I feel that this blog would not be complete without at least one post about poutine. For those of you who don't know, poutine is a dish served pretty much exclusively in Canada. It is basically fries with gravy and melted cheese curds over the top. It originated in Quebec, and I've heard various stories about its creation. My favorite is that the creator had bought all three ingredients and was walking home. He managed to trip and everything in the bag got jumbled together and all mixed up. Instead of throwing the whole mess away, he gave the mix a try and thought it tasted fantastic. Thus, the creation of poutine. It's just a story, though. I haven't found anything to credit it, and a bunch of different provinces actually lay claim to poutine's creation.
Getting poutine was one of the first things I did when I got to Montréal. Since then, I haven't eaten poutine from anywhere but Frite Alors. There's one on St. Laurent, two streets away from the dorm, and one on St. Denis, one or two streets away from the Academic Center. So. It's incredibly convenient. They put all kinds of extra toppings on top of theirs, like grilled red peppers, bacon, and mushrooms. I don't suggest poutine from fast food places or anywhere else really. Frite Alors is where it's at.
This is an essential Quebecois experience. Even if you think it sounds kind of gross, it tastes amazing! Don't let the words “cheese curds” put you off – it's essentially just big pieces of cheese plunked on top that melt on the fries.
If you're in the neighborhood, complete your experience and try some poutine!
Also, ironically, no sooner had I said spring than it was snowing outside again! I guess winter wanted the last laugh.
