Perhaps hoping to fill itscuriously emptydownstairs dining room,Rouge Tomatetells Grub Street that they’re planning a total menu overhaul this month. Inspired by “the changing lifestyle and sensibilities of the contemporary food lover,” the Belgian import is dropping its traditional menu structure of appetizer-entrée-dessert in favor of tapas and shareables: think crostini, crudos, flatbreads, and terrines. But let’s not be so crass as to assume that Rouge Tomate is jumping on theau courantsmall plates trend just because it’s trendy — and, let’s not forget, measurably ups the check average. In keeping with the restaurant’s health-is-wealth mandate, they’ve spun the overhaul as a matter of nourishment: It’s “a diversity of tasting opportunities in a manner consistent with genuine nutrition … when these different plates are taken together, the guest will receive a meal ripe with nutritional complexity.”
