Serving America’s Oldest Cuisine

Indigenous chefs are gaining national attention—and acclaim—for their takes on heritage-honoring dishes

- Anna-Louise Jackson

Want to try the oldest cuisine in America? Expect to wait. At least that’s the case at Owamni in Minneapolis, where diners have to book seven weeks ahead. The year-old dining room was popular even before it was named best new restaurant at the James Beard Awards in June. It’s the highest-profile eatery among a growing number that are highlighting ingredients and dishes from the country’s first inhabitants. Openings of American Indian-owned restaurants in the past year include: Cafe Ohlone in Berkeley, Calif.; Indigenous Eats in Spokane, Wash.; Nātv in Broken Arrow, Okla.; Thirty-Nine in Oklahoma City; and Wahpepah’s Kitchen in Oakland, Calif., which also nabbed a James Beard nomination for best emerging chef.

Indigenous cuisine can vary widely by region and tribe, but the plates at these restaurants invariably focus on proteins and plants native to the US, including fish, corn, beans, squash, wild rice, and berries. Fry bread, a staple at many a state fair, shows up as both a sweet and savory dish.

At Owamni, the ever-changing menu can feature bison tartare with duck egg, a corn sandwich with elk, sweet potato, and pepita, plus a section of native corn tacos. Co-founder Sean Sherman—aka the Sioux Chef—highlights ingredients rarely seen on American menus, such as toasted crickets. He sources from Indigenous vendors and features fish and game from the Minneapolis area. He forgoes foods introduced by Europeans, such as dairy and wheat. “It’s almost as powerful to highlight what’s not on our menu as what is,” he says.