Wisconsin chef Elena Terry, a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation, is launching a new restaurant called Tall Grass at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. The project aims to provide a permanent space for educating about Indigenous foods, building on her nonprofit Wild Bearies. Tall Grass is expected to open in early summer, pending construction.
Elena Terry, known for appearances on TV shows such as "Chopped" and "Top Chef," has long promoted the significance of Indigenous foods. As a talented chef dedicated to her community and the preservation of ancestral knowledge, she founded the nonprofit Wild Bearies to educate about these topics. However, the organization has operated out of community kitchens without a dedicated brick-and-mortar space.
Terry sought a permanent venue to advance this mission. "I actually had been talking to several different entities for over two years, including my tribe, the Ho-Chunk Nation is one of them, in trying to provide a space to continue the work that I was doing with permanency," she said. "We have not been able to — for Wild Bearies, my nonprofit — to be in a brick-and-mortar space with our own kitchen. We work out of the community kitchens, and I really wanted to envision permanency for individuals who wanted to learn more about the culinary process that I take."
Her collaboration with the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art resulted in Tall Grass, a new dining experience. The opening is slated for early summer, subject to construction progress. Challenges include adapting to the museum's unusual architecture, a sensitive fire suppression system, and separating hot and cold kitchen areas.
The museum has provided strong support, including assistance from an architect on its board of directors. "Gratefully, we have an architect on the board of directors who's like, 'I will help, and I want to be a part of this project,'" Terry noted. "My first day I showed up to drawings on my desk saying like, 'This is what we're thinking. What do you think?' Being included in that conversation — one for functionality, and two for design — it's just incredible."
The menu will incorporate Indigenous ingredients and techniques alongside classical French cooking, smoked meats, and baked goods. Terry emphasizes sustainable sourcing to avoid straining tribal communities while supporting them economically. "I don't want to put a strain on tribal communities by over-procuring any ingredient — say, wild rice — and taking so much of it that it becomes unattainable for my tribal communities," she explained. "I want to be able to highlight the ingredients in the most sustainable and responsible way that I can, without putting a strain on tribal communities, but economically supporting them by including those ingredients."
For Terry, Tall Grass represents a continuation of her efforts to teach and create opportunities for the next generation.