Radio Room

Jack is back! It's been a while since his last review and we've been dying to hear more from him...so at last, here's his latest review.

So me and Dolly-girl, I mean Fiora, decided seeing how it was Mothers' Day and all that, would head on over to one of our favorite joints and tie on the feedbag. And maybe, just maybe, have a couple or three beers. Se we perambulated over to Radio Room just in time to hit the happy hour. It was a shocker to me to see that the menu had changed and even more of a shake-my-tree to see that poutine was now on the card. What a great day. I ordered it. Fiora shook her head and mumbled something about how she thought I was watching my waist and she didn't exactly see how this fit with that. Well, it doesn't, but who can resist an untried poutine?

The bowl arrived and I'll just issue this one alert right now. THIS IS TOO MUCH POUTINE FOR ONE HUMAN TO CONSUME although this human did. Bring help.

It looked good--I guess that means the presentation was pleasing. The menu described fries, covered with vegetarian gravy (a minus in my book), curds (of course), bacon (a plus in my book), a poached egg (plus again), and scallions (nice touch). First the negatives. The fries should have been crispier to slow the absorption of the gravy and the curds should squeak. The tastes, including a rich gravy and bacon, more than made up for that. The egg was a perfect topper (but then I like poached eggs) and turns this poutine into a perfectly good bacon, egg, and potato breakfast too!.

So Radio Room, the score: 4 curds. I might be talked into adding a half a bonus curd for a bowl that clearly tops 1,000 calories, but 4 is a really good score for me. Crisp up those fries and you're headed to a 5...

If you're looking for poutine in Portland, and you like poached eggs (and beer, and a fun spot), head to the Radio Room and tell them Jack sent you...

Radio Room, 1101 NE Alberta St., Portland, OR 97211

Phone: 513-287-2346

Email: info@radionroompdx.com

Website: RadioRoomPDX.com

The Works Gourmet Burger Bistro

Another great review from Jen. Thanks Jen!

We were at The Works Gourmet Burger Bistro  in Ottawa recently and took advantage of a coupon we had and ordered their "Lipstick on a Pig" poutine. It is pulled pork and BBQ sauce on your traditional poutine. At The Works you always get plenty of food for your money and the burgers are so totally worth the wait! This poutine did not disappoint either. Generous to the bottom with gravy and curds, the pulled pork and BBQ sauce added a nice touch and depth of flavour to the experience. They make great fries and it was warm and toasty to the last bite. 

We rated it a 4.5 out of five curds. It was a nice treat to share with plenty for two people.

The Works Gourmet Buger Bistro has various locations across Canada, mostly in Ontario.

If you'd like to see where they are located, click here.

 

Two Rivers Brewing Company

A review from PJ in Pennsylvania. Thanks!

Yes, the poutine was very good and very rich. I mean, short ribs, gravy, cheese curds, French fries. I ate everything but most of the fries. What it seemed like to me was pot roast beef. It had that type of flavor. Really, what's not to like?  I was always put off by the term "cheese curd" but it's just melted cheese to me. 

The restaurant says that their influence is New Orleans, so I guess they do poutine because of the French influence, nothing to do with Canada. (Note: Uh, poutine from New Orleans...now...come on Two Rivers!)

Two Rivers Brewing Company, 542 Northampton St., Easton, PA 18042
Tel. 610-829-1131
Website: Two Rivers Brewing Company

Poutine Soda?

Okay, what the heck do you think this tastes like? Anyone?

Sign of the Times...

Seen in Alexandria, Ontario today. Does this inspire you to order a poutine?

Why Can't America Get Poutine Right?

Here's an interesting read from the website BuzzFeed entitled
"Why Can't America Get Poutine Right?"
It's worth a read. Click here for the link.

Talea Bistro Urbain

This just in from my friend Natalie who was in Quebec City. 

Here's her poutine review. Thanks Nat!

We tried out the smoked meat poutine at Talea in Quebec City and it was very delicious! The restaurant decor is lovely, featuring exposed brick, birch trees and other things that make you feel like you're in a comfy ski chalet atmosphere.

 The poutine came served in a metal bowl on a wooden board, with a tasty 

and healthful side salad.

The "fries" were fat, oven-baked hand-cut morsels of tuberous tenderness. They were blanketed with a yummy gravy, fresh squeaky curds 

 and ample amounts of authentic smoked meat.

 My hubby Gordon would have liked more curds in the mix, so he rated it 4 curds out of 5.

 I agreed that the curd ratio could use a slight improvement, but still decided on 

4.5 curds out of 5 for this scrumptious concoction. A wonderful dining experience!

Talea Bistro Urbain, 634 Grande allée Est, Québec City, Québec G1R 2K5

Phone: 418-523-7979

Website: Talea Bistro Urbain

Be Still My Heart

I saw this on Pinterest today. Could I be dreaming? Could "poutine" be a new flavour of

 Lay's potato chips? Lay`s is holding a "name the next potato chip" contest. 
In the U.S.A. the final round's flavours are: Cheesy Garlic Bread, Chicken & Waffles and Sriracha.
In Canada? Maybe it'll be poutine. Click here to get to their Facebook page to vote or suggest your own flavour!

Smoke's Poutine - Scotiabank Place

Richard and I were in Ottawa at Scotiabank Place to see a Blue Rodeo concert and needed to have supper. We looked for the Smoke's Poutine outlet that's there, but it was closed (only open for hockey games). So...we found that their poutine was served at a few other places so we tried one.

It was a delicious poutine with TONS of curds! We both loved it. Hot gravy, not salty, fun serving container that is biodegradable! Top marks. 5 out of 5 curds.

Winter Visit to Gaetan's

 Richard and I love the poutine at the chip truck called Gaetan's in the town of Alexandria (Ont.) on their main drag. After we stand in line on a freezing, snowy day and place our orders...

...we hop into the car, dig in and enjoy our fabulously creamy and hot poutine. I love how the windows fog up. An annual mid-winter treat for sure!


To see my original review of Gaetan's from a few years back, click here.

R.I.P St. Albert Cheese Factory

The best curds from around this area (and the world!) are from St. Albert Cheese Factory in St. Albert, Ontario. Today the whole factory burned down. There will be no curds available for a while until they rebuild. This is so sad for the community, for the people who worked there and for all of us who love their curds on our poutine.
To see photos of the fire from the Ottawa Citizen click here.

Chicago Holds Its First Poutine Festival

America is catching on to Canada's national dish! Check this link and read about Chicago's Poutine Festival.
To see my review of the terrific poutine I had at The Gage in Chicago click here.

Jack's Pub

I've always wanted to try Jack's Pub in Williamstown...

 ...so a few of us headed over there to have a Sunday lunch.

We ordered a large to share for the table as a starter.

And we all tasted it. Overall, the fries were amongst the crispiest and best I had ever tasted.

 The curds were plentiful and the gravy yummy.

 I immediately pronounced it a five out of a possible five curds. Two of my companions said that it was a 4.5 out of five because the curds were cold and didn't melt quickly enough. The third companion said a 4 because he thought the gravy wasn't hot enough. My, my!

In the end, we all agreed it was a delicious plate of poutine, well worth revisiting and settled on a solid  rating of 4.5 curds out of five. Well done Jack's!

Jack's Pub, 19700 John St., Williamstown, ON K0C 2J0
Phone: 613-347-3475

Restaurant Bourdeau

This review is courtesy of roving poutine reporter, Natalie. Thanks for this!

 Bourdeau's is a family-owned restaurant in Lancaster, 

just north of the 401, east of Cornwall, ON.

 We go there regularly... 

...and have sampled the poutine several times.

 They know what they are doing with poutine in this establishment!

 On a recent visit, I had the regular poutine with the basics: fries, curds, and gravy.

The fries were hand-cut, piping-hot and fresh. 

The gravy had a light, excellent flavour, and was without the salty taste that burdens many inferior gravies.

 And the curds? So fresh, they squeaked every time I bit into them. Bourdeau's uses St. Albert's curds, which are the best for miles around, and they don't skimp. Each scrumptious mouthful was a medley of potato, gravy and melty-cheese nirvana. Worth every calorie!

We often meet up with our friends Patrick and Marie-Emmnauelle and their son Benjamin at Bourdeau's. Ben is our godson and already a poutine lover, which is fitting since he's from Quebec, the homeland of this wondrous dish. 

  The last time we all got together, my hubby Gordon ordered the chicken poutine (like the regular poutine but with strips of chicken breast on top) and Marie-Emmanuelle and Patrick shared the "House Poutine", a gastronomic adventure consisting of fries, curds, gravy, beef, fried onions, sautéed mushrooms and green peppers. Patrick accidentally dropped of bit of tomato and lettuce from his sandwich on top .

 It's always good to add some vegetables to your meal! Impressively, they managed to finish this ginormous plate of gluttonous goodness.

 Little Benjamin got to sample everyone's poutine and was very enthused.

 In fact, he liked it so much, he tried to eat the styrofoam box from his godfather's meal.

Bourdeau's offers other versions of poutine, including Italian. There is something to suit every taste at this restaurant. They also make a yummy clam chowder, and the famous Lancaster perch rolls. The staff is very friendly and welcoming and it's always a pleasure to visit.

We pronounced our poutine delicious. Five out of five curds all around.

Restaurant Bourdeau, 229 Military S., Lancaster, ON K0C 1N0

Tel. 613-347-7255

The Works

Another review from intrepid poutine taster, Jennifer. Thanks Jen!

We were at The Works Gourmet Burger Bistro recently and took advantage of a coupon we had and ordered their "Lipstick on a Pig" poutine.

  It is pulled pork and BBQ sauce on your traditional poutine. At The Works you always get plenty of food for your money and the burgers are so totally worth the wait!  This poutine did not disappoint either. Generous to the bottom with gravy and curds, the pulled pork and BBQ sauce added a nice touch and depth of flavour to the experience. They make great fries and it was warm and toasty to the last bite.  We rated it a 4.5 out of five curds. It was a nice treat to share with plenty for two people.          

Check out locations of The Works near you on their website: www.worksburger.com/

Breakfast Poutine?

This the first time I'd ever heard of such a thing, seen at Le Vieux Chateau in Hawkesbury, Ontario. Breakfast poutine! I didn't try it because I was out for lunch but wondered: Has anyone ever heard of this anywhere else and/or tried it?

Market Garden Brewery

Another recipe from our intrepid poutine reviewer Jack d'Mestiere...thanks Jack!

It's been a while!

This poutine at the Market Garden Brewery on the West Side of Cleveland sure sounded good from the description: fresh fries, smoked pork gravy, mozzarella cheese. What could go wrong?  Stale fries killed the dish. I suspect they use old fries that had been sitting around, figuring the gravy would "freshen" them up. Then the cheese. Not curds. No squeak. Gravy was delish, but couldn't carry the day. My rating? A generous 1.5 curds based on the gravy alone, but overall, not worth the calories. The beer was pretty good though. And if you go there, stick with kielbasa!

Market Garden Brewery & Distillery, 1947 West 25th St., Cleveland, OH 44113

Website: marketgardenbrewery.com

Fried Cheese Curds

Hmmm. Check this link to find out how to make Fried Cheese Curds. Now, if you just added a bit of gravy, you'd be laughing! Poutine without the fries!

Lachute Flea Market

Last week we headed to the Lachute Flea Market, held every Tuesday and one of my favourite places in the world.

 If you are looking for something, chances are you'll find it here.

And if you're not looking for anything in particular, you'll likely find it here too!

They also have an amazing fresh fruit and veggie market.

They even sell cheese curds...which reminded us we'd better go for a poutine lunch.

We tried the outdoor hut-type restaurant in the middle of the flea market. The kitchen was hopping so we knew it'd be fresh.

And it was fresh and hot and served with lots of curds. Extra points for cardboard/environmentally friendly container.

Under the huge wooden canopy we were serenaded by a country and western singer, singing en francais. Nice!

 Richard liked the melting cheese curd strings.

All in all it was a good poutine; a solid 4.5 curds out of 5. Well done Lachute Flea Market!

Cruiser's Grill

Thanks to poutine lover Kim for this review!

This summer my family and I drove from Victoria to Tofino BC for a spot of whale watching. Just before we went too far down the stomach churning Alberni Highway, we decided to stop for lunch at Cruiser’s Grill.

Having lived in the US for the last six years, I am always excited to have ‘real’ Canadian poutine, even if it is from the wrong side of the country. 

The restaurant served a side of poutine for a hefty $6.95….but that didn’t stop me. 

But they really did mean a ‘side.’

Overall, the fries were mediocre (the frozen store bought variety), there were no curds, only shredded cheddar, and there was nowhere near enough gravy. I give this poutine a generous 1 curd out of 5, only because I managed to keep it down over the next 3 hours of winding mountain roads. 

Cruiser's Grill, 3680 Alberni Hwy, Qualicum Beach, BC V9K 1X7

Phone: 250-752-4814