Food and drink is as vital a component for Native American resorts as any other meeting resort. The difference: tribal chefs have a far broader palate of cultural influences and ingredients to work with.
In Eastern Oregon, the Wildhorse Resort & Casino happily adds tribal-inspired menus to the standard fare. That means salmon, or, for groups that want something other than fish, buffalo, elk, venison and other game. Huckleberries, a type of wild blueberry, are a traditional food for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservations. Chef Brian von Eggers has made huckleberries a popular addition to everything from cocktails to cakes, glazes and citrus drinks.
Traditional ingredients play a key role at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort and Spa near Scottsdale, Ariz. Executive Chef Conor Favre has become one of the largest buyers for local farmers who expected to serve only the Gila River Indian Community. The “three sisters” of corn, squash and beans that once nourished tribal communities are mainstays on Favre’s seasonal menus.
“Why serve polenta when I can use mesquite corn, local corn varieties that are dried over mesquite fires and bring a unique smoky tang to the table?” he asks. “We have a ton of local producers who bring corn, beans that I have seen nowhere else, unique squashes, syrup made from mesquite beans, prickly pear fruit, saguaro cactus, ingredients that attendees have never—and will never—taste anywhere else.”
Salmon was never part of the Southwest menu, Favre says, but buffalo, elk and other game have been favorite proteins for centuries. So have chumith, a local bread that resembles a tortilla, and fry bread.
“We try to incorporate Native American ingredients across the board,” he says. “Buffalo can be more expensive than beef, but the taste is so rich that attendees are happy with controlled portions. We can keep the total F&B costs in the same budget area that planners expect at a five-star, five-diamond kitchen. We know how to work with planners. Focusing on Native American ingredients is a win for attendees, for planners, for our local farmers, and for the whole Gila River community.”