2025-12-15 09:55:08
Chef Sean Sherman’s revelatory Mill City restaurant hasn’t stopped reinventing the rules of fine dining since its long-awaited 2021 opening or subsequent James Beard Award for the nation’s best new eatery. With dishes that lean heavily on corn, wild rice and other hand-harvested ingredients rather than dairy, beef, pork, chicken, wheat flour and sugar, Owamni celebrates the culinary roots of the 11 Native American Tribes that share geography with Minnesota and more than earns its mark as one of Minneapolis’ best restaurants. Said Ben: “It’s really thoughtful, there’s intention behind it... there’s care for the people and the land.”
YOUR OWN FOOD CRAWL AT THE MINNESOTA STATE FAIR
Butter sculpture, crop art, and giant slides aside, anyone who has been to the beloved event in the lead up to Labor Day knows it’s one of the country’s most rewarding food and drink experiences. Sure, there’s a lot of fried classics, but the fair is a welcome celebration of the many cultural groups that make our state so distinct and diverse.
Where else would you be able to snack on lutefisk steam buns, best-in-class sambusas, masala-stuffed dosas and walleye on a stick? As Hon said with a smile during his visit, “only in Minnesota.”
Other stops on Claire and Ben’s trip include brunching at Leader, a historic department store in Cambridge; guided mushroom foraging in the forests of Eveleth; and moseying through Minneapolis’ historic Mill District.
SAMPLE THE BEST, FROM THE IRON RANGE TO THE STATE FAIR
Photographer, Ben (@stuffbeneats) and marketing guru, Claire (Yobo Soju, Burlap & Barrel, Padma Lakshmi) are always searching for new spots to celebrate their love of food and travel. We sent the longtime friends on the ultimate culinary tour of Minnesota – plus a few other fun stops to work off that food-induced coma.
PADDLE THROUGH A PRISTINE MINE PIT
“Keep up, Ben” Claire playfully shouted as she and Ben paddled the crystal clear and 250 foot deep waters of Redhead Mountain Bike Park. What was once a barren landscape is now a shining example of how to restore and reclaim our natural world, Minnesota style. As the name hints, the park is also home to 25 miles of world class mountain biking. And while you’re on the range, swing through the town of Hibbing, Bob Dylan’s childhood home and where Dylan became obsessed with music, started his first bands, and graduated high school.
“Only in Minnesota.”
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Food Culture
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