RESTAURANT REVIEW: Crossroads Kitchen

8284 Melrose Blvd. | Los Angeles, CA 90046 | (323) 782-9245 | www.crossroadskitchen.com | Prices: $$
If the swanky interior of Crossroads Kitchen was any indication of the vegan cuisine we were about to eat, we were in for a treat. The monochromatic space, save for a few red “leather” banquettes around the parameter, was dramatically lit by chandeliers made of brass rings and exposed electrical. It was a feast for the eyes.

As I waited for my dinner date to arrive – getting from Pacific Palisades to West Hollywood in Friday night traffic is no easy feat – I mulled over the serious bar menu. Mixologist Jeremy Lake categorized the libations by flavor: Citrus, Aromatic, Refreshing and Sweet.
The bar menu, like the food, is seasonal. There are plenty of “grown-up” drinks infused with bitters, as well as drinks featuring bourbon, rye, Scotch and brandy. I opted for the Hard Times – an old-fashioned cocktail with a modern twist. Lake doctored-up the bourbon with apple brandy, lemon, maple and a house-made Moroccan spice called Ras El Hanout. It was served in an Old Fashioned glass with one hefty ice cube occupying the bulk of the space. I understood its namesake – it was hard-hitting and tasty.
I promptly ordered the Lentil Flatbread with 3 Seasonal Spreads to keep me in check. The gluten-free flatbread smelled toasty, and the autumnal colors on the platter invited me to dip in. I alternated among the trio of spreads, trying to decide if I preferred the leek pâté to the sweet potato hummus or the carrot greens and walnut pesto.
When my dinner date Randy joined me, we dove into the small sharable Artichoke Oysters, a very photogenic dish resembling a flower with artichoke petals filled with artichoke puree, crispy oyster mushrooms, yellow tomato Béarnaise and “kelp caviar.”
The kelp caviar, imported from Nova Scotia, popped in our mouths like the real thing. Chef Scott was exulting the merits of this very exclusive “caviar.” It looked convincing and certainly was believable as Beluga if it weren’t something you indulged in daily. The “oysters” were fried in cornmeal, crispy and delicious. I would highly recommend trying this imaginative dish, even without the curiosity factor.
This dining experience was giving me new insight into the vegan dining experience. First, you have to consider what goes into a flavor: taste, mouth-feel, texture, temperature and aroma. Renowned cookbook author Karen Page has laboriously documented plant-based eating in her new book The Vegetarian Flavor Bible, and she maintains the flavor profiles of a dish are often rooted in the vegetables, herbs and spices. If meat is part of the meal, it is mostly contributing to the textural quality, she says. Foods like seasoned whole grains and tofu, she claims, can mimic the textures and flavors of meat.
Baloney, you say? Read on.
I would expect the salads to be stellar at a restaurant of this caliber, vegan or not, and they didn’t disappoint. A finely shredded Kale Caesar with garlic croutons was light and not overly garlicky; a Baby Beet Salad served with Granny Smith apples, candied walnuts and Chef Tal’s ricotta made with almond milk was bright and tart-sweet.
Autumnal dishes are often sweet. There’s nothing simpler and more satisfying than popping an Acorn Squash in the oven topped with butter and brown sugar. In this case it was a Kabocha Squash sweetened with cipollini agrodulce and harrisa toasted pepitas for a bit of spice. The flavors blended harmoniously.
The textures and flavors of the Porcini Crusted Eggplant, served in a shallow bowl filled with a vegan Rossini sauce? Buonissimo! Traditional Rossini sauce is made with beef stock, but you would never miss it in this dish.
At this point, I gazed at one of the many iconic rock-and-roll photos that decorate Crossroads Kitchen’s walls. This particular Ethan Russell image featured Mick Jagger and Chuck Berry, and it represented more than just the meeting of two musical legends. The Rolling Stones credit Berry, one of the pioneers of rock and roll, as being their greatest influence. They were inspired by Berry, but managed to create their own unique and unforgettable sound.
Chef Tal has the same relationship with food. He is inspired by traditional “Bolognese” and “Scaloppini,” yet he has taken these everyday dishes to a new level by recreating them with ancient grains. They are similar in flavor and texture to the “originals” but are something else entirely and are simply delicious in their own right.
The cheese plate dotted with “Camembert,” “Boursin” and other soft-ripened “cheeses” was a delicious riddle. How did they manage to fake fatty flavors and textures?
We ended the evening with something a progressive granny might serve for dessert: an Apple Cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream and caramel sauce and a gluten-free Pumpkin Mousse Verrine layered with spice cake, pumpkin and almond crunch, and whipped cream. Unbelievable.