Did you catch Andrew Parks‘ latest Minneapolis story for AFAR magazine? He highlighted many brilliant reasons to visit the city this fall, starting with Owamni, the first proper restaurant from Sioux Chef co-owner Sean Sherman and his business/life partner Dana Thompson, founder and executive director of North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (or NATIFS) and the Indigenous Food Lab.
A sobering history lesson that starts with the neon sign near its entrance (“You Are On Native Land”), Owamni dumps colonial ingredients like cane sugar, dairy, and wheat flour in favor of indigenous foods and cooking techniques. Standout dishes include conifer-preserved rabbit with fermented blueberry, Ute Mountain blue corn mush with maple and hazelnut, and the most delicious bison choginyapi, a nixtamalized corn sandwich with dandelion pesto and pickled onions (pictured above).
The article also shouts out the ambitious Sooki & Mimi, where the menu is as inspired by James Beard Award-winning chef Ann Kim’s Korean American background as it is by her many R&D trips to Mexico; Jorge Guzman’s elegant nods to his Yucatán roots at Petite Leon; Jamie Malone’s Eataly-esque reboot (EaTo) of her downtown restaurant Eastside; and The Market at Malcolm Yards, a transformative new food hall that features Japanese sandwiches, Nepali street food, Detroit-style pizza, and what may be America’s most creative ice cream (Bebe Zito, what up?!).
Other activities worth a 👀 in the metro area this fall:
👢 Paisley Park recently unveiled a limited, never-before-seen display of Prince’s custom shoes.
👩🏽🎨 Walker Art Center will highlight the abstract paintings of Ethiopian artist Julie Mehretu starting on October 16.
⚽️ St. Paul’s 2-year-old Allianz Field is hoping to host another playoff run for its beloved Minnesota United FC, as high-octane soccer matches continue to attract a growing number of new fans. Goooooooal!
To read the full story in AFAR, click here.
