The North Shore Dish Year of the Tacos By Kitty Mayo
There’s something about tacos, that special combination of wrapper and warm fillings, that lifts the spirit. Lucky for people like me that find the mere mention of tacos uplifting, this year looks like it’s shaping up to be a great one, with taco options expanding in the region. Since they opened four years ago, Hungry Hippie Tacos in Grand Marais has become so popular, their biggest challenge has been being open enough hours to meet the demand of enthusiastic diners. Now owners Kate and Jeremy Keeble have decided to branch out all the way to Duluth. The Keeble’s first Cook County business was the Hungry Hippie Hostel, then they took over what had been the iconic Hughie’s Tacos, with Kate riffing on her personal theme of pastry-chef, and her husband Jeremy finessing his love of smoked meats. That collaboration created a unique taco that has built a huge fan base. Calling their take on tacos “the northern tacos,” Kate says the frybread base they use is “different from any other dough.” After learning frybread recipes from friends in Grand Portage, Kate tweaked her recipe by adding wild rice flour that they mill themselves to showcase an important northern Minnesota flavor. Rolled thin, the result is something akin to a fried pastry tortilla, which from there might transform into a Minnesota cheesesteak taco, “like a Philly cheesesteak that is a seven-napkin taco,” says Kate, adding, “we push the boundaries of what people expect, we are neither Taco Bell or authentic. I love that niche.” A Duluth restaurant has been in the making for some time and Kate says that they have been looking for the right property for a couple of years. The new restaurant is in Duluth’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, and leaning toward local in all that she does, Kate says that the beer selection in Duluth will be heavy on the state’s craft beer selection, with an eye toward Minnesota-sourced in every direction. The Keebles plan to maintain their homebase in Grand Marais and are hoping the new restaurant addition will connect them more readily with family living south of Duluth. With daughters Addie, 13, and Mavis, 7, “rooted in Grand Marais,” Kate says, “We are pretty isolated here in Grand Marais, but we will not be leaving any time soon.”
Hungry Hippie Tacos in Grand Marais is expanding with a second location opening in Duluth’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. Owners Kate and Jeremy Keeble hope to have the doors open in the spring. | HUNGRY HIPPIE TACOS NORTHERN WILDS
MARCH 2022
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