Aug 16, 2021 - Food and Drink

Minneapolis Indigenous restaurant Owamni is a can't-miss experience

Audrey Kennedy

A photo of a colorful garden squash tart. — The garden squash tart at Owamni. Photo: Audrey Kennedy/Axios

I managed to snag a reservation at Owamni, Minneapolis' first full-service Indigenous restaurant, to see if the rave reviews were well-deserved.

Behind the scenes: Created by Sean Sherman, aka the Sioux Chef, Owamni — which opened last month — promises a "decolonized dining experience."

The restaurant showcases native ingredients such as wild plants and game, while omitting foods brought here by white European settlers, such as wheat flour, cane sugar and dairy products.
The drink menu includes zero-proof cocktails that use Indigenous plants such as sumac and corn, along with beer and wine from women and Black, Indigenous and people of color-owned businesses.

What I tried: Everything.

I started with the light and slightly sweet Amikomin mocktail, made with black currant, juniper, sumac and birch.
Next: The Red Cliff lake trout with white bean spread and cornbread, which came wrapped in corn husks. (Of note: The Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa is a band of Ojibwe people in Wisconsin.)
I also ordered the butcher's cut bison entree, accompanied by sunchoke puree and a mustard green sauce.
For dessert: The colorful garden squash tart — both aesthetically pleasing and unique.

Thought bubble: Worth the hype. It was one of the best meals I've had in recent memory. (Check out the Axios Twin Cities Instagram for all the pics.)

Tip: Dinner reservations are booked solid through early October, but there's some lunch availability next month — or, you can try for their walk-in patio.

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Minneapolis Indigenous restaurant Owamni is a can't-miss experience

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