By onlyinyourstate.com | Trent Jonas
Photos by: Trent Jonas
Since it opened in 2021, Owamni Restaurant in Minneapolis has attracted attention from around the state, the country, and even internationally. The brainchild of acclaimed chef Sean Sherman, Owamni has been showered with accolades aplenty. It was awarded the James Beard Foundation Award for Best New Restaurant in the United States in 2022, and Owamni was included on USA Today‘s 2024 list of best restaurants. As you’ve probably surmised, it’s also considered one of the best restaurants in Minnesota. I’ve had the chance to visit a couple of times, and I have to say that the dining experience at Owamni is definitely unlike anywhere else.
Sherman was inspired by his Oglala Lakota heritage and the desire to create opportunities for the local Native American community to create the restaurant. The name Owamni is derived from the Dakota term for St. Anthony Falls, Owámniyomni, a major series of waterfalls on the Mississippi River that were largely submerged when a series of dams was erected in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The restaurant sits on the bank of the Mississippi at the site of St. Anthony Falls.
It’s the menu at Owamni that is the real star of the show, though. Sherman recognized a dearth of Native cuisine in the country, having noted that you could travel to New York City and find food from just about anywhere in the world but not a single place serving Native American cuisine. The lack of Native representation on the culinary landscape in the U.S. drove Sherman to create dishes, first at The Sioux Chef and then at Owamni, using “decolonized” ingredients – ingredients that may have been available prior to European colonization of the western hemisphere. What this means for you, the diner, is a regular rotation of dishes based on the season and availability of ingredients.
In the autumn, for example, you may find a three-sisters stew, stuffed pumpkin, and several game options, like elk poyha on the menu. If you happen to visit when elk poyha is available, be sure to get it! It’s a rich, savory and sweet dish that, texture-wise, is like a dense meatloaf, made with seasonal berries and drizzled in a berry sauce. It’s oh so much better than any meatloaf I’ve ever had (and I really like meatloaf).
Owamni is a strong recommend from me (and just about everyone else), so if you haven’t visited, you definitely should. Visit Owamni on the web to see its current menus or to make a – also strongly recommended – reservation. If you want to learn more about Sherman’s ingredients, techniques, and culinary philosophy, pick up his book, The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen. Have you visited Owamni? What are some other exceptional renowned dining experiences in Minnesota? Be sure to tell us about them.
