Native American Restaraunts - do they exist?
I was in South Dakota recently on a road trip and I was searching for a Native American restaraunt with no luck.
I was anxious to try dishes from the Lakota and Sioux tribes.
Does anyone know where to find native american food in this country?
Thanks
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Melanie Wong
Jun 9, 2010 07:51 PM
Pueblo Harvest Cafe in the museum in Albuquerque, NM.
http://www.chow.com/restaurants/91675... -
Gio
Jun 8, 2010 08:01 AM
I've been doing a litle research and here's what I've found so far:
1.) The Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa in Chandler AZ, was designed to be an authentic representation of the Gila River Indian Community's heritage and culture.
http://www.wildhorsepassresort.com/dining-wild-horse-pass.html2. Sweetgrass Aboriginal Bistro in Ottawa, Ontario
http://www.sweetgrassbistro.ca/menus.htm3.) Navajo Hogan Restaurant, South Salt Lake City UT
http://navajohogan.com/4.) The following list of Native American Indian restaurants some of which are still open:
http://nativerecipes.com/14.html -
Looks like a fry bread restaurant is sprouting up in Southern California...
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Something I don't see suggested here is to look for local pow-wows or cultural festivals. Some food is more authentic than others, but I've had some great food that way. That being said, even in the remote Alaskan villages the little cafes or restaurants (such as they are) serve "gussuk (white) food" and the native foods are made at home. Fortunately, most villages don't have much in the way of restaurants so I was lucky enough to eat some delicious, delicious, food made by local cooks when I was living there.
Frybread is the most ubiquitous of "native" foods but in reality, it's not really traditional to any culture except for reservation culture when tribes had to learn to survive upon commodity foods from the government. That being said, there are probably as many recipes and ways to "correctly" make frybread as there are families and there are few foods on earth as delicious as fresh frybread. Especially when it's served the right way, with moose soup. ;)
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YES! We exist. Desert Rain Cafe is in Sells, Arizona on the Tohono O'odham Reservation. It features traditional tribal foods. See www.desertraincafe.com. I have an entire post on Native American foods here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/643271. There I talk about Kai (a Mobile Five Star Resaurant) that features Native foods, the Celebration of Basketry and Native Foods Festival, etc.
Corn Dance Cafe (mentioned here) was Loretta Barrett Oden's place in Santa Fe; unfortunately it has been closed for a few years. She is the host and producer of the Seasoned With Spirit program listed here. Loretta was also a consultant for the opening of Desert Rain Cafe.
The Creative Cooking Academy in Scottsdale, AZ has been developing a Native foods program for the past few years. They have two very talented Navajo chefs: Bertina Cadman and Freddie Bitsoe.
If you have more specific questions, post them here and I may be able to help.
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re: Tohono Rat
Also.... here is a link to the PBS series "Seasoned with Spirit" which was a five-part series about Native American foods. http://www.nativetelecom.org/seasoned...
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re: Tohono Rat
bookgrrl72
Nov 16, 2009 12:36 PM
I just looked at the menu for Kai and I find it problematic. I think it's great that they source produce (and other ingredients?) from the Gila River Indian Community, but holy crap! Those prices are berserk! I question the ethics of fetishizing the local Native communities while also profiting off their stories and very existence, especially when it's probably safe to say that most of the folks in the Pima and Maricopa tribes can't afford to eat at Kai.
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re: bookgrrl72
Jen76
Nov 16, 2009 02:32 PM
"I question the ethics of fetishizing the local Native communities while also profiting off their stories and very existence, especially when it's probably safe to say that most of the folks in the Pima and Maricopa tribes can't afford to eat at Kai."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The restaurant/resort/casino complex where Kai is located is on the reservation and owned by the Gila River Indian Community so they are profiting from their own culture and businesses.
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Gio
Sep 15, 2009 10:25 AM
Years ago (I have a first edition) I bought a wonderful Native American cookbook, "Spirit of the Harvest: North American Indian Cooking," by Martin Jacobs and Beverly Cox which gives an idea of what Native American cooking was all about. The chapters are divided by tribal regions and include many of the old recipes which were handed down through the generations. I've cooked a few of the fish dishes and bannock, in fact it was the first time I read about grilled planked salmon. The photographs are gorgeous. Time to revisit this beautiful book.
I see it's still available:
http://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Harvest-...›3 Replies-
re: Gio
KrissyL
Sep 20, 2009 08:52 AM
I'm originally from the Northwest Territories, where the primary population is Native American. If you are looking for authentic NA food - I recommend making friends with an elder who would be willing to show you the ways. Recipes are passed down in their culture, and everyone adds their own little twist. Bannock is an anytime treat, and can be made just about anywhere. Dried/smoked game and fish are also big in northern Canada - their ingredients are local and very simple as the access to fresh markets and spices are limited even today. My own favourite is dried and smoked caribou (much like deer - but better, I think) which you could make with your own dehydrator and liquid smoke. I would really recommend having someone teach you if you are interested - normally they are quite willing to share their culture and homemade bannock over a fire is worth it!
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re: KrissyL
tatamagouche
Sep 20, 2009 11:59 AM
How cool, Krissy L! Can you tell us about some other local specialties?
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re: tatamagouche
KrissyL
Sep 20, 2009 01:41 PM
I like bannock with fresh blueberries - because they are grown around a lake where I'm from. Caribou stew is also a popular dish, the reason I like caribou is because it doesn't have the 'wild meat' taste and it's good for you (really lean). Moose, Musk Ox, Buffalo, Dall Sheep (depending on the area) are local game that people eat but tougher meats that definitely need to be cooked properly and practiced to get it right. Dried meat with lard is also a favourite but not mine! I need to have some flavour and can't get past the pure lard. If you're ever in the NWT - try the Wild Cat Cafe in Yellowknife (Summer Only Restaurant), Cabin Lounge at the Finto Hotel in Inuvik - they both have wild meat on their menus. Be warned that dining in the north is expensive and there really isn't a way around it. If you find yourself in a smaller community - take advantage of the opportunity and by all means tell them you're interested in the local food! There's a good chance someone will invite you to dinner and "Mahsi" is how you thank them :)
There are some great bannock recipes here:
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John Manzo
Sep 14, 2009 02:31 PM
You have to understand that not all cultures are restaurant cultures. That said, you'll have better luck in Canada, which has roughtly ten times the native population, per capita, that the US has.
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rworange
Sep 14, 2009 11:31 AM
Search chowhound for Native American food. There are threads from time to time. There was a thread a few years back that had some good selections. I have the flu and am just to sick to deal with searching, but I know there are some excellent threads out there.
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SaltyRaisins
Sep 13, 2009 08:34 AM
A poster who goes by the name Tohono Rat on these boards has covered this subject for the southwest. Here's the link to that topic:
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In Ottawa there is a tourist attraction called the Aboriginal Experience, and they serve lunch on picnic tables. Items like a 3 Sisters Bean Salad and Bison Burgers. I believe there is also a rather prominent Native American restaurant in Ottawa, but I did not make it there.
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re: Steve
I believe the restaurant you're referring to (the second one) is Sweetgrass Bistro:
http://www.sweetgrassbistro.ca/
I haven't been there either but many people rave about it.
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I've had Native American food at a restaurant on an Arizona reservation. The restaurant was attached to a Holiday Inn or some other such chain motel. The menu had two sections - one was your standard blah motel cafe food, the other was Navajo specialties. Nearly every diner was ordering the Navajo food. I learned two things from that dining experience. One is that I find Navajo food fairly bland and uninteresting. Two, always take an antacid when eating fry bread and/or Navajo tacos. On the same trip I had other experiences with Navajo food that reinforced those impressions.
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re: meatn3
Eight years ago this week, as a matter of fact, (yes, it was THE 9/11) I was on a 10-day 2,000 mile motorcycle trip through the Southwest desert. We started and ended in Phoenix although we went north from Phoenix up into Utah and west into Nevada before heading back around to Phoenix. IIRC, which I might not, the restaurant was somewhere near Canyon de Chelly National Park.
I never know what to think about today - the incredible trip and the magnificent scenery, being pregnant while doing this, or the awful tragedy and uncertainty of being in the middle of the desert and unable to contact our families in NY. I remember so clearly my utter disbelief when hearing the news and my inability to stop crying when seeing the footage later that day. What a day.
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re: rockycat
meatn3
Sep 11, 2009 08:28 PM
The utter incompreshension turning into realization turning into horror...That day is like Pearl Harbor or Kennedy being shot. All who experienced it will always remember.
Your experience being in the midst of such an amazing trip must have been mind boggling surreal.
So here's a toast for the living, a drink for the dead and the hope that this day will never be repeated...
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re: rockycat
Striver
Sep 14, 2009 10:48 AM
Yes, there's (was? - we were there in 2005) a Holiday Inn in Chinle AZ, right near the entrance to Canyon de Chelly, with that menu. The Navajo tacos (on fry bread) were decent.
A more extensive menu with Navajo options can be found at the restaurant of The View hotel in Monument Valley. The green chile pork stew was pretty good (and a good option for dipping chunks of the ubiquitous fry bread).
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re: ipsedixit
grayelf
Sep 9, 2009 05:30 PM
From late spring to late summer you can have a North West Coast Indian meal in Vancouver at Wild Salmon, a student run restaurant:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/647117
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tatamagouche
Sep 9, 2009 12:48 PM
I haven't been, and admittedly the menu doesn't sound too legit to quit, but FYI.
Meanwhile, like GIo, I've heard a lot of good stuff about Odin, and I can't imagine she's the only one in NM with that emphasis.
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Gio
Sep 8, 2009 06:05 PM
There are native American restaurants...you just have to know where to look. Years ago I saw Loretta Barrett Odin on a PBS program when she demonstrated how to cook bread in an outdoor oven....and again when she was interviewed....
Here's her bio:
http://www.eatturkey.com/foodsrv/celebrty/loretta/bio.htmNative American Restaurants:
http://nativerecipes.com/14.htmlMore... and her picture:
http://www.nativeculinary.com/forum/v...I love this woman...She's engaging, authorative and authentic.
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re: Tropigal
fmcoxe6188
Sep 9, 2009 11:14 AM
Oh good! This is what I was going to suggest as well! One of the many bright spots in the cuisine of Santa Fe! Ohhhh now I remember how much I want to go back there!
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Veggo
Sep 8, 2009 05:50 PM
I had the same shocking and disappointing experience as gandro, years ago, on an extensive road trip through many states and through numerous reservations. I had higher hopes than cigarettes, beer, Slim Jims and gas.
I hope to learn here that some do exist. Fingers are crossed. -
Pei
Sep 8, 2009 05:14 PM
This is going to be WAY more watered down than what you're looking for, but I had a great meal at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington DC (on the Mall with the other Smithsonians). The various parts of the cafeteria are marked with what region's food they are serving, and there were some really delicious things.
I know, I know, I'm suggesting museum food. But these days, museum/mall/hotel food is getting to be so fancy, it might be a starting point for your research.
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re: Pei
jmckee
Sep 11, 2009 09:31 AM
Oh I totally agree. We went on a Chowhounders recommendation last spring and it was extremely good. I had baked oysters and celery (Pacific northwest) and the wonderfuly named Salad of the Three Sisters (corn, squash, beans -- from the great plains, which I've successfully recreated at home), and Navajo fry bread.
Then my son took his buddies when he was a delegate to the National Young Leaders Conference in October, and they were blown away.
Actually, it occurs to me that he called me most days around lunchtime to ask where they should eat...... Hmm. Some dads give stock tips. I give eating tips. Guess which dad is most memorable to a group of hungry high-school boys?
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