Yes, I’m a bit late to the game. Owamni has been on my must-visit list since it opened back in 2021, however its quick rise in popularity and earning the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant in 2022 had me thinking it might be a bit out of my budget—not to mention the touch of difficulty to secure reservations due to such widespread acclaim. To my pleasant surprise, I found quite reasonable pricing when exploring its new fall menu after my partner scored reservations for us in late October. Most of the Twin Cities metro area already knows what Chef Sean Sherman and his Indigenous recipes are all about, and I wanted to get in on the action.
Comprised of squash favorites and hearty game dishes focused on elk and bison, the fall menu had me brimming with excitement. Direct from the lineup, plant-based highlights included the Three Sisters Stew made up of beans, squash broth, and hominy; a carrot tartare with berry leather, maple walnut, and sumac; wild rice with dried berry and puffed wild rice; sweet potatoes with maple chili crisp; and roast squash with garlic, tortillas, and a choice of two delectable sauces. After starting the evening with a glass of sauvignon blanc sourced from Te Pā Wines in the Awatere Valley of New Zealand, we went with the wild rice and sweet potatoes as our first course.
Photo by Amanda Christensen
The sweet potatoes were a punch of striking color and flavor, the sweetness of the root vegetable paired exquisitely with the zest of the maple chili crisp. While the sweet potato embodies the flavors of the fall season, it’s been a fan favorite since the restaurant opened and thus has been on the menu year-round. The wild rice offered an abundance of earthy deliciousness to balance, and I started to think we might not get through our main plates. I was most excited to try the elk and bison entrees, however they were unfortunately out of the elk—which just means I’ll (happily) have to go back. Instead, we went with the whitefish, made with duck egg remoulade and tostadas; along with the Bison Picanha, a thinly sliced, smoked cut of bison served with chili crisp aioli roasted tomato, pumpkin seed oil, and cured duck yolk. And yes, they were both as luscious as they sound.
The delicate flavor of the whitefish paired well with the salt and crunch of the tostadas, and the bison was the sort of dish that had you looking up with a bit of shock while chewing slowly to enjoy every ounce of flavor. I have never been a meat-forward diner, usually leaning toward plant-based dishes when I can, however a trip out to North Lake Tahoe, California, last year had me trying a bison burger for the first time, and a trip to western Montana in June provided an opportunity to try delectable elk meatballs. So, you can consider me a changed person on that front, more than ready to give Owamni’s game a go.
Photo by Amanda Christensen
Those four plates were about all we could enjoy in one sitting, though I know I’ll be back this season to try other fall favorites like the tomato walnut soup, roast squash, elk poyha, and sofkee (Ute corn, maple, and berries). The entire culinary experience was complemented with stunning views of the Mississippi River and St. Anthony Main skyline from Owamni’s waterfront location on the west side of Stone Arch Bridge. This Indigenous outlet is an exciting addition to Minneapolis’ culinary landscape, and I urge you not to put off a visit like I did—its fresh fall menu beckons!
