Seek What You’ve Been Missing at Found

If you’ve been searching for place to call your neighborhood joint look no further, it’s been found. In fact, it’s even called Found. And the bucolic-bohemian haunt recently settled in a corner of Evanston by restaurateur Amy Morton is far cooler than what you might have ever envisioned.

Made up of ‘different rooms’ that are actually varied arrangements of comfy divans, chaise lounges, chintzes and rustic wooden tables simulating alternately a lounge, a dining room, a kitchen counter and a library; and brandishing a ceiling chalk board emblazoned with motivational quotes from Kerouac to Buddha, Found lends itself equally-well to enticing students to seniors, families and couples.

Morton hasn’t owned her own restaurant for 20 years but the blue jeans/plaid shirt-wearing daughter of famed Morton’s Steakhouse founder Arnie Morton says the idea for Found grew out of a calling to create a restaurant with a mission.

“The mission of being thoughtful, of not taking things for granted and of being resourceful,” Amy Morton, creator of Found in Evanston.After taking time off for family, Morton swore that she would not go back to work unless she could make a difference and from the beginning sought to create a space that would appeal to a very wide-ranging audience. She calls Found’s ambiance the juncture of Gertrude Stein’s Salon of 1920’s Paris and Jack Kerouac’s 1950’s San Francisco.

“And I truly feel that that has been achieved,” said Morton of what Found has been able to accomplish in the mere three months it has been opened.

The complementary cuisine is something executive chef Nicole Pederson, formerly of C-House, calls ‘rustic American’. Working with area farmers to obtain the freshest produce grown year-round in hoop houses, the earthy approach is full of bigger, bolder flavors offered in simplistic presentations.

Small plates at Found include grilled baby octopus salad with frisee, picholine olives and nutty Jerusalem artichokes called sunchokes and topped off with a North African shatta dressing of peppers, oil/vinegar and a touch of garlic ($13).

The tangy lamb meatballs heightened with crunchy pistachio chimichurri, fresh red Fresno chiles and creamy yogurt will have you licking the bottom of the mini cast-iron pot clean in this ‘unputdownable’ starter ($12).

You’ll find the buttery French dip sandwich on toasted miche (a classic whole wheat sourdough) layered with horseradish cheddar sauce and onion mustard under the Knife and Fork Sandwiches menu ($12). You may need both to tackle this beast.

The distinctly Indian flair of the root vegetable stew is subtle. Brimming with root vegetables in season, it is spiced with fresh turmeric, a bit of coconut milk, grains of paradise and coriander. ($14).

And the tangy kale and pickled Swiss chard salad made with a variety of toasted nuts and seeds and dried cranberries is guaranteed to make you like to eat your vegetables ($9).

“What we set out to do is a space that’s super-welcoming, unique, approachable and genuine with incredible food that is delicious and that people understand, and that’s consistent. I think people feel connected here,” said Morton.