Lasse Sorensen to reopen Tom's Place in Alton, Illinois

Plans for a reimagined Tom’s Place are taking shape on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in downtown Alton. Scheduled to open in 2026, the site at 435 E. Broadway is slated to be the new home of master chef Lasse Sorensen’s fine dining restaurant.

Sorensen and his wife, Maryjane, operated the flagship for 25 years in DeSoto, Illinois, before closing it in 2023 and moving to Alton. “Fifty percent of our business was from St. Louis, and they had to drive two hours to get there,” says Sorensen. “Now, they can get here in 20-25 minutes.”

Here’s what to know before you go.

The Concept

TomsPlace_Lasse John John Simmons — John Michel, Lasse Sorensen, John Simmons

The concept is comfort food meets innovation, he says, with the essentials being quality, value, and great service. “We’re going to be welcoming and inclusive, with a variety of price points,” says Sorensen. “We’re bringing back many of the beloved dishes that made Tom’s Place legendary while unveiling new creations—all inspired and sourced from within 100 miles, the best we can find.”

The restaurant’s opening will coincide with a new adjacent casual bar concept, featuring a garden, beer yard, and patio—part of developer/philanthropist/attorney John Simmons’s transformative plans for downtown Alton. Hoping to make Alton a culinary destination and inspired by the river, Simmons has partnered with Sorensen to expand the Food Is Love brand, along with John Michel, a partner in the Currency of Caring mission, among other projects.

“We’re not just creating restaurants—we’re creating spaces where community is celebrated, where stories are shared, and where every dish reminds us that food is a powerful force for connection and healing,” Simmons says. “I want to bring in the best people I can, and Lasse is the best of the best.”

The Menu

Sorensen, who is filming the fifth season of the Emmy-nominated show Food Is Love (available to stream on Amazon Prime, Hulu, and YouTube), plans to collaborate on menu items with culinary professionals he’s met along the way. “Imagine getting to taste a dish that you just saw made on Food Is Love by a chef in Peru,” he says. Sorensen is also reuniting with Keiman Jefferson, previous general manager of Tom’s Place.

TomsPlace_tutto mare — Tutto Mare with poached lobster, seasonal seafood, basil, and ginger cream sauce over linguine

TomsPlace_Colorado rack of lamb — Colorado rack of lamb

TomsPlace_New Orleans prawns over cheesy grits — New Orleans prawns over cheesy grits

Over the years, Sorensen says, he’s learned to keep things simple: focus on well-prepared food with quality ingredients. They plan to cook outside in the courtyard. The bar area will feature wood-fired pizzas, slow-roasted barbecue, and an international selection of dishes inspired from Sorensen’s global travels. “Each one will be a tribute to the flavors and stories that connect us all,” he says. “We’ll find what resonates with people, and we’ll rotate those.”

TomsPlace_Black and Blue Tuna — Black and Blue Tuna

TomsPlace_Roasted Muscovy Duck — Roasted Muscovy Duck with lingonberries

TomsPlace_Seasonal Fruit Tarts — Seasonal Fruit Tarts

With nods to his Scandinavian heritage, Sorensen plans to offer a roasted Muscovy duck with lingonberries, as well as Black and Blue Tuna—both Tom’s Place favorites. “I developed a blackened seasoning just for the tuna,” he says. “We will have meat and potatoes, too, but we may have potatoes pavé for a flavor upgrade.” A pear salad with Danish blue cheese and a signature Caesar salad will also return.

Both craft cocktails and mocktails will be available. The wine and spirits program will be designed by master sommelier Emmanuel Kemiji, the 12^th American to earn that designation, the owner of Miura Vineyards in Santa Rosa, California, and the former wine and spirits director for The Ritz-Carlton. ““He’s developed an agave that we will use,” says Sorensen. “Some of the people we’re bringing into help are industry giants.”

The Atmosphere

TomsPlace_Tom's Place future — The future Tom’s Place in Alton, Illinois

Tom’s Place will seat up to 70 guests for formal dining, and it will share a kitchen with the yet-unnamed indoor-outdoor space, which will have room for another 120. The complex spans nearly a block and is one of several redevelopment projects in the works. A fence will surround both properties, and the beer yard, garden, and patio will overlook the Mississippi River. There will also be glass enclosures for inclement weather.

Lasse Sorensen restaurant rendering — A rendering of the casual indoor/outdoor area on the left and Tom’s Place on the right.

St. Louis firm Arcturis will design the new restaurant’s look, which Sorensen describes as “warm and worn.” Outside, a bull statue—an iconic fixture nicknamed “Tommy” that Maryjane purchased at an antique shop in 2016— will stand atop the building.

While Sorensen prepares for the opening, he plans to devote time to recruiting employees who are committed to outstanding service. Sorensen and Michel are developing a Hospitality Learning Academy, so staff are trained to give the best possible customer experience.

“During COVID, I think hospitality lost its way,” says Sorensen. “This can be a big opportunity to hire the right people, teach skills, and social awareness. We want the people we hire to be successful.”

The Background

A native of Copenhagen, Denmark, Sorensen’s family is culinary royalty: His father was the king’s pastry chef, and Sorensen spent years working in restaurants around the globe. Twenty-seven years ago, he took the helm at Tom’s Place, where he served up fresh pasta and a stellar tasting menu. The acclaimed restaurant became a dining destination and seemed to be perpetually packed. The pandemic, however, took its toll. It made it difficult to find staff and keep pace with wages and food costs. Sorensen and his wife ultimately decided to close the 100-year-old restaurant on July 1, 2023.

TomsPlace_Chef and the general — Lasse Sorensen, John Michel

Michel, a retired Air Force general, and his wife, Holly, established food trucks and restaurants in the Metro East, including a dining complex in Swansea, Illinois, in 2021. Flock food truck park and bar also opened in downtown Alton. In partnership with Sorensen, Michel’s Dignified Dining program provides free meals to underserved communities via food trucks and participating restaurants. (In the aftermath of the May 16 tornado, Michel, Sorensen and company have served approximately 48,000 meals; overall, the program has served 345,000 meals to date.)

Now, with the planned reopening of Tom’s Place, Simmons calls it “a new era of dining that’s rooted in love, community, and culinary brilliance, a one-of-a-kind destination where extraordinary food, first-class service, and social impact converge on Alton’s scenic riverfront.”

“This is a dream come true,” adds Sorensen. “I’m getting to do what I’ve always loved to do. This could be my swan song before I retire, and this could be the crown jewel of my career.”