Say good-bye to any hopes of being skinny for Valentine’s Day, it’s going be Spanx this year. La Poutine Week is coming to Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec City February 1 to 7, featuring over 100 restaurants cooking up their own version of our sort-of national dish. Besides the requisite fries, gravy, and cheese curds, each offering will have its own unique take on the Quebec classic while remaining $10 or under. Because we have to include the internet in everything these days, diners can also vote online for their favourite restaurants. In true View the Vibe fashion, we’ve picked our top choices from the best of the best of this year’s Toronto La Poutine Week. Spanx not included.
Hogtown Smoke – Hogtown’s 2LB Pulled Pork Poutine $10
Can you imagine two pounds of poutine? We can and our mouths are already watering. You’ll get double-hit fries, 14-hour smoked pulled pork, 3 cheeses plus Quebec cheese curds with homemade pepper gravy. Oui, merci!
The Indie Ale House – The Oxen-Ator $10
Is it weird to say we’ve been craving ox-tail for a while? It’s delicious, is the primary flavour in pho broth, and we need more of it in our lives. Cue: Indie Ale House’s The Oxen-Ator Poutine. They use their Instigator IPA to braise oxtail and put it on top of fresh cheese curds, hand cut Yukon fries, and rich beef gravy on a rosemary pizza crust.
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Rock Lobster Ossington – Lobster Poutine $10
Rock Lobster has ingredients representing Canada from north to south, sea to sea. Their poutine is rocking some Yukon Fries, Quebec cheese curds, Nova Scotia lobster, and lobster bisque gravy.
Yakitori Bar – Beef Tongue Kimchi Poutine $10
Yakitori Bar brings Toronto La Poutine Week some flavours of the east… even more east than Quebec, that is. They’ve got a poutine with caramelized kimchi and beef tongue that’s drizzled with Japanese mayo. Domo arigato!
Holy Chuck Burger – Love the Bone $10
We’ve got a serious foodie bone for this Holy Chuck Burger poutine. Braised and pulled veal cheek with veal cheek gravy, gooey Brie cheese, roasted and confit chipollini’s in wild blueberry juice, and topped with a roasted bone marrow. Oh yes, and fries. Excuse us, we need to be alone with that thought for a while.
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Merry Berry Café Bistro – The Drunken Shroom $10
It seemed almost obligatory to include a vegetarian option given all the New Years resolutions we made to eat less meat. Then again, this is a poutine list. Either way, the Merry Berry poutine sounds like a delicious dish of seasoned potato wedges and crunchy French beans smothered in cream, wine, and mushroom sauce sprinkled with goat cheese and walnuts.
Dukes Refresher Bar – Breakfast Poutine $10
This is truly the breakfast of carnivorous champions. Or meat-loving masochists. Either way, it sounds delicious. Crispy fries, sausage, bacon, pulled pork, gravy, cheese curds, 2 eggs, and TJ sauce.
