Last month Tal Ronnan opened a new plant-based restaurant on Melrose in Los Angeles called
Crossroads. The vegan community here has been all a-buzz about this place and for good reason! The husband and I and two of our friends went there for a dinner a couple weeks ago and it did not disappoint. Vegan fine dining - AWESOME!
Since the menu consists of small plates, we pretty much ordered one of everything plus the daily specials. It was a great way to try everything out. Here are all the pics and my thoughts on each dish:
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| I started with a cocktail: Melrose Mule - vodka, ginger beer, lime, cucumber, mint & banana pepper - YUM!!! |
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| First starter: lentil flatbread w/ leek pate, smoked white bean hummus, & tomato braised banana peppers. The white bean was my favorite, so smokey and delicious. The tomato was also very good. The leek I wasn't impressed with. |
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| Second starter: Flatbread w/ Pistachio kalamata tapenade & spicy roasted cauliflower. Really, really good. Salty, nutty and cooked to perfection. |
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| Third starter: Kale Caesar Salad (special menu item) - I have to say one of THE best salads I have ever had. Crispy kale, creamy dressing and amazing saltiness from capers. |
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| Spiced Chickpeas: I could have eaten an entire bowl of these. I love me some spice and these had just the right amount. |
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Red Quinoa: not my favorite. It wasn't bad, just nothing incredibly special about it.
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| Cassoulet: Another one that was ok. The lentils were not very flavorful, but the veggies on top were really good! |
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| Artichoke Oysters: I'm still thinking about these, I may just order 5 plates of this dish next time I go. So much flavor and very inventive! |
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| "Crab Cakes": Another dish I would order over & over again. With dishes like this, no one needs to eat real seafood. |
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| Kale Spanakopita: YUM, YUM, YUM! |
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| Risotto Stuffed Banana Pepper: So...um. This one looks incredibly, um, manly. Beyond that, it was my least favorite dish, the risotto was undercooked and the pepper was WAY too spicy. |
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| Gardein Chicken (special menu item): This was actually really really good even though there wasn't anything super special about it. |
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| Tortelloni: another amazing dish. The almond cheese was to die for. |
ON TO DESSERT!!
