Tim and I tend to stick to certain types of restaurant for our weekly date night as we know they will have healthier options for us: sushi, steakhouse, Mediterranean and tapas. Up until now we have typically avoided American style bistro restaurants as lighter options seemed few and far between, so when we were invited to try the new Fall menu at the Artisan Bistro at the Ritz-Carlton in Boston we were intrigued to see what dishes they had on offer that could suit our diet styles.

The Fall menu has been designed by the restaurant’s new Executive Chef Kenneth ‘Shane’ Cooprider, who mentions that adding thoughtful plant-based dishes that would appeal to everyone was important to him for this new menu: “going with the momentum of plant-based requests, we’re in tune with both vegan and vegetarian requests and even have three dishes that are completely vegan! The Cauliflower Steak, Roasted Carrots, and our Carrot-Coconut Soup are sure to be crowd-pleasers, whether you’re vegan or not.”

It was actually a little cold and rainy the night of our date, and so we were delighted to be greeted by Chef Micole Rivera Suarez who told us that she already had the Carrot Coconut Bisque ready to help warm us up on a chilly night! In addition to the Carrot-Coconut Bisque we also tried the Roasted Rainbow Carrots and the Harissa Roasted Cauliflower Steak, which were all ridiculously delicious. Tim and I are not vegan or vegetarian, but do love our plant based dishes, and what I loved about these options was that they were so thoughtful. Typically ‘meat-free’ dishes can feel like an afterthought, or a regular dish that is just missing some items, but these were complete and well-rounded and would appeal to vegans and meat-eaters alike.

We also absolutely loved the light and bright Grilled Oysters  with charred fennel mignonette, kalamansi, and smoked tomato jam, and further light options to start include Citrus Poached Jumbo Prawn, Jumbo Blue Crab Escabeche and Chardonnay Steamed Blue Point Mussels. Typically I’ll choose protein and vegetable based starters instead of having a dessert, and the Artsian Bistro had so many options to choose from I wish I had had room for them all!

There are an abundance of gluten free and dairy free entrees, and whilst the fish dishes appealed to me (I usually choose fish when I’m eating out in Boston), Tim chose the steak, meaning we could both try each other’s dishes. Both of our meals were super satisfying (without feeling too heavy) and the seasonal accompaniments were perfect for the Fall. The staff were all incredibly knowledgeable about the gluten free and dairy free choices on the menu, and could not have been more helpful or friendly (and not just to us, the woman on the table next to us was struggling to read the menu, so her server bought over a pair of reading glasses for her to borrow)!

Organic wine is a non-negotiable for Tim and I, so we were delighted to find a number of organic reds (we only drink red) on the menu. And whilst cocktails are not typically on our radar we just had to try their new range of wellness based cocktails, which includes Midnight in Kyoto, a relaxing blend of rum, lava water matcha and CBD oil, Amazonia, a vodka based cocktail with carrot, turmeric & ginger juice, Azabache, with tequila mescal, grapefruit juice and activated charcoal, and my favorite The Kerem, which is congnac, cinnamon and pomegranate, beet and cranberry juice.

We had such a wonderful time at the Artisan Bistro at the Ritz-Carlton Boston that we are already planning our next dinner date there! We love to find restaurant options that include lighter, brighter options and organic wines that mean we can really enjoy our evenings and still feel great the next day. Do you have a great #JennyApproved restaurant we should try, or an idea for a healthy date night? Let me know below!

Thank you to the Artisan Bistro at the Ritz-Carlton Boston who kindly invited us to dine for free.

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