Four years after opening in the rotunda of a 1960s former bank building at 625 Davis Street, LeTour is embracing a new chapter. Restaurateur Amy Morton’s downtown Evanston restaurant is coming into its own as an American gathering place, with a reinvented menu that brings together familiar favorites, dishes made for sharing and flavors that travel well beyond any one culinary tradition.
Developed with Chef Debbie Gold, LeTour’s opening chef and Morton’s longtime collaborator, the menu reflects how the restaurant has grown since its November 2022 debut. French technique and Moroccan influences helped shape its beginnings; today, the kitchen takes a broader approach, guided by seasonal ingredients and the way guests like to eat.
“LeTour has always been about bringing people together, and our guests have helped shape what that looks like,” says Morton. “Some come for a cocktail and a few plates to share, others for a burger at the bar or a long evening with friends. To me, hospitality means listening to those guests and giving them reasons to return. LeTour’s evolution has grown naturally out of that.”
Familiar Favorites, Fresh Perspective
The menu brings a few familiar faces back to the table, including favorites from Found Kitchen & Social House, Morton’s former Evanston restaurant. Lamb Meatballs combine lamb and pork from Catalpa Grove with pistachio chimichurri, Greek yogurt and fresh mint, while the Kale Salad tosses kale and Swiss chard with nuts, seeds and cranberry vinaigrette.
Those dishes sit alongside newer additions that invite guests to build a meal across the table. Fried Oyster Tacos arrive three to an order with cabbage, cilantro-lime vinaigrette and chipotle crema; Tempura Asparagus pairs a crisp coating with black garlic aioli, Dijon aioli and grated Parmesan; and Charred Cabbage, dressed with miso-lime vinaigrette, gives vegetables their own place at the center of the meal.
Heartier offerings take the same free-ranging approach. The Fried Buttermilk Chicken Salad layers crispy chicken over romaine, red and green cabbage, watermelon radish, scallion and pepitas with lemon-basil dressing. Trout Chilaquiles pairs pan-seared trout with black beans, tortillas, salsa verde, cotija cheese and pepitas.
“Amy and I have worked together for decades, and there’s a lot of shared history in this menu,” says Gold. “It gives us room to bring back dishes people love while continuing to follow the season and try something new. We want people to find a favorite and still be curious about what else is on the table.”
A Fresh Round at the Bar
The revamped cocktail list revisits old favorites and gives classic drinks a fresh turn. The signature LeTour G&T pairs Mahón and Jin Jiji India Dry gins with rosemary tonic and pink peppercorns, while The Babbling Brook, another nod to Found, combines Jin Jiji gin, elderflower liqueur and fresh lime. Other standouts include 1898’s Big Sister–a riff on a fan favorite from Morton’s Highland Park speakeasy–made with Hook’s cheddar-washed bourbon, Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, Meletti amaro, bitters and orange, and Left It on the Barbi, a smoky blend of Ilegal mezcal, charred pineapple and yellow Chartreuse.
Spirit-free guests get a full menu of their own, including a Phony Negroni and the hibiscus Desert Rose. For an after-dinner pour, the Ruby Up, named for Morton’s oldest daughter, offers a vanilla-kissed take on the espresso martini.
More Reasons to Gather
LeTour’s weekly offerings give guests plenty of reasons to pull up a chair. Weekday Happy Hour, offered from 4:30 to 6 p.m., features half off drinks and select starters, while Fondue Fridays invite the table to dip into classic cheese fondue served with pretzel bread and an assortment of vegetables, including watermelon radish and broccoli.
For dinner before the curtain or an evening at leisure, the nightly three-course Chef’s Menu offers a changing selection for $46.95 per person, a convenient option for guests heading to nearby Northlight Theatre.
LeTour is located at 625 Davis Street in downtown Evanston. Dinner is served Monday through Thursday from 4:30 to 8 p.m., Friday from 4:30 to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m. For more information, visit letourevanston.com and follow @letourevanston.
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Four years after opening in the rotunda of a 1960s former bank building at 625 Davis Street, LeTour is embracing a new chapter. Restaurateur Amy Morton’s downtown Evanston restaurant is coming into its own as an American gathering place, with a reinvented menu that brings together familiar favorites, dishes made for sharing and flavors that travel well beyond any one culinary tradition.
Developed with Chef Debbie Gold, LeTour’s opening chef and Morton’s longtime collaborator, the menu reflects how the restaurant has grown since its November 2022 debut. French technique and Moroccan influences helped shape its beginnings; today, the kitchen takes a broader approach, guided by seasonal ingredients and the way guests like to eat.
“LeTour has always been about bringing people together, and our guests have helped shape what that looks like,” says Morton. “Some come for a cocktail and a few plates to share, others for a burger at the bar or a long evening with friends. To me, hospitality means listening to those guests and giving them reasons to return. LeTour’s evolution has grown naturally out of that.”
Familiar Favorites, Fresh Perspective
The menu brings a few familiar faces back to the table, including favorites from Found Kitchen & Social House, Morton’s former Evanston restaurant. Lamb Meatballs combine lamb and pork from Catalpa Grove with pistachio chimichurri, Greek yogurt and fresh mint, while the Kale Salad tosses kale and Swiss chard with nuts, seeds and cranberry vinaigrette.
Those dishes sit alongside newer additions that invite guests to build a meal across the table. Fried Oyster Tacos arrive three to an order with cabbage, cilantro-lime vinaigrette and chipotle crema; Tempura Asparagus pairs a crisp coating with black garlic aioli, Dijon aioli and grated Parmesan; and Charred Cabbage, dressed with miso-lime vinaigrette, gives vegetables their own place at the center of the meal.
Heartier offerings take the same free-ranging approach. The Fried Buttermilk Chicken Salad layers crispy chicken over romaine, red and green cabbage, watermelon radish, scallion and pepitas with lemon-basil dressing. Trout Chilaquiles pairs pan-seared trout with black beans, tortillas, salsa verde, cotija cheese and pepitas.
“Amy and I have worked together for decades, and there’s a lot of shared history in this menu,” says Gold. “It gives us room to bring back dishes people love while continuing to follow the season and try something new. We want people to find a favorite and still be curious about what else is on the table.”
A Fresh Round at the Bar
The revamped cocktail list revisits old favorites and gives classic drinks a fresh turn. The signature LeTour G&T pairs Mahón and Jin Jiji India Dry gins with rosemary tonic and pink peppercorns, while The Babbling Brook, another nod to Found, combines Jin Jiji gin, elderflower liqueur and fresh lime. Other standouts include 1898’s Big Sister–a riff on a fan favorite from Morton’s Highland Park speakeasy–made with Hook’s cheddar-washed bourbon, Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, Meletti amaro, bitters and orange, and Left It on the Barbi, a smoky blend of Ilegal mezcal, charred pineapple and yellow Chartreuse.
Spirit-free guests get a full menu of their own, including a Phony Negroni and the hibiscus Desert Rose. For an after-dinner pour, the Ruby Up, named for Morton’s oldest daughter, offers a vanilla-kissed take on the espresso martini.
More Reasons to Gather
LeTour’s weekly offerings give guests plenty of reasons to pull up a chair. Weekday Happy Hour, offered from 4:30 to 6 p.m., features half off drinks and select starters, while Fondue Fridays invite the table to dip into classic cheese fondue served with pretzel bread and an assortment of vegetables, including watermelon radish and broccoli.
For dinner before the curtain or an evening at leisure, the nightly three-course Chef’s Menu offers a changing selection for $46.95 per person, a convenient option for guests heading to nearby Northlight Theatre.
LeTour is located at 625 Davis Street in downtown Evanston. Dinner is served Monday through Thursday from 4:30 to 8 p.m., Friday from 4:30 to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m. For more information, visit letourevanston.com and follow @letourevanston.
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Location
625 Davis Street, Evanston, IL
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