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After sheltering at home and staying in safe family bubbles for so long, a group in West Kendall recently celebrated the easing of COVID-19 restrictions with a unique event, sipping wine and sinking their teeth into delicate pastries and gourmet pizza.
They took part in Bites of West Kendall, a restaurant crawl that introduced them to the great outdoors again ― and to dining experiences they didn’t realize were so close to home.
“We had a terrific time and made people aware of the gems we have right here in our neighborhood,” said Karen Vassell, director of community development at West Kendall Baptist Hospital.
Bites of West Kendall, held on June 3, is one of many events hosted by the Arts and Culture Committee of Healthy West Kendall, an initiative spearheaded by the hospital in 2013 to create the healthiest community in Florida. The effort includes the collaboration of numerous organizations on projects to improve health, education, economy and quality of life.
During Bites of West Kendall, participants stopped at Texas Roadhouse, Vacillate Wine and Beer Bar, Bonjour Bakery Miami, Juicy Burgers, My Pie Pizza Miami, Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux and Panera Bread — all located throughout West Kendall. For $20, they enjoyed food and beverages delivered tapas style. The proceeds will go toward the annual Healthy West Kendall food and wine festival next January.
“We offered samples of several wines,” said Michael McCann, owner and advanced sommelier at Vacillate Wine and Beer Bar. “I got in the grape outfit for the first time. It was a lot of fun. Lots of people were taking selfies with the grape guy.”
Many were surprised, he said, to discover that there is a highly educated and certified wine expert in West Kendall. Vacillate offers special events every week and daily happy hours. Keep up with the happenings on the Vacillatewinebar Instagram page.
McCann is one of Healthy West Kendall’s Community Business Partners. The group of area business leaders provide input on issues important to the local community and collaborate to promote local spending. Healthy West Kendall works closely with area businesses, schools and government and civic organizations.
“Bites of West Kendall is one of our ‘Go Local’ events,” explained Michelle Mejia, West Kendall Baptist Hospital’s assistant vice president for health promotion and strategic partnerships.
“We live in a bustling, thriving community,” said Mejia, who heads up the Healthy West Kendall Program. “The ‘Go Local’ campaign was created to shift culture and spending patterns and to let our residents know that there are amazing businesses nearby.”
Go to https://golocalwestkendall.com to get information on area businesses, including any specials or discounts currently offered, find cultural and educational events and even look at job postings. The website was created last year, and individuals and businesses may register and participate for free.
