Still riding the wave from an unforgettable evening…
Mind Blown was honored to host special plant based dinner, 'Seven Seafoods Not From The Sea' on Gwynn’s Island, VA in celebration of Hope for the Chesapeake: Another 100 Hours Beneath the Bay—an The Explorers Club Flag Expedition retracing a landmark 1954 dive chronicled by National Geographic.
More about the Expedition:
Led by an extraordinary team of scientists, divers, and underwater photographers—including the legendary Dr. Sylvia Earle—this expedition explored how the Chesapeake Bay has changed over the past 70 years, and more importantly, what hope still lives beneath its surface. From eDNA samples to underwater transects, their mission was one of discovery, documentation, and inspiration.
Our mission at Mind Blown is to help protect the ocean by reimagining seafood—without the seafood. So, when we were asked to create a celebratory dinner for these ocean champions and the local community, we knew it had to be unforgettable. Every bite served was a tribute to the Bay, its resilience, and the scientists working to preserve it for future generations.
A huge shoutout to our Co-Founder, COI, culinary wizard, and chef extraordinaire, Shelly Van Cleve, who envisioned and prepared every single dish for the evening. Her passion and talent brought our mission to life in the most delicious way.
Thank you also to Valerie Boyer of The French Pearl for the stunning details and decorations that made the evening truly special.
On the 'Seven Seafoods Not From The Sea' menu:
🦀Mini crab cake with tartar and slaw
🐟Tuna nigiri topped with black caviar
🍞Rolls and kelp compound butter
🦪Fried oyster in oyster shell with cocktail sauce
🍤Beer battered firecracker shrimp street tacos
🥥Coconut fried scallops with spicy lime honey reduction
🐚Coconut curry salmon over rice in coconut shell bowl
🥑Kelp and avocado ice cream with hot honey drizzle, dusted in gold, served with seaweed cookies
We’re endlessly grateful to play a small role in a much bigger story—one that connects past to present, science to storytelling, and food to a future we can all believe in.
To learn more about Dr. Sylvia Earle and Mission Blue head to: https://missionblue.org and you can also watch Mission Blue Documentary on Netflix
Dr. Sylvia Earle, Morgan Bennett-Smith Taylor Griffith, G. Mark Miller Nick Caloyianis, Craig Cook, Ted Janulis Christina Janulis Stephen Tomasetti Justine Whitaker Natalia Benejam Clarita Berger Helena Janulis Monica Talbert
#eatmindblown #seaswhatspossible #oceanconservation #plantbasedseafood #MissionBlue #HopeForTheBay #SeafoodWithoutTheSea