Poutine

Poutine from Chez Schwart's

3899 St-Laurent Boulevard, Montreal 

For Memorial Day Weekend I drove up to Canada with a couple of my classmates. They had planned this trip for a week. I got in at the last second. Two things will forever be ingrained in my memory from my first time in Canada. One: So much French. A ridiculous amount. Stop signs in Montreal don't say STOP they say Arrêt! Stop is universal! Even in France, some Asian countries, and Russia the signs read STOP... Fortunately, we had one Frenchman with us and I also have a rotation of French words and phrases I feel comfortable using. I even picked up a couple of new words while I was there.

The second and most beautiful part of my visit was poutine. For the uninitiated, poutine is the greatest thing Canada has ever developed. It's french fries topped with gravy and cheese (meat and other toppings optional) There are photos below. I'm so happy that I had the chance to experience this wonderful food... Six different times. Six different locations. 

Fries+cheese+gravy=poutine

If I ever get really hungry at night I'm liable to rent a Zip Car (now available from 8PM-7AM Mon-Thurs for only $29), drive four hours to The legendary La Banquise in Montreal. Buy and eat two different varieties. Sleep for like two hours and drive back before morning. Below I review the six places I bought and ate Poutine.

La Belle Province: This was around 2AM. My first taste of one of the greatest foods God ever put on this earth. I ordered Poutine topped with beef. This particular restaurant was your typical post-late night out junk food spot. Which means the Poutine was extra greasy and even more delicious. 

                                               

Gravy: 3/5

Fries: 4.5/5

Toppings: 4.5/5

Overall: 4/5

McDonalds: This was a scam! After a long bike ride around the city I noticed an advertisement McDonalds: Poutine $2! I went inside because I couldn't pass up a sale. After stumbling through Frenchglish I learned that I had to buy a meal in order to get the poutine for $2. It ended up costing $5 but absolutely worth it. It was McDonalds fries, their own gravy, topped with cheese, fried chicken tenders, and buffalo wing sauce.
Gravy: 3
Fries: 3.5
Toppings: 4
Overall: 3.5

It's late at night and we've been to a couple of clubs. We are hungry. So around 2AM we find this place that serves poutine inside of a convenience store in downtown Montreal.  I did not get the name of this place but it was one of the best poutine's I've ever had!** First of all it was enormous. I shared it with my friends. Second, the fries were absolutely perfect. The gravy was not ridiculously heavy or too light. It was just right. The meat toppings were out of this world.
Gravy:5
Fries:5
Toppings: 5
Overall: 5!

**I'll take a look at a map and see if I can find this place. It was around the corner from a club we went to. 

Then like 2-3 hours later this happened:

A&W: After enjoying the nightlife in Montreal I insisted we stop here... at about 4:30AM. I was incredibly hungry so in addition to the double cheeseburger with bacon I ordered poutine as well. Despite being quickly whipped together the poutine was still remarkable in a very ordinary way. It was my first time eating basic poutine. Just fries, gravy, and cheese. 
Gravy: 3
Fries: 3
Toppings: 3
Overall: 3

La Banquise: The granddaddy of them all. I loved this place. It was right after The New York Rangers beat the Montreal hockey team and everyone in Montreal was bummed. Only in Canada, can you ask, "Hey do you know who won the hockey game?" after the hometown team loses and not start a drunken riot... I digress, ask anyone anywhere and they'll tell you that this is the Holy Grail of Poutine. It's open 24 hours. There's always a line and once inside all you smell is yummy poutine being cooked up. I ordered L'Obélix... Fries, gravy, cheese, and smoked meat. The fries were ok. But the gravy was to die for. The cheese and smoked meat were also award winning. After plowing through my dish I polished off an unfinished plate of poutine from a couple of American girls we picked up at a bar where we watched the hockey game. They were investment bankers or consultants from New York up for the weekend just like us.

Gravy: 5

Fries: 4

Toppings: 5

Overall: 4.5

Last but not least...

Schwartz's: At this point I'm wearing the "I love Poutine shirt" Thankfully, it's our last day in the city. 
The last place I bought poutine in Canada did not disappoint. Schwartz's is a Jewish Deli known around the world for their delicious meats. I ordered a smoked beef sandwich and smoked beef poutine. I'm not sure what goes into kosher meat but it certainly is enlightening. I mean that in the sense that the meat had all the flavor, texture, and grease of Texas BBQ brisket but none of the really heavy-post meal feeling. The meat was cooked to perfection. And the poutine did not disappoint. Poutine a la Schwartz was the perfect dish to round out my first time visiting Canada!
Gravy: 4
Fries: 4
Toppings: 5
Overall: 4