denmark, and his wife kept the humble exterior the same while elevating the menu into an upscale fine dining experience.
While the dining room retains its historic charm, changes like adding real flowers, tabletop candles, and fresh linens make the atmosphere feel more in line with the updated cuisine.
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The menu is deliciously creative and changes regularly. On the last Wednesday of the month is a gourmet evening, there are wine pairings, a bar menu, and daily specials, as well as a six-course daily "Discovery" menu.
Of course, you'll want to save room for dessert. Though the menu rotates, you could get lucky with a dish like this: white mocha mousse with pecan and almond crisps and fresh fruit!
Have you ever eaten at the oldest family-owned restaurant in De Soto, Illinois? What’s your favorite dish? Tell us in the comments! Start planning your trip now by checking out the Tom’s Place website and Tom’s Place Facebook page. After you eat, consider checking out the incredible Pomona Natural Bridge at the Shawnee National Forest in nearby Murphysboro, Illinois!
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