Delicious, upscale cuisine in Las Vegas is now vegan-friendly! The arrival of Crossroads Kitchen inside Resorts World Las Vegas brings unique plant-based cuisine to the table (literally). We were invited for a hosted dinner to check out exactly what diners can expect from the new restaurant. We found an exciting selection of menu items and some amazing meat substitutes that truly change the game. We also had the chance to talk to Chef Tal Ronnen, the Founder and Chef of Crossroads Kitchens.
Crossroads Kitchen Comes to Las Vegas
What brought Crossroads Kitchen to Las Vegas?
Ronnen: I’ve always been a fan of high-energy opportunities, and when I was approached by the Resorts World team to expand their plant-based offerings, I was excited to bring Crossroads Kitchens to Las Vegas as the first upscale, entirely plant-based restaurant on The Strip.
What makes Resorts World Las Vegas the perfect property for your Vegas location?
Ronnen: Resorts World Las Vegas has incredible and diverse food & beverage partners, and we were thrilled to be a part of their dynamic portfolio. I’m thrilled to return to Las Vegas (where I met our Executive Chef Paul Zlatos 11 years ago) and create a space for accessible yet elevated plant-based cuisine.
How did you decide what items to curate specifically for this new location?
Ronnen: When we think of Vegas, we think luxury, and for the special opening of Crossroads Kitchen’s first location outside of Southern California, we wanted to create a few menu items exclusive to Crossroads Kitchen within the Resorts World. Our Chestnut Foie Gras and our Chips and Caviar are indulgences that check all the boxes. The Chestnut Foie Gras is buttery with a melt-in-your-mouth texture, and umami flavors are sure to delight. Our Chips and Caviar are a fun high/low mix, a wavy ridged, crispy chip opulently topped with kelp-based caviar. A few off-menu items from our Melrose location are making their way to Vegas as well. Spaghetti and Meatballs and Fettuccine Alfredo are comfort foods that you wouldn’t think could be plant-based. Having these options available to those people who traditionally can’t order items like this has been fun and rewarding.
What inspired you to bring CB | Crossroads Burgers to life adjacent to Crossroads Kitchen?
Ronnen: CB | Crossroads Burgers is an entirely new quick-service sister restaurant that debuted at Resorts World. We love the idea of making plant-based offerings more accessible with a flexible on-the-go format.
We’ve seen smaller plant-based burger operations in town, but what is it that makes CB | Crossroads Burgers so special?
Ronnen: I’m pretty excited about the house-made sausages that are available at CB | Crossroads Burgers. We developed our own in-house plant-based casing for them, they are packed with flavor, and the texture is spot-on and gluten-free. We serve this with bell peppers, basil, and mild tomato sauce; it’s savory with a little kick of spice.
We love that you provided so many unique substitutes like the yellow tomato “egg yolk” and the trumpet mushroom “calamari.” How much experimentation goes into creating these varieties?
Ronnen: Sometimes things come very quickly, but sometimes and more often than not, they take time to develop it could be a day or a week. It really depends on what we are trying to achieve. Ever since we opened, we have always created innovative substitutions to enamor a diverse range of appetites; Crossroads is proudly defined not by what’s missing but by what we set out to create, a great culinary experience.
What does the future hold for Crossroads Kitchen in the next few years?
Ronnen: We are expanding Crossroads Kitchen to The Commons at Calabasas in Fall 2022. Our team is excited to continue expanding the general perception of plant-based cuisine and make plant-based options more accessible to Calabasas, the greater Los Angeles community.
