Grand Marais-Born Chef Dawn Drouillard Launches Marcy Green
By Kimberly J. Soenen
Chef and entrepreneur Dawn Drouillard is best known for her renowned Fabulous Catering company in Minneapolis, which she co-owned with longtime business partner Eden Fitzgerald. They closed the company three years ago after 20 years in business. The Walleye caught up with Drouillard recently to talk about her newest venture: Marcy Green, a line of THC-infused finishing oils.
Chef and entrepreneur Dawn Drouillard
The Walleye: Where were you born and raised and how did that influence your interest in food and the food you like to create?
Dawn Drouillard: I was born in Grand Marais, Minnesota and I am a direct descendant of the Grand Portage Band of Ojibwe. I come from a food family. So many of the women in my life have been cooks, so I guess you can say it’s in my DNA. Most recently, I have been travelling around the country with Dana Thompson, co-creator of the James Beard Award-winning restaurant Owamni. We are using pre-colonial foods to raise awareness and education about Native American history and the modern food sovereignty movement. The launch of my Marcy Green business is a side project to my food sovereignty work. Marcy is fun and rebellious, too, so it fits in with the revolutionary spirit of the food sovereignty movement, but Marcy travels far too much to be put into a pre-colonial ingredient box. The only real parallel to food sovereignty work, besides the revolutionary nature of this work, is the health and wellness factor. Marcy uses organic avocado oil as a base and all of our flavours are gluten-free, dairy-free, zero sugar, zero carb. It is really my commitment to healthy cooking that has led me down the path to creating the Marcy Green brand.
TW: Who is Marcy Green and how did you come up with her story and persona?
DD: I came up with the concept of Marcy while collaborating with two friends when we were thinking about opening a coffee shop in the Marcy-Holmes neighbourhood of Minneapolis. Her origin story started to take shape and I just ran with it. The coffee shop didn’t happen, but Marcy Green did. For her background, Marcy Green is Mary Jane’s cousin. She is from outside of Escanaba, Michigan. Something very dark happened to her there. (I’m not sure of the details, but I hear it had something to do with trains.) So, Marcy had to flee Michigan and she ended up traveling the globe on many wild adventures. On her quest she met many magical people who inspired her culinary finishing oil flavours.
TW: Why did you launch this niche brand?
DD: Because I think it’s a great way to incorporate hemp-based products in an upscale way. Marcy Green elevates the culture of hemp and marijuana-based products. There’s much more to this industry than Cheech and Chong. It’s also a great alternative to alcohol-focused dining experiences. I don’t drink any alcohol, and alcohol culture has taken over so many aspects of our society that I wanted to introduce something upscale and exciting for diners who want to break outside the alcohol culture box, yet still want to get a little buzzed and enjoy their time in a heightened state of mind. It’s a very healthy and flavourful way to incorporate hemp-based options onto your plate. It’s also super fun. Just like Marcy!
TW: How many THC-infused finishing oils do you offer and where did the inspiration come from for each flavour profile?
DD: Marcy has three signature oils. Mistress of Gaia is our super green antioxidant herb oil. It is best on eggs, soups, salads, or used like a chimichurri sauce on grilled proteins. La Mano de Oro is a Spanish herb oil inspired by a gentleman in Barcelona who had a golden hand. This oil is best slathered on pizza, flatbreads, or manchego cheese. Samaan Elektra was inspired by an incredible drag performer in Goa, India. This Indian curry oil features samaan chilies and is sublime on popcorn! It is also amazing with rice and chicken.
TW: Do you plan to expand the product line to retail?
DD: Yes. I am working on finalizing my packaging and getting to the point where I can scale up to include distribution.
TW: For people who have never used THC-infused products, a common question is: is it marijuana?
DD: The Delta-9 THC used in Marcy Green is a derivative of hemp. The psychoactive compounds found in Delta-9 are also present in marijuana flower. [In the U.S.], after the passage of the Federal 2018 Farm Bill, plants containing less than .03 percent of Delta 9 THC by dry weight volume are considered industrial hemp and can be legally grown.
For more information about what Drouillard’s new business offers, check out marcygreen.com and on Instagram @iammarcygreen.
