Ellen Degeneres' Vegan Restaurant: The Details!

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ellen Degeneres and wife Portia de Rossi are set to open a new vegan restaurant on Ventura Boulevard in LA's San Fernando Valley. Other investors include Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders and businessman Steve Bing.

This venture comes on the heels of Ellen's recently launched blog, Going Vegan With Ellen. On her site, the animal lover mentions other famous vegans such as Bill Clinton, Carrie Underwood, Mike Tyson, Russell Simmons, Woody Harrelson, and Alicia Silverstone -- all of whom we're betting will become regulars at the new cruelty-free hotspot.

The new eatery even has a tie to that other talk show host, Oprah Winfrey. Perhaps you recall Oprah's 21-day vegan cleanse -- the one that transformed HARPO Studios? Or the time Steve Wynn added vegan options to all the menus at The Encore and Wynn Hotels in Las Vegas? Well, the mastermind behind those dietary adventures was none-other-than Tal Ronnen, who also catered Ellen & Portia's 2008 wedding. Ronnen will design the upcoming establishment's vegan menu.

Ellen and Portia are not just keeping up with trends. They participate in a genuinely vegan lifestyle that includes spending time at the Gentle Barn where they adopted a cow named Holy. Ellen has also worked with Animal Acres, a local farm animal sanctuary.

We've included a video of the couple's trip to the Gentle Barn. WATCH:

Comments

[xhawk2]

08:02 AM on 11/02/2011

Her restaurant may be vegan, but she still uses cosmetics that test on animals.

[pdxist]

11:03 PM on 10/31/2011

I'm not a vegan, but I don't really get what anti-veganism is about. Why do people get so upset about vegans? They're about the least offensive group of people I can think of. It's like going ballistic at the sight of someone cuddling a puppy. And vegans literally like to cuddle puppies!

[Elliot Klein]

10:42 PM on 10/31/2011

It would be great if being vegetarian and vegan was truly cruelty free. Sadly, it is only sparing a horrible life and death for those animals with whom we identify most closely or of whom we are most aware. Unless you grow all of your own food, all grains, vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds involve the killing of thousands of animals. Yes, you can save the life of a cow or pig and wanting to do so is admirable, but the machinery used to till, plant and harvest all plant foods kills many more small animals like rabbits, mice, etc in their burrows often with their babies. So one must weigh the life of one cow which provides hundreds of meals against the lives of hundreds of small creatures. All life is sacred and equal and I would guess that the mouse wants to live as much as the cow does.

[jamie7]

02:05 PM on 11/02/2011

Yes, animal deaths do result from crop agriculture, but there are many reasons why it is preferable to animal agriculture -- all of them based on the principle of "minimize the harm done."

With crop agriculture the deaths are not intentional as they are with animal agriculture; our resignation to the former does not necessitate our acceptance of the latter. Also, the amount of cropland cultivated for direct human consumption would actually be less than the amount used to fatten up the animals that humans then eat. Far fewer animals would be killed unintentionally than would be killed intentionally.

I won't even get into the health and environmental benefits.

Admittedly, humans must kill to survive; the reasonable goal is to minimize the harm done. As has been said before, we have the responsibility to survive, but we can also survive responsibly.

[OhioYippieHippie]

10:35 AM on 11/03/2011

a cow does not offer hundreds of meals obviously you know nothing about cattle at all. that is untrue sir. and frankly you can grow your own food. your not trying hard enough.

[crabbyman36]

07:08 PM on 10/31/2011

Everyone already knew that they didn't like the meat.

[rhumblines]

08:19 AM on 11/06/2011

I heard they eat cats

[saileyboy]

07:13 AM on 10/31/2011

OH come one! All they eat is "vegan"? Not when the cat's got your tongue!

I, as many people, went through a phase where I questioned eating meat. I came to the conclusion I wouldn't be the one to change a quarter million years or more of evolution where we became omnivores extraordinaire. But I am sensitive to the subject - and find TV commercials where they show animal parts tumbling through the air very offensive. And if I dated a vegan I could easily adapt. I'm not married to meat. (sorry, can't stop with the puns).

[thrugreeneyez]

11:08 PM on 10/30/2011

Looooooooooooove this!!! :)

[Anissa Hargis]

10:57 PM on 10/30/2011

I think Ellen is very sweet and her intentions are good. However, if you read Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle she discusses soy at length, and the fact that most is grown by corporate agriculture, genetically modified, and by no definition can be considered "cruelty free."

[Simone de Lima]

07:13 AM on 10/31/2011

Going vegan is not the same as eating only soy or even mostly soy. Maybe if you go to a good vegan restaurant you'll find there are plenty of other things that are part of a vegan diet. Also, if you compare the cruelty that derives from soy plantation ( loss of habitat, death from pesticides and harvesting) with the cruelty of factory farming there is a huge difference.

[Reggie Licious]

03:05 PM on 10/31/2011

I understand that vegans don't want to harm animals, however, I believe that a responsible and humane (small and expensive) way of animal farming is also a good way to end irresponsible factory farming. If you know where your meat was raised, or if you buy from a farm directly, that's a step into the right direction.

[KisaCat]

04:06 PM on 10/31/2011

While I agree the factory farming practices are horrific, cruelty is cruelty... and soy's not good for you anyway.

[OhioYippieHippie]

10:25 AM on 11/03/2011

so do not eat that crap you are making excuses because you are jaded and live in la so...... yea

[Eric Mann]

09:31 PM on 10/30/2011

What I find hilarious about you Veganistas is that you have to find SOMETHING wrong with everyone, even people who are famous and promote your lifestyle choice. Oh, she does commercials for Cover Girl, which (allegedly) still tests on animals so you won't go to her restaurant. Its like a purity contest or something. I don't get upset when Vegans dis my life style choices because of silliness like that. One has to consider the source.

[Halsey]

11:52 AM on 10/30/2011

I checked and am sad. Yes, CG still uses animals. D*mn. I truly believe Ellen MUST stop the ads. It is simply hypocritical.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Does_cover_girl_test_on_animals

D*mn!

[Lisa Snyder]

10:34 PM on 10/30/2011

Good point- I hadn't thought of that. I recently posted a picture on FB of a bunny that L'oreal used to test hair color I think. Awful but people need to see the reality of it. Buying cruelty free is so much easier these days and there are affordable products too if money is an issue. PETA has shopping lists so you can see who is not testing.

[Halsey]

11:42 AM on 10/30/2011

I am first anxious to eat at Seeds of Change (West LA). Jay Weston(carnivore) reviewed it here on HP a month-ish ago. OMG..he said the mushroom pate was as good as ANY chicken liver pate...and I DO miss pate (that will be the first thing I order). Seeds Is pricey so it will be a rare treat; but with everything so fresh, yes, it brings prices up. I hope Ellen and Portia's restaurant is able to achieve the same calibre I assume Seeds has (you can HP search..Weston to read it)..

I WOULD however, like to see Ellen forego the millions from CoverGirl.."unless" they have stopped testing on animals. I know Clinique doesn't, yet is owned by Este Lauder, and they DO still use bunnies, etc. so no Clinique for me..guilt by association. I think I will go to "ask" and see if CG still uses animals. I'll get back to you.

[xhawk2]

09:56 AM on 10/30/2011

Does anyone even care that Ellen DeGeneres shills for Cover Girl...which tests on animals?

[Marliss]

06:30 PM on 11/12/2011

She may have signed that contract well before she became a vegan.

[corwin]

07:38 AM on 10/30/2011

best wishes to them. They're a classy couple.

[sacmom3]

12:11 AM on 10/30/2011

Reading these posts have given me motivation to find out more about vegetarianism instead of just thinking about it. Thanks you guys.

[KisaCat]

04:07 PM on 10/31/2011

You mean 'veganism' - they are not vegetarians.

[bnation]

11:27 PM on 10/29/2011

Mad props to Ellen and Portia for educating people on the vegan lifestyle and the concept of treating all living creatures with respect and kindness.

[Ravynnelyn]

11:10 PM on 10/29/2011

They adopted TWO cows, not just one. The other one's name is Madonna.