The Milwaukee Public Museum will host a special dinner event in honor of Native American Heritage Month on Thursday, Nov. 14 from 5 to 9 p.m. in Steigleder Hall on the second floor of the museum.
The dinner will be provided by Ketapanen Kitchen, Chicago's first Native American pop-up kitchen and catering company. It is owned and operated by Executive Chef Jessica Walks First (Pamonicutt) of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin. She recently appeared on Bravo’s “Top Chef” as a guest judge for the “Indigenous Foods” episode filmed in Milwaukee.
The event will include remarks from Chef Walks First as well as MPM’s Manager of Tribal Relations, James Flores of the Oneida Nation, plus an opening song and prayer by Ho-Chunk drum group Little Priest.
The menu for the event will include:
- Harvest Salad
- Braised Bison with Blackberry Mole
- Sage & Sumac Roasted Chicken (veg option available)
- Manoomin Wild Rice, Berries, and Maple (veg)
- Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Squash and Cranberries (veg)
- Pumpkin Cornbread (contains gluten)
- Chantilly Cream Cake with Medicine Berries
- Seasonal Lemonade
Following the dinner, Germantown artist Mark Fischer of the Oneida Nation will give a special presentation about his Indigenous art installation, The Gathering Place, that he’s creating for the Museum’s future home.
Guests are invited to explore the Museum’s second-floor exhibits following the conclusion of the event.
The dinner is part of the Museum’s month-long celebration of Native American Heritage Month presented in collaboration with Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. Get the full listing of events here.
Tickets for the Native American Heritage Month Dinner can be purchased online. The cost is $100 for MPM Members and $125 for non-members.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
