Best-selling cookbook author Tal Ronnen, who is chef/owner of Crossroads Kitchen in Los Angeles, California, is a pioneer for the chef-driven approach he has brought to plant-forward cooking, and for the success he has had in making that style of eating appealing to a broad audience. Famously having cooked for Oprah, Ellen, and countless other celebrities, he is considered by many to be the best vegan chef in the United States.

Tal Ronnen, founder and chef of Crossroads and author of the New York Times Bestseller The Conscious Cook, became known nationwide as the chef who prepared the meals for Oprah Winfrey’s 21-day cleanse. He made his culinary mark at a number of high-profile events, having catered Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi’s wedding, Arianna Huffington’s party at the Democratic National Convention, and a U.S. Senate dinner. A graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute, Tal is also a collaborating chef at The Wynn and Encore hotels in Las Vegas where he oversees 12 different plant based menus.

His approach
I opened Crossroads at the corner of Melrose and Sweetzer in Los Angeles. We are proud to serve mouth-watering Mediterranean meals in a refined environment. Crossroads is not what people picture when they think of a vegan restaurant. With upscale décor and lighting, we are the first plant-based restaurant in town to have a full bar with an inspired cocktail program. There are no obvious vegan cues and most guests don't even make the connection that the menus are plant-based - they just know that the restaurant is comfortable and the food is satisfying and delicious. Crossroads is defined not by what's missing but by what it is. Crossroads is an intersection where vegans, flexitarian's, omnivores, and meat eaters can cross paths to share a delicious meal and have a good time. We believe great food should be enjoyed by everyone.: What seasonal vegetable or vegetable variety is currently most captivating you, the cooks in your kitchen, and your diners?    
Lollipop Kale is popping up on menus everywhere. It’s a hybrid between kale and Brussels sprouts. : If you could cook dinner for anyone from history, what would you make, for who and why?     
Leonardo Da Vinci was supposedly a vegetarian. I’d love to cook him a plate of our fresh pastas. Or I would love to cook anything off our menu for Albert Einstein who was way ahead of his time and said, "Nothing will benefit health or increase chances of survival on earth as the evolution to a vegetarian diet."