Rouge Tomato in Central Park

At dinner last night our friends were telling us about a restaurant that they love in Midtown called Rouge Tomato.  They were joking with us about it because they know I do not like to travel above 23rd street but they insisted on my going there because they love the food so much.  I told them I'd give it a shot…
Little did I know they had a food cart outside of the Central Park zoo which is where I took my LM today. I was pretty psyched since we didn't have lunch plans and it was incredibly convenient.  So after a couple of hours watching the sea lions, penguins and a giant polar bear swim in what looked like very refreshing water while the LM and I sweat our butts off…we hit up the cart.  There were only a couple of things on the menu but I was highly impressed.  For 15 bucks I got the lunch box special:  sandwich, soup and a juice.  I chose the BLT (which in addition to the standard ingredients included an avocado paste that was beyond to die for, arugala and red onions all on multigrain bread), chilled corn and jalepeno soup and the mint lime/lemonade.  LM and I took our lunch bag and went over to a shaded area on the grass back in the park to enjoy our afternoon meal.

Well firstly, I couldn't get the soup outta my kid's lap.  He devoured it.  It was the perfect texture, silky smooth and had a slight kick to it though the heat was balanced out really nicely with the creamy and cool flavoring of the corn.  Outstanding.

The sandwich was also fantastic.  Though the bacon was crazy salty (a bit too much for my liking) I still scarfed it down in only a few minutes.  And the juice was the perfect compliment to both dishes and most refreshing on such a scorching day.
I do also have to point out that they are a member of the Green Restaurant Association which I really love.  From their Media kit:
Rouge Tomato sets a new standard for environmentally conscious, aesthetically inspired, nutritionally optimal cuisine.  
Our commitment to sustainable, eco-friendly practices is evident in every aspect of our restaurant, from the culinary to the operational to the structural.
I will absolutely be making a point of visiting this restaurant now that I have had a taste from their food cart…and I cannot wait to see what's in store…

Rouge Tomato
60th Street between Fifth and Madison
646-237-8977