Jones Scot - Crossroads Extraordinary Recipes from the Restaurant That Is Reinventing Vegan Cuisine

Tal Ronnen

Scot Jones and Serafina Magnussen

with JoAnn Cianciulli

Photographs by Lisa Romerein

New York

to Lia

by Michael Voltaggio

When Tal asked me to write the foreword to this book, my first question was, why me? While my restaurant, ink, is down the street from Crossroads, Tal is a chef who is renowned for his unique take on plant-based dining, and I on the other hand include most animals (and their respective parts) in my menus. What do I know about vegan cuisine? I just know food that tastes good, and I appreciate and respect a chef who shares my passion for cooking and hospitality.

Like most people, I go out to dinner to celebrate special occasions, and I have realized that in several instances lately, I ended up craving not vegan food but the food Tal creates at Crossroads. Why? Because the food is simply delicious Mediterranean-based dishes that focus on seasonal vegetables, grains, legumes, flatbreads, and pastas. The dining room is warm and welcoming, and the cocktails are incredible.

Tals food will surprise you: I indulge in oysters, Bolognese sauce, and a well-curated cheese plate. I eat fried calamari, caviar, fresh salads, and hearty pastas, and even desserts. But none of the food contains a trace of animal products. The oysters are made with oyster mushrooms that mimic the saline taste of the ocean, the fried calamari is made with battered and fried hearts of palm, and the cheese plate is crafted with Tals own Kite Hill cheeses, which are nondairy and made from nut milks. The first time I ate at Crossroads, I thought, Where the hell am I? The dishes are thoughtful, playful, nourishing, satisfying, and yes... they happen to be vegan. And after a meal at Crossroads, I always feel satisfied, but I never feel heavy or as if Ive overindulged.

I asked to meet the chef who has turned me into a vegan wannabe. A moment later, Tal was standing tableside wearing a clean, freshly pressed chef jacket, an apron, and black chef pants. I have to admit, I was ignorantly expecting a hippie with a T-shirt, a bandanna, and other casual clothing made from hemp and burlap. Nope; Tal is a professional chef with classic French culinary training who cooks some of the best-tasting food I have ever eaten. He is reinventing plant-based cuisine, and he is the only vegan chef who cooks for meat eatersme included.

Tal and I soon realized that we are in fact very similar. We share some of the same guests, we have the same cooks rotating through our kitchens, we buy vegetables from the same farms, and we both work hard in our restaurants to deliver the best dining experience possible. Tal is a great neighbor and friend, an amazing chef, and perhaps a magician, because every time I eat his food, I find myself just wanting more and more, and I never miss the butter or bacon fat. If this is vegan cuisine, sign me up!

I opened Crossroads at the corner of Melrose and Sweetzer Avenues in Los Angeles in 2013. Crossroads is probably not what people picture when they think of a vegan restaurant. There are terrific vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Los Angeles, especially ethnic places where plant-based dishes are naturally part of the cuisine; however, the food and atmosphere tend to skew more casual. Crossroads redefines the concept of vegan dining, steering away from a sterile Zen-like atmosphere and a catering to more than a health-food crowd.

But the main thing that sets Crossroads apart is our menu, which is Mediterranean. Executive Chef Scot Jones and I met a few years ago when we worked together at Chrissie Hyndes restaurant VegiTerranean in Akron. Scot had stood at the helm of that citys best Italian restaurants for over a decade; we found a simpatico groove almost immediately, and to this day hes like my brother from another mother. Until we opened, most vegan restaurants in Los Angeles offered primarily an international mishmash of cuisines, serving dishes like black bean burritos, miso soup, tofu stir-fries, and dal curry. Scot and I stick to the Mediterranean food we know and love, like pastas and flatbreads, and shape them into plant-based equivalents. We refuse to dilute the menu with an eclectic spread of dishes that have little to do with one another... apart from the fact that theyre all vegetarian. Since soybeans dont grow in the Mediterranean region, you wont find dishes featuring tofu or tempeh on our menu.

We are proud to serve mouthwatering Mediterranean meals in a refined environment that, frankly, hasnt been seen in LA before. The restaurant boasts a warm ambience and stylish dcor, with deep banquettes and dramatic light fixtures; and were the first plant-based restaurant in town to have a full bar with an inspired cocktail program. To finish off a meal, our desserts are the handiwork of Serafina Magnussen. You will find her sinfully delicious recipes in the dessert chapter (beginning ).

We want to establish a sense of permanence, to make an impact with a timeless space that is an enduring part of the city. Service is paramount for us, and our staff both in the front and back of the house is committed to creating a unique dining experience for our guests. Crossroads has a convivial energy and serves wonderful food that one would expect from an upscale restaurantwith the only difference being that no animal products are used to prepare it. There are no obvious vegan cues, and most guests dont even make the connection that the menu is plant-based; they just know the restaurant is comfortable and the food is satisfying and delicious. Crossroads is defined not by whats missing, but by what it is.

The unqualified joy of being a chef in Los Angeles comes from the diners. Dining is a big deal herepeople are food-savvy, with educated palates and an appreciation of fine food and wine. And we have been fortunate to connect with a diverse clientele. Crossroads has become a destination where doctors, housewives, punk rockers, icons of the adult film industry, foodies, and everyone in between come with an open mind to embrace the concept and share the experience. The positive response from the community and critics alike has been incredible, and the collective result of launching Crossroads has been an eye-opening revelation for us as well as for all types of dinersincluding non-vegetarians. The fact is, when treated with the same respect as any other cuisine, plant-based dining satisfies anyone who simply enjoys good food. I remain steadfast in my intention not to label the restaurant a vegan-only hangout, but instead to create a haven where all people feel relaxed and welcome.

Being a serious music aficionado, my business partner and friend Steve Bing suggested we name the restaurant Crossroads, drawing comparisons between Robert Johnsons legendary blues classic by the same name and our own road less traveled. Music critics speculate that the lyrics signify the spot where Johnson sold his soul to the Devil in exchange for his musical talents. The song title resonates with me. Crossroads marks a place weve all been in our lives at one point or another, where we examine the choices and encounters that shape our life experience. It makes me think about the journey and the individual efforts we make to meet at the same place. Our crossroads is an intersection where vegans, flexitarians, omnivores, and meat eaters can all cross paths to share a delicious meal and a good time. At Crossroads, we believe good food should be enjoyed by everyone.