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By using Native-grown and gathered ingredients, Vernon DeFoe and his team are reintroducing healthy Indigenous dishes to their community.

A quiet cafe at the heart of Minneapolis’ American Indian community is expanding its role as a community hub and a teacher of Native foodways.

Chef Vernon DeFoe is aiming for “approachable” Indigenous food at the Gatherings Cafe in the Minneapolis American Indian Center (MAIC). The center wrapped up a $32.5 million renovation in April, including a bigger space for the cafe and its kitchen.

DeFoe said the cafe has had a slow start since reopening June 10, but he chalks it up to its low-key presence in the neighborhood.

“The fact that we are open now is a pretty large feat,” said DeFoe. “Usually it can be between six months to a year until you actually open.”

According to DeFoe, Gatherings has operated for about eight years in a different and much smaller section of the center. The renovations included a massive update to the cafe’s kitchen and a much larger seating area for guests.

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DeFoe joined Gatherings Cafe as head chef in October after stints at Sean Sherman’s Indigenous Food Lab and other restaurant gigs. He estimates about half the current menu consists of legacy items from the old Gatherings Cafe, but he’s particularly proud of the new items they can concoct in the upgraded kitchen.

A salad with hominy, squash, and beans.
A salad with hominy, squash, and beans.

“We have these new tools and machines, so we’re making a new menu.” We’re not talking about rye bread sandwiches with artisan mayo, think more like the fan-favorite bison melts, cedar maple tea and wild rice pancakes.

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According to DeFoe, almost every ingredient is sourced from Native communities and farms — with some exceptions originating from “the other continent” (South and Central America). DeFoe says this keeps money in Native pockets and helps other Native business owners thrive.

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