Pop-Up Picks is a recurring series in The Post and Courier’s Food Section that previews an upcoming pop-up breakfast, lunch or dinner and the chefs behind it.
Vined The Vegan Experience has been serving up plant-based takes on Southern classics for one year, bringing more vegan options to the North Charleston area.
The restaurant — one of four stops on KJ Kearney’s Soul Stroll event during the Charleston Wine + Food Festival — will celebrate its first year in business with a family-friendly pop-up from 3-7 p.m. July 1.
“We definitely want to do a community event and show our appreciation,” said Vined The Vegan Experience owner Christian Keith.
Before opening Vined, Keith was in finance for nearly a decade. She began experimenting with plant-based foods about five years ago after she discovered she was allergic to pork and beef. She and her family have been vegan ever since.
Keith said she’s always loved to cook, but decided to make the career jump official after the pandemic hit and her son’s daycare closed.
A video game truck, jump castle and local face painting business will set up shop in Vined’s parking lot for the July 1 celebration. Cocktails and other vegan treats will be available on-site, and DJ SCrib will provide the music.
The gathering is a big event for a small restaurant, but there’s a lot to celebrate at Vined, where several favorites have emerged since its opening. At the Soul Stroll, attendees sampled Vined’s signature fried cauliflower “vings” alongside red rice. The crispy bites are served plain or with one of six sauces, like Carolina Gold and Jamaican Jerk.
Alongside other favorites like the plant-based breakfast burrito, Keith recently debuted two new menu items: A fully loaded vegan burger and quinoa-based Life Bowl.
Both have been a hit, and support for the restaurant remains high, Keith said.
“It has been awesome, to say the least,” she said. “We have people that come in, most of them aren’t even vegan; they just want something good to eat.”