We were all excited when the facade of a poutinerie came to replace the old Nelly's on 17th SW. Calgary needed a poutinerie, one just blocks away from Tubby Dog, to help soak up all that 17th Avenue booze. There may be a few decent places to find poutine in this city, but there is something admirable about a place that serves poutine exclusively. I don't claim to be a poutine connoisseur. I've only had one poutine in Montreal, and it was terrible. It was at the cheap cafe in Casino Montreal where every meal will make you want to cry because the food is so bad. So when I got to Ottawa I had a poutine at a diner, on the logic that Ottawa was close enough to Quebec to still have good poutines. It was okay. I still don't know if I've ever experienced a "squeaky" cheese curd. And I've been told that I would know if I ever experienced a "squeaky" cheese curd. Whatever that means...
When it comes to poutines I am a product of my environment. To me, there is nothing more satisfying than a Halifax pizza shop poutine, which is a poutine travesty if you are serious about these things. Cheap frozen french fries, topped with shredded mozzarella cheese and swimming in a light beef gravy. Halifax poutines commonly come in varieties like Greek (feta cheese), Italian (meat sauce), Donair, Pepperoni, and Stuffed (stovetop stuffing). The best part about Halifax poutines is that you can get them delivered to your door up until 4am. They are immensely satisfying. But back to Calgary....
When it comes to poutines I am a product of my environment. To me, there is nothing more satisfying than a Halifax pizza shop poutine, which is a poutine travesty if you are serious about these things. Cheap frozen french fries, topped with shredded mozzarella cheese and swimming in a light beef gravy. Halifax poutines commonly come in varieties like Greek (feta cheese), Italian (meat sauce), Donair, Pepperoni, and Stuffed (stovetop stuffing). The best part about Halifax poutines is that you can get them delivered to your door up until 4am. They are immensely satisfying. But back to Calgary....
It is hard to conduct poutine research because of the ridiculous calories involved. Even just reviewing one place is tough, because I felt like I should sample more than one poutine in order to give a fair evaluation. The Big Cheese has lots of variety! At the very top of this blog is a picture of the traditional poutine which I had a few weeks ago. The other day I ordered two small poutines to go, so keep in mind the pictures were taken after walking home with them. They come in cardboard boxes, which is environmentally friendly, I guess. Pictured above is the Peppercorn Beef Poutine: shaved AAA beef, sauteed mushrooms, and peppercorn gravy, with the obvious cheese curds and fries. This was good. I could do without the beef, which didn't scream quality to me, but the peppercorn gravy was nice. I think my poutine had sweet caramelized onions in it too. The cheese had melted by the time I got home, but it was still alright.
This is the Scottish Curry poutine, with chicken breast and peas. I didn't enjoy this one so much, as the sauce was too sweet for my liking. I like my curry spicy, not sweet and mild.
Other poutines available include: Philly Cheese Steak, Chili, Donair, Loaded Veggie (haven't tried the vegetarian gravy yet), Buffalo Chicken, Veggie Nacho, Cowtown (BBQ beef) and Mucho Italiano. Alas, no Greek or Stovetop. I actually saw them taking whole potatoes and slicing them into french fries in the back, which is always a good sign. Early reviews of this place complained that the fries were underdone, but that was probably an early kink they've since ironed out. Or perhaps it may occur during peak hours. I do most of my eating on weekdays between lunch and dinner, so I always miss the rushes. Is the gravy good? I liked it. It is a little milder than some gravies, but I would only complain that there isn't enough of it. Remember, I'm used to my french fries swimming in gravy in a styrofoam container from a pizza shop.Do the cheese curds squeak? I didn't hear them. How much is a poutine? Between 6-10 dollars, depending on whether you get a small or a large and whether you pack on the meat. I think I'll be sticking to the basics. But regardless, business seems to be good, and a niche is being filled. Try it when you're drunk!
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