You may have heard of “dry” January, but have you heard of “Veganuary?” Like World Vegan Month in November, Veganuary, based out of England and Wales, aims to encourage people to give vegan eating a chance by going plant-based for the month of January.
In Las Vegas, you’ll find plenty of vegan restaurants to help fulfill that challenge, and one of the best is Crossroads Kitchen, where fine dining is the main goal, and all the dishes just happen to be vegan, despite name or flavor, whether that’s meat, seafood or cheese.
Photo by: Jakob N. Layman
Yes, I know it is dry January, but if you enjoy a good cocktail, sip away. Crossroads Kitchen offers a happy hour menu Monday through Thursday from 4-5:30 p.m., with beers and cocktails like the No Aloha, with toasted pineapple tequila, cinnamon syrup and aquafaba. Plus, several of the best appetizers are available, like the crispy artichoke hearts and pioppino mushrooms with celery hearts and caper aioli. Other truly excellent bites include the signature Impossible cigars with a spicy almond milk yogurt, and the calamari fritti. The “calamari” is actually mushroom rings, but have such a meaty flavor, you’d never think that was so.
Once happy hour is over and you are seated, I recommend two other appetizers to start off dinner, stuffed zucchini blossoms with almond ricotta and marinara sauce, and Impossible meatballs with marinara and ricotta.
On the dinner menu, in addition to the mushroom fritti, there are several other good mushroom dishes, including truffle mushroom bianca, a white, fragrant pizza with an option to add earthy truffles. You can also get pepperoni and sausage pizzas. If you prefer a salad, the Carrie Underwood Reflection Pear Carpaccio presents it in a different way, with pears, Climax blue cheese, walnuts, endive and a wholegrain mustard vinaigrette. (Climax is a California-based company with a range of plant-based cheeses.)
Photo by: Jakob N. Layman
The pasta selections will appeal to many tastes, with dishes like spaghetti carbonara and malfadine cacio e pepe. (How fancy!) Other good options here are the fettuccine and truffles, with freshly shaved truffles; honeynut squash stuffed pappardelle with shaved truffles; roasted vegetable lasagna with grilled leeks, eggplant, roasted peppers and pesto ricotta in a puttanesca sauce; and fusilli pesto with vegan Parmesan.
The entrées are simply spectacular, with both looks and taste making meat unnecessary. The lion’s mane steak is grilled and served with truffle potatoes—it has a very meaty taste, as do many mushrooms. For something that looks exactly like a steak, choose the eggplant filet with mushroom bordelaise. It’s wild just how much this looks like a filet, and the flavor is excellent. The heirloom butter beans don’t look like meat, but they are completely satisfying, with kale, oven-roasted potatoes and Parmesan. Add in sides like fondant parsnips and you may not need dessert.
Joking! Of course you do. The brownie sundae comes with vanilla ice cream, fudge sauce, coconut whip and brandied cherries. By the time you finish this, you won’t care that you just finished a gourmet dinner that is entirely plant-based—you’ll just be happy and full.
Resorts World Las Vegas. 702.676.7000 or rwlasvegas.com
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