Native American and Creole fusion restaurant Lakota Creole opened at Flamingo Island Flea Market in Bonita Springs in December. Co-owned by Chef Court Beem with his fiancée, Carrie Davis, Lakota Creole is bringing unique dishes with various game meats from Native American culture combined with New Orleans influence.
Beem was born in South Dakota on the Pine Ridge Reservation, from the Oglala Lakota tribe. He lived in Southwest Florida for most of his life, having moved to Marco Island at age 9. His passion for cooking started as a child.
“I was good at [grilling], and I really liked it, so from there it’s just been straightforward,” Beem said.
With almost 30 years of culinary experience under his belt, Beem has worked at various restaurants in downtown Naples on Third Street South and Fifth Avenue South, also completing a stage in New Orleans about six years ago before returning to work locally. After countless 12-or-more-hour shifts in the kitchen, Beem and Davis started a journey together to open their own business. However, the process hasn’t come easy.
Originally setting up Lakota food truck in Celebration Park before the COVID-19 pandemic, Beem had to leave shortly after due to issues with the management’s insurance. Once the pandemic ended, Hurricane Ian destroyed his house. Then, Beem and Davis started fresh under a tent at Flamingo Island.
“We started [Lakota] with the intention of making our own money, and it’s been a long, hard road so far with multiple shutdowns and just getting kicked down and kicked down,” Beem said.
When opening Lakota Creole on Dec. 15, Beem used his knowledge from his stage in New Orleans combined with his Native American heritage to create a menu for those both familiar and unfamiliar with the tastes of game meat and Creole cuisine.
“This fusion to me is seamless. It flows very well, with the story of the Acadians coming all the way to Louisiana and then the natives helping and showing them what’s around and how to survive,” Beem said. “To me, it’s been in unison for a very long time behind the scenes.”
Lakota Creole’s menu boasts classic New Orleans-style dishes, including chicken and sausage gumbo or crawfish etouffee on rice. Native American fry bread also is on the menu with savory toppings, including barbacoa with chipotle sauce and cotija cheese and a side of consommé. Those looking for something sweeter can enjoy the fry bread with berries, traditional Native American wojapi berry sauce and powdered sugar. Customers game for trying something different can order wild boar chorizo biscuits and gravy.
“When people are familiar with game meat, they’re very excited because they can’t find this where they’re from. There’s not a lot of places with chef-driven game meat. It seems to be almost nonexistent, which is crazy to me because game meat is so much better for you and for the environment,” Beem said. “I don’t think there’s a downside to it.”
For skeptical diners, Beem has created dishes to sound more familiar, such as the venison cheesesteak.
“Once they taste [venison], they realize what product we use. We use only the tenderloin, which makes for a very, very good sandwich,” Beem said.
Customers looking for a more classic Midwestern dish can order the pork tenderloin sandwich, which Beem calls the showstopper because it’s so large.
Beem supports local fish and meat suppliers as much as he can, sourcing from Dilly’s Fish Co. and Jimmy P’s Butcher Shop.
“Everything I do, I want it local as much as I possibly can,” Beem said. “It gets a little tricky with the game meat because none of that is local, so I have to order that.”
Beem also supports other venders at the flea market by buying their fresh produce, and the mushrooms that are in some dishes are locally grown by one of his friends.
“To me, this makes a tight-knit kind of community,” Beem said. “There’s nothing wrong with ordering from other spots, but as much as you can, I believe in local. You want to sustain the economy around you.”
With big aspirations for the future, Beem said he already has six business concepts planned out in his head, including a seafood restaurant and a barbeque joint. He said it can be a challenge at the flea market that only operates three days a week.
“We’ve had people come just for this, people come just for us, not even the flea market. We’re just building our following and trying to get to the next level,” Beem said.
Lakota Creole is inside the red building of Flamingo Island Flea Market in spots 2, 4 and 6, directly next to entrance one. The flea market operates from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays through Sundays.
