When Your Stomach is at a Crossroads…

When your stomach is at a crossroads then maybe you are craving a Vegan respite from your usual diet—care of The Conscious Cook: Chef Tal Ronnen!

What is Crossroads Kitchen

Crossroads Kitchen in West Hollywood, designed by the Studio Collective, is not your run of the mill health spot. This is Vegan Dining Hollywood Style–with more glamour and less granola. The space also features a full bar with cocktails by mixologist Gaston Martinez, who transformed the drink menu at Casa del Mar in Santa Monica.

What to Drink

The menu is made up of Mediterranean inspired small plates and the restaurant features 3 very different rooms where you can dine. I was fortunate to eat dinner in the private dining room underneath a genuine Toulouse-Lautrec, so what better cocktail to have than the Lautrec! Also recommended are the Melrose Mule and the Bobby Banks-which is actually a cocktail named after a beloved dish-washer!

What to Eat

Below are some of the highlights of the menu that will leave you wondering what you ever liked about meat and dairy in the first place!

Caramelized Leek & Cauliflower Bisque topped with fried capers :A Sodium lover’s dream that doesn’t have any cream

Farinatta Salad: Baby Arugula served over a warm chickpea pancake

Artichoke Oysters*:Absolute must-have! Instead of oyster shells they are artichoke leaves with kelp caviar over a bed of salt.

 Spiced Chickpeas: Delicious blend of chickpeas, dried tomatoes and garlic whip. You won’t stop at just one spoonful

Kale Spanakopita: A twist on the Greek favorite with kale instead of spinach and almond cheese instead dairy. I dare you to taste the difference!

Main Course: Scaloppini with Marsala-Glazed Mushrooms Tastes exactly like the real thing and comes with a fancy knife to make you feel even more medieval!

Dessert: Carrot Cake Ice-Cream:This dairy free delight is made with dehydrated candied carrots and a vegan carrot cake that is then mixed in to the ice-cream. A little too much work for me, but easy on the tastebuds 🙂

 When to Go

Since opening in 2013, Crossroads Kitchen has expanded it’s dining options to include Lunch, Brunch, and Late-Night Dining (after 10 p.m.).

Weekday Lunch and Weekend Brunch both are serving up “Chicken” and Waffles and a discounted Pasta of the Day option ($14).

The late night menu features some great Impossible Burger Sliders not available at any other time ($12).

But dinner will always be at the artichoke heart of this menu.