Feast Miami's Vegan Dessert Pop-Up Combines Food and Art

We're all grownups here (unfortunately), which means we can eat ice cream, Oreo cookies, and/or banana pancakes for supper — which might be one of the only benefits of adulthood.

As it turns out, Feast Miami's seventh vegan pop-up dinner/art event is perfect for the sweets-loving child in you. The event, which kicks off at 8 p.m. Friday, June 10, at Spinello Projects, will feature five delectable desserts paired with five talented artists. 

Feast Miami is an art-meets-eats concept that launched in 2014 with support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation through the Knight Arts Challenge. Founders Susan Caraballo and Loren Pulitzer host vegan dinners where attendees get to vote on a grant that'll go to one of the artist finalists from Miami. Ticket sales fund the grant, investing dinner guests in the outcome. Each artist gives a short presentation about his or her idea so that voters get the gist of each concept. 

"This edition of Feast Miami is quite unique," Caraballo says of the June 10 event. "Usually, the dinner events start at 6 p.m. This one starts at 8 p.m., which may be dinnertime for some, but we will only be serving drinks and a plethora of delicious desserts. It will not be a seated dinner." 

The contestants include Mon Amie Miami by Annik Babinski; PageSlayers Summer Camp by Dana de Greff; Battle for Freedom by Erik Range and Vanness Johnson; Marine Stadium Floating Park by Fabiana Godoy; and Medicine to Rock Your Soul by Tanya and Natasha Bravo.

In addition, attendees will get to check out Spinello's "Cathedrals of Consumption," a group exhibition curated by Guillermo Leon Gomez (plus exhibitions in the project rooms by Clara Varas and Nicole Doran). 

"This breadth of finalists includes a more diverse mix of disciplines, including architecture, music, social change, public art, and poetry," says Feast Miami's project manager, Amanda Finuccio. "Projects include breathing life into the Miami Marine Stadium, creating friendship in the city through a book club, a summer camp in Opa-locka in creative writing, serving military veterans through art, and using art to assist in relief for Alzheimer’s caregivers."

And as for the most important aspect — the menu — the dessert lineup will feature a chocolate mousse parfait with blood oranges and oat crumble; stone fruit cobbler; rice paper wraps with tropical fruits and coconut topped with a spicy cashew sauce; chocolate peanut butter cups; and key lime bars with coconut meringue, all made by Pulitzer, a master vegan chef. Tickets for the pop-up dessert event cost $30 and can be purchased at feastmiami.org. 

Food meets art meets intellect — an intriguing trifecta.