Reader Report: Did Chef Gordan Ramsay Ruin Sante Cuisine?

LAist reader Prabhat Gautam is an all around vegan and lives a no-car/all-transit lifestyle. He writes us a note after visiting Sante Cuisine, which was Sante La Brea before Chef Gordan Ramsay tooled around with it for an episode of Kitchen Nightmares which will air next Fall:

I had heard about the Hell's Kitchen makeover of Santa La Brea to Santa Cuisine, so I wanted to find out what was different and if it had changed for the better. I had gone to Santa La Brea to eat about ten times before and always had a great experience. Lots of vegetarian and vegan choices, great service, and a nice cozy place.

A group of us wanted to see the new place and when we got there it certainly looked different with candles on each table, odd shaped drinking glasses, and a ladder as part of the scenary, but they had reduced the number of vegetarian and vegan options on the menu and also reduced the portion sizes. When the bill came, everyone felt that we had paid for an experience we won't be having again. The change is certainly a downgrade and everyone at our table felt that way. I don't know why anyone would eat there when there is a much better organic place in Flore Cafe that isn't too far away.

Speaking of Flore in Silver Lake, it is rumored that Chef Miranda is doing so well that she will be opening up yet another vegan restaurant in the near future.

For another vegan dining option off La Brea, check out M Cafe at Melrose. And unrelated to the La Brea corridor, a new Thai vegan restaurant opened in NoHo Arts District last week.

Photo by daveyll via Flickr