FROM TOP: Basil and Bunny
owners Lyslie and Mathiew
Medeiros at their plant-based
food trailer. The Bunny Mak
sandwich and the vegan
cheesesteak sandwich.
Basil and
Bunny
A new plant-based food trailer hits the road.
Even if you didn’t get a ticket to the sold-out RI Veg Fest
in February, you might already be familiar with Basil and Bunny, the plant-based food truck based
out of East Providence that debuted at the festival. Lyslie Medeiros has been sharing photos of her
gorgeous vegan food creations on Instagram (@basilandbunny) for the past few years. Here, she
talks about launching her “dream project” with husband, Mathiew Medeiros, and how you can eat
healthier versions of your favorite indulgences.
Tell us about Basil and Bunny.
The menu is seasonal, and it’s all health-
focused comfort food. You can have slightly
healthier versions of your favorite foods.
We’ve got chipotle chili, bourbon pineapple
jackfruit and homemade tater tots with our
own vegan cheese sauce. We’ve got two
kinds of grain bowls, and blueberry and
apple/lychee “pop tarts,” too.
Is this all food you dreamed up
in your kitchen?
It really just starts with an idea of what we want
to eat, and what we think people will want to
eat. Everything that we do is homemade. The
burger patties on the Bunny Mak (a plant-
based riff on a Big Mac) are all homemade.
We make our own seitan, too. We didn’t want
to sacrifice any of the quality or the taste, so we
wanted to make sure anything we’re doing
is ours.
Where can people try
Basil and Bunny?
We’re doing mostly events, booking with local
breweries and doing pop-ups. Our calendar is
on our website with everywhere the food
trailer will be. We knew a food trailer would be
a good place for us to start, so we can see what
menu items people are really gravitating
towards. We’re hoping to do a brick and mortar
in the next year or two. basilandbunny.com —J.T.
RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY
l APRIL 2020 53