Seasonal Dining at Rouge Tomate

By now I’m sure you know that I am a huge fan of eating based on what’s in season. I can’t think of anything I love more about dining out than a restaurant that embraces seasonal and local ingredients. That’s why I really love Rouge Tomate, a restaurant in Brussels and New York City.

Rouge Tomate is a member of the Green Restaurant Association and adheres to a nutritional charter called SPE, Sanitas Per Escam, which means “Health Through Food.” This charter was developed by chefs and culinary nutritionists and is an “innovative approach toward well-being through balanced and optimal nutrition that maintains, protects, and strengthens the body.” There are 3 key elements of the SPE approach:

• Sourcing: Selecting seasonal and local ingredients with a focus on nutritional characteristics
• Preparing: Using cooking techniques that preserve the integrity and nutritional quality of ingredients (for example, they don’t grill their food)
• Enhancing: Optimizing the nutritional value of the food through product combination and menu diversity

As a dietitian, one of the things I love about this restaurant is that they have a culinary nutritionist (who is an RD) on staff. She makes sure that meals are balanced, including dessert and beverages. And unlike other health-focused restaurants, Rouge Tomate is fine dining at it’s best! Take a look at some of the dishes I had on a recent visit:

If you live in NY or come to visit, I highly recommend you check this place out! You can find more info about the restaurant on their website.

Note: I am not a consultant for Rouge Tomate and I was not paid to write this review. All opinions are my own.