Are there any American Indian restaurants?

[Anne_Neville]

@Ludovic

I mean, sure, I’m sure that we Americans regularly have meals that consist of only pre-Columbian American ingredients purely by chance, given that we live in America.

But are there any restaurants that concentrate on food from a given tribe or region’s food tradition?

Unless it was concentrating on food from a tribe that died out around the time of contact with Europeans, why should Native American food be limited to ingredients available in Pre-Columbian America? Italian food uses foods that pre-1492 Italian cooks couldn’t have had access to, such as tomatoes and cornmeal, and nobody says it’s less authentic Italian cuisine for doing that.

[Lamar_Mundane]

Navajo tacos are pretty standard fare in “Mexican” restaurants in the Southwest. You’ll also see a lot of ingredients that are native, like prickly pear cactus and pinon nuts. These places are the more authentic Mexican places, nothing at all like the taco/burrito/tostada places you see in most of the country.

[Queen_Bruin]

There is a fast-food Navajo taco place in CO that I used to frequent (“Kachina Kitchen” in Durango). Man I miss that place.

Two weeks ago the Native American Student Union - all 6 members - had a drive selling Navajo tacos. I bought two. :o

I’ve had more traditional faire (if you can call it traditional) in other non-restaurant settings on the Rez. Navajo eat a lot of goat or mutton stew with plenty of fry-bread (fried in lard).

[Ludovic]

@Anne Neville

Unless it was concentrating on food from a tribe that died out around the time of contact with Europeans, why should Native American food be limited to ingredients available in Pre-Columbian America? Italian food uses foods that pre-1492 Italian cooks couldn’t have had access to, such as tomatoes and cornmeal, and nobody says it’s less authentic Italian cuisine for doing that.

I’m pretty sure I’ve seen people do that, at least on this board.

I was just saying that, by virtue of living in America, we have probably partaken of at least a lot of the ingredients that American Indians ate before Columbus. These, by definition, are American Indian foods. Not saying the rest cannot be.

Thanks for the information everyone!

[OpalCat]

There is a really great restaurant in Tucson called La Indita. It’s a Mexican/Native American blend sort of. It’s amazing.

[Intravenus_De_Milo]

@Flea

Probably the best sampling of native foods in the Americas. It has food from the Plains, Eastern, Caribbean and Central and South American cultures. I recommend the quinoa salad.

Yes, I highly recommend the American Indian Museum restaurant as well. If you are ANYWHERE on or around the Mall, this is one of the best places to go…since it’s in a Smithsonian museum, the admission to the building itself is free. The food is way better than at many of the other museum restaurants in the vicinity (save maybe the National Gallery cafe, but that menu isn’t quite as family-friendly and costs a bit more). My personal favorite foods are the tamals and the buffalo burgers

[elelle]

@burundi

The one is Asheville is called “Spirits on the River.” It’s okay. Their menu isn’t specific to any one tribe, but they serve a lot of game, fry bread, wild rice, corn, and other indigenous North American food.

I don’t know, it sounds like it would go over pretty big at the pow-wows around here. Maybe it’s not traditional, but if you’re defining “authentic” as “what American Indians actually eat,” it’s probably a lot more authentic than frogs’ legs with maize salad (one of the "Dragging Canoe Combo Dinners"at Spirits on the River).

I dined at Spirits on the River this past weekend while in Asheville, and it was OK, as said. Probably better for the non-veg fare; with venison, buffalo, alligator, pheasant, etc.

One really great Native American cookbook I have is by Lois Ellen Frank, excellent in cultural details and recipes, and she’s a great photographer, too.