HEADS OF THE TABLE

THE PEOPLE, ORGANIZATIONS, and RESTAURANTS BUILDING a BETTER FOOD WORLD

- ELYSE INAMINE

WE FIRST LAUNCHED the award Heads of the Table last year in lieu of recognizing America's Best New Restaurants. Our list of can't-miss restaurants is back and better than ever this year (see page 38), but we didn't want to stop celebrating those bringing about the change the industry needs. We asked the BA staff, previous honorees, and trusted food writers for their recommendations, and after months of extensive research and deliberation, we're finally here.

These five honorees are doing critical work, work that heals the restaurant industry and makes it more inclusive, more equitable, and more delicious. They're setting new standards, and we're excited to show you how they're making it happen. -ELYSE INAMINE, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

The Educators: Indigenous Food Lab

Minneapolis

IT'S EASIER TO LIST what Indigenous Food Lab isn't doing. The lab is the first project of NATIFS (North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems), a nonprofit started by founders Dana Thompson and Sean Sherman, and you'll understand why when you learn what they've been cultivating inside Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis.

Indigenous Food Lab gathers information on food traditions from Indigenous communities so far it's partnered with over 150-and turns that into educational material for all ages. It hires Indigenous staff and gives them free rein to experiment in its test kitchen with ancient culinary techniques and ingredients, like using acorn flour as a substitute for chocolate. At the start of the pandemic, it fed native elders in the community, cooking and distributing over 80,000 meals, and now it sells native products in its Indigenous Food Lab Market, also in Midtown Global Market.

It helps Indigenous chefs with any and all aspects of running a food business, from fine-tuning menu development to designing food trucks.