This pandemic winter just got a little brighter — Tomate Fresh Kitchen is set to reopen Feb. 15, the restaurant announced Wednesday night. 

“Hello Friends, Thank you for your outpouring love and concerns,” owner and head-chef Tania Merlos-Ruiz wrote on Facebook. “Everyone is doing fine.”

The family-owned Latin American street cuisine restaurant closed temporarily toward the end of 2020 when a member of the team was diagnosed with COVID-19. Coffee Lab owner Daniel Aquino said upon Tomate’s reopening, he expects the line to enter the Noyes St. restaurant will stretch all the way down the sidewalk and past his shop, a few doors down the road. 

Aquino said the Coffee Lab team has missed Tomate greatly. 

“They basically make us feel complete on this street,” Aquino said. “They provide a lot of color on the street, in terms of excitement and overall pedestrian traffic… They bring a lot of comfort.” 

Prior to the restaurant’s temporary closure, Weinberg senior Markie Resendez said he typically relied on Tomate for three meals each week, so he’s excited to get back to his routine. 

Resendez praised the restaurant’s authenticity, cost-effectiveness and quality ingredients, as well as its “heartwarming” atmosphere. He highly recommends Tomate’s vegetarian burritos. 

“I’m just really grateful that they’re around, and I’m grateful that they’re reopening,” Resendez said. “I’m definitely looking forward to it.” 

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Twitter: @maia_spoto 

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