For more than two decades, Tal Ronnen has been at the forefront of plant-based cooking, helping to shift veganism from the fringes to the fine dining mainstream. As the chef and founder of Crossroads Kitchen in Los Angeles, co-founder of Kite Hill and Impossible Foods, and author of the New York Times bestseller The Conscious Cook, Ronnen has long been known for his creative, chef-driven approach to vegetables. He famously cooked for Oprah Winfrey’s 21-day cleanse, catered Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi’s wedding, and continues to shape the conversation around how plant-based food can look, feel—and taste—like a night out.

But Ronnen’s impact goes beyond celebrity events and Michelin recognition. In his view, the real measure of progress is that he’s no longer seen as “the weirdo” in the room. Once an outlier in professional kitchens, he now sees former classmates and top chefs reaching out to him for advice on how to make a plant-based dish sing.

“I’ve been at this for over 20 years,” he says, “and the growth I’ve seen—especially in the last ten—has been unbelievable. I think there were around 100 vegan restaurants in Southern California alone at one point. That used to be unthinkable.”

The Evolution of Vegan Dining

When Ronnen helped reopen a 200-seat vegan fine dining restaurant in Fort Lauderdale back in 2006, it was considered a novelty—if not a risk. “People didn’t think there was much of a place for this kind of dining,” he says. “Other chefs I came up with thought it was a phase. I was definitely labeled the weirdo.”

Today, things look very different. From Los Angeles to New York, plant-based restaurants are thriving, with major chefs and media personalities joining the movement. “You’ve got people like Daniel Humm at Eleven Madison Park and even Gordon Ramsay posting vegan recipes weekly,” says Ronnen. “It’s great to see so many big names tilting their hats toward plant-based.”

That kind of mainstream attention reflects a broader shift—not just in dining preferences but in cultural perception. “I don’t travel much, so I can’t speak to everywhere,” he adds, “but I can tell you, especially in L.A., the number of vegan restaurants has just exploded.”

And while Ronnen helped lead the charge, he’s quick to credit a larger movement. “There are so many reasons people choose this way of eating now. That’s what makes it different from a diet trend—it’s not just about weight loss. It’s about health, sustainability, animal welfare, and just wanting to feel good after a meal.”

A Flexible Philosophy for a Growing Movement

Ronnen’s approach to veganism has always been personal, not prescriptive. “I’m not one of those guys who’ll ever tell you there’s one way to eat,” he says. “My wife’s not vegan. I think you’ve got to do what works for you.”

That ethos—flexible, welcoming, and low on dogma—may be one reason plant-based eating has gained traction across the cultural spectrum. “Mark Bittman once said he was vegan from 9 to 5 and ate whatever he wanted after. I think that’s cool,” says Ronnen. “Even if you’re just cutting out meat a few times a week, you’re doing something that’s better for the planet, your health, and for animals.”

For Ronnen, that makes plant-based eating inherently different from short-lived trends. “Diets like Atkins or keto just keep getting renamed because people don’t stick to them. They’re about weight loss, full stop. But veganism—however you define it—is about a whole set of values. That’s what gives it staying power.”

At its core, he adds, it’s simple. “It’s really just doing what your mom always said: eat more vegetables.”

While Ronnen avoids preaching, he acknowledges that the science behind plant-based diets has only strengthened the case. “When the UN says the best way to fight global warming is to adopt a plant-based diet—that’s a big deal,” he says. “And when you hear that eating this way is more impactful for reducing carbon emissions than driving a Tesla, that sticks with people.”

That environmental urgency, he believes, is drawing more people in. Whether it's concern over climate change, water pollution, or industrial agriculture, the connection between food choices and the planet is becoming harder to ignore. “Even starting with something as simple as a Meatless Monday can make a difference,” he says.

Ronnen is also aware of the debates within the movement, particularly around processed foods. When asked about critiques of plant-based alternatives with long ingredient lists, he stays pragmatic. “I’m not a physician. I just know how I feel when I eat a certain way,” he says. “But you can’t compare deli meats made from pork and beef, full of nitrates, to plant-based deli slices. That’s not apples to apples.”

His stance is less about purity and more about progress. “You don’t have to go all the way,” he says. “But you can still do something good.”

Converting the Curious: Why Non-Vegans Keep Coming Back

Walk into Crossroads Kitchen on a busy night, and you might be surprised by who’s dining there. “I’d say 60 to 70 percent of our guests aren’t even vegetarians,” Ronnen says. “And that’s made the restaurant really successful—it’s not just for vegans.”

In fact, his biggest fans often start out skeptical. “The regulars who really get into it are the ones who didn’t even want to come in. They got dragged in by their wives or friends, and they end up loving the meal and how they feel afterward.”

Ronnen doesn’t hide the plant-based nature of the food, but he understands why some diners prefer not to know up front. “I like to be straightforward,” he says, “but I know a lot of guests bring people in without telling them. And the reaction is almost always the same: they’re stoked.”

What sets Crossroads Kitchen apart, he explains, is not just the food but the environment. “There have been vegan restaurants in L.A. for decades—we’re not the first. But we were the first to do it in a sexy, cool setting with a full bar and great wine program. That’s what we wanted: a place that felt like a real night out.”

Familiar Formats, Elevated Cuisine

For Ronnen, the goal has never been to shock diners—it’s to welcome them. That means designing menus that feel approachable, rooted in recognizable formats. “You’re much more likely to get someone to try a dish if it looks familiar,” he says. “Vegetables on their own are great, but it helps when the format connects.”

That idea shaped Crossroads Kitchen from the beginning. The menu reads like a Mediterranean or Italian restaurant, with handmade pasta, rich sauces, and layered textures. “We serve freshly made fettuccine with truffles. That’s something people know—they’ve had it before,” Ronnen says. “We’re just doing it without animal products.”

It’s a philosophy that balances creativity with realism. “If I’m creating food just to satisfy my ego as a chef, it’s probably not the kind of food that’s going to succeed in a restaurant. I save those dishes for specials and features,” he says. “But the regular menu? It needs to feel accessible. It needs to resonate.”

Crossroads' seasonal menus change four times a year, with 8 to 12 new dishes each quarter—a demanding process that Ronnen says pushes the team but keeps the restaurant dynamic. “It’s a lot to get 70 people aligned,” he says. “But it’s also the only time we’re all together in one room, so it becomes a moment to reconnect.”

Tech, Taste, and the Future of Food

Even after two decades of pushing boundaries, Ronnen remains curious about what’s next. From blue cheese made with real mold cultures to dairy-free sauces and filled pastas, he keeps an eye on emerging products—but isn’t easily swayed by hype.

“Every day, someone sends us a sample,” he says. “But we already make most things in-house, so it has to be really special to make it onto the menu.” One recent exception: the blue cheese from Climax Foods, which impressed the team enough to earn a spot on the Crossroads cheese plate.

Ronnen is less interested in commercial substitutes and more invested in technique—like the yellow tomato “egg yolk” he developed for a carbonara. “A company once sent us a vegan egg, and I told them, ‘Thanks, but we already do that better.’”

Still, he supports innovation in all forms, including lab-grown meat. “From what I understand, it’s still far off and very expensive,” he says. “But if it’s a clean way to produce meat without suffering, I’m all for it.”

As a co-founder of both Kite Hill and Impossible Foods, Ronnen continues to shape the plant-based landscape beyond the restaurant. He remains most hands-on with Kite Hill, recently helping develop a line of pasta sauces to accompany the brand’s filled ravioli and tortellini. “You’ll start seeing them in grocery stores this summer,” he says.

Despite his influence, expansion isn’t his priority. Crossroads now has a location in Las Vegas, but Ronnen still prefers to be at the original on Melrose, where several staff members have been with him for over a decade. “I never really wanted to expand,” he says. “I just love coming in here every day.”

That focus on doing one thing well—without pressure to scale, moralize, or chase trends—is part of what makes Ronnen such a steady presence in a fast-evolving landscape. “You don’t have to go all the way,” he says. “But you can still do something good.”