This kosher restaurant on Avenue A serves a unique plant-based, 6-course Jain tasting menu once a month

If your culinary tastes skew plant-based, this one’s for you: Avant Garden—the upscale vegan restaurant from Overthrow Hospitality, the group behind several of NYC’s kosher vegetarian favorites—hosts a special six-course Jain dinner once a month.

First of all, what exactly is Jain? Rooted in the ancient Indian religion of Jainism, Jain cuisine follows a strict code of nonviolence, meaning it’s entirely plant-based and excludes root vegetables like onions, garlic and potatoes, which are believed to harm living organisms in the soil. The result is a thoughtful, highly seasonal menu that’s as intentional as it is flavorful.

The first iteration of the series took place a few weeks ago, but you’re just in time to book a table for the February 23 dinner right here. Guests can choose between seating in the dining room or at the bar counter. Either way, the meal costs just over $81 per guest, plus tax. The service fee is included in that price and, according to the restaurant’s website, 100% of it goes directly to the staff. Each booking includes a five-course dinner plus dessert, all served family-style.

If Avant Garden’s regular menu is any indication, diners are in for a real treat. The artichoke toast with black truffle vinaigrette, jicama and cashew puts the vegetable to clever, unexpected use, while the scorched cauliflower delivers familiar comfort flavors—elevated with the addition of fried capers. Elsewhere on the menu: paella with merguez aioli, a carbonara flatbread and a flavorful mole made with jackfruit and pickled red onion.

The regular dessert menu is intentionally minimal, offering just two options: an almond cake with apple butter and a chocolate lava cake served with rosemary- and porcini-infused ice cream (yes, really). If that’s the baseline, it’s worth imagining how creative the special Jain dinner dessert might be.

Although drinks aren’t included in the prix-fixe price, guests can expect polished takes on the classics for an additional charge, sharing menu space with more inventive concoctions. Old Fashioneds and Manhattans, for example, sit alongside the Sunbird—made with mezcal joven, Il Mallo Nocino, chocolate, pumpkin spice and Bitter End Mexican mole bitters—and the Avant Garden, a mix of blanco tequila, génépy, lime and fresh herbs.

Just as compelling as the food and drinks is the space itself: Avant Garden is a beautiful restaurant that fully leans into its reverence for the plant world, with warm wood tones and natural materials that make the room feel serene.

Perhaps it’s time to start paying closer attention to the diets—and culinary traditions—that haven’t yet fully taken hold in the Western world. See you on Avenue A?