Dining Out: Flavorful, and guilt-free at Gourmet Fit Kitchen

Face it – no matter how good something is for you, you are probably not going to eat it if it doesn’t taste good.

Fortunately for those who want to make smart food choices and enjoy their food at the same time, there is now Gourmet Fit Kitchen, where eating well is a pleasure.

Located on lower Third Avenue, the vest-pocket-sized restaurant features steroid-free, hormone-free and free range poultry, Angus, choice, organic and grass-fed meat, and non-GMO produce, with meals served up on bamboo or sugar cane dishes to up the sustainability factor in play at the restaurant.

My dinnertime visit included a range of appetizers and salads, as well as a main dish, a smoothie and dessert, and each dish was bright tasting, with the innate flavors of the individual ingredients shining through.

I started out with the Bruschetta Duo ($7.95), which pairs a slice of lightly toasted Italian bread topped with creamy fresh mozzarella and sweet roasted peppers that have been drizzled with balsamic reduction with another slice on which truffle-honey-enhanced fresh ricotta and wedges of roasted pear reign supreme.

Then, I sampled the Butternut Squash Soup. Gourmet Fit offers a soup of the day ranging in price from $3.95 to $5.95). This one was a velvety and rich puree, its deep golden color and autumnal taste sparked with a fresh mint garnish.

One of Gourmet Fit’s inventive salads followed. This one, served warm, brought together roasted sweet potato chunks, sweet roasted peppers, kernels of corn, walnuts and baby spinach in a paprika vinaigrette ($7.95) and was as satisfying as it was gorgeous to look at, with its symphony of colors and textures.

Grilled Tofu Skewers ($7.95) are a special. These flavorful morsels – arranged with slices of cherry tomato, garnished with sprouts and dusted with sesame seeds — were gorgeously arranged on a bed of vegetable confetti comprised of lightly cooked zucchini and carrot ribbons, mixed with quinoa.

Of Gourmet Fit’s menu of signature smoothies, I tried the Tropical ($5.95-$7.95), made with coconut water, pineapple, mango and mint. It was tart, but not sour; sweet, but not cloying; and absolutely refreshing.

Then, it was time for the main dish – Churrasco ($17.95), butter-tender steak garnished with piquant coconut oil chimichurri, and served atop al dente asparagus spears and alongside a scoop of mashed sweet potato.

Despite the emphasis on healthful cuisine, Gourmet Fit does not eschew dessert. Rather, chef Leo Motta, the eatery’s co-owner (with wife Rafaela Negrao), has reinvented it. I tried the Butternut Squash Cheesecake ($6.95), which was dense and rich, but more health-conscious, with mascarpone cheese instead of cream cheese used. Not only does it have no added sugar, it is also gluten free, with a bottom crust made from chia seeds, oats, walnuts, coconut oil and pumpkin pie spice.

Besides what I tried, the restaurant has numerous popular staples, including the Grass Fed Beef Burger ($15.95) and the Wild Salmon ($17.95), according to Negrao, who stresses that the menu is a seasonal one, with many ingredients made from scratch in-house.

“We do regular food, but everything on the healthy side and we do portion control,” she explained. Besides a full menu that includes breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes (with calorie counts coming soon), the eatery also has a full coffee bar, fresh organic press juices, and bakes its own gluten-free muffins daily (it also has house-made gluten-free bread on occasion).

For those who want to shift their diet or find Gourmet Fit’s creations addictive, there are meal plans available, said Negrao. These range from weekly plans available on the website (15 meals start at $150 plus delivery) to a daily meal plan box, including a main dish, a snack and a juice, available for pickup at the restaurant ($23.95).

GOURMET FIT KITCHEN

6819 Third Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11220

347-662-6821

Monday-Wednesday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

Thursday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.

Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Free delivery within one mile

www.gourmetfit.net

info@gourmetfit.net

 

 

 

Chef Leo Motta with the Churrasco.