Horine, 10/28/08
Here we present Rouge Tomate, New York's first outpost of the Belgian chain, the Upper East Side's newest addition, and one of the more intriguing restaurants to open this fall. There's a lot of info to work through so let's get to it. The sprawling space, designed by Bentel & Bentel, contains a 36-seat cafe and lounge, a 12-seat bar, a 100-seat dining room, a private room, two floors of seating, and a raised and massive open kitchen. Elements from the "outside environment" include a pool filled with cranberries, natural wood, and those backlit panels seen above with images of fall foliage. There's a lot going on here, but altogether she's quite the looker.
Here is where things get a tad unusual. Chef Jeremy Bearman, (L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon Vegas, New York City’s db Bistro Moderne) works with a culinary nutritionist on the menu to ensure they are sticking to the S.P.E. (Sanitas Per Escam, or Health Through Food) standards. Read their website for more background info. Basically it could be one of the most technically nutritious and well sourced $72 prix fixes in town. We'll await the user reviews to see if all the trouble they go through comes with a big payoff.For more stories from Eater, go to eater.com.