Basil Park Hosts Conscious Bite Out Vegan Dinner May 7

The beginning of the month is always an apt time to start new stuff: better habits, New Year's resolutions (it's only May, you have even months to make it happen), new hobbies. So maybe kick off May with Conscious Bite Out, a vegan dining experience by Basil Park's Tim Andriola. 

This month's event is sponsored by Whole Foods Market and Seed Food & Wine, and features a full five-course meal, passed hors d’oeuvres and organic wines. 

"We love Tim's story, passion and cuisine," says Conscious Bite Out co-founder Veronica Menin. "We love Basil Park and happy to have partnered up with Whole Foods Market and Seed Food and Wine to collaborate on this event together, always to inspire and create an awareness in our community of better food choices and to create better food choices available in restaurants as well."
The menu is intriguing, and includes everything from cashew parmesan to black garlic aoili to steamed dumplings. The full lineup includes:

Hors D'oeuvres

• Purple artichoke "pizzette" with Harpke Family Farm's arugula pesto, macadamia nut cheese and crisp essene flat bread
• Fava bean and black truffle crostini with golden flax seeds, cashew parmesan and mâché
• White asparagus sushi with spinach, pine nuts, jicama and red curry
• Avocado ceviche with coconut milk, lime, aji amarillo, sweet potato and young cilantro
• Watermelon radish "raviolini" with english pea purée, pea shoots and pistachio oil
• White grape gazpacho with cucumber noodles, micro sorrel and fresh green almonds
• Shaved vegetable daikon roll with pickled mango, fresh ginger and tamari

First Course

• Heirloom tomato and golden beet salad with red romaine, avocado vinaigrette and Drazil nut "cheese"

Second Course

• Steamed wild ramp dumplings with fiddlehead ferns, edamame, baby bok choy, toasted nori and red miso broth

Main Course

• Sous vide of porcini mushrooms with roasted vidalia onions, spring vegetable ragout and black garlic "aioli"

Dessert

• Raw chocolate lasagna with cacao, hazelnuts, frozen and macerated raspberries

"It is a domino effect, when we start voting with our forks, we start demanding better choices and we start seeing the shift in supply as well," adds Menin about the importance of making changes to our food choices.

"The atmosphere is always a very sophisticated and chic environment," she adds. "Guests enjoy a fancy night out with gourmet dining, wine tasting and like minded individuals networking."

Conscious Bite Out on Saturday, May 7, at Basil Park, 17608 Collins Ave., Sunny Isles Beach. Event starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $125 per person (include cocktails, wines, tax and gratuity) and must be purchased in advance at consciousbiteout.com.