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| - Lunch here on a Thursday around 1:30 pm. The tiny place was packed, but the nice waitress pointed me towards a stool in the front window. When she took a while to come back with my menu and water, she apologized for the wait. That was a nice touch, although I didn't mind-- the place was packed and there was great people-watching to be had.
I have not had a lot of poutine, but the combination of french fries, cheese curds, and gravy seems like a no-brainer of deliciousness to me. However, the poutine was. . . maybe a little disappointing. The fries were fine, but soggy from the gravy (which I guess is understandable, but there's something about fried food that's supposed to be crispy but is actually soggy that I don't like). The gravy itself was too tangy for my taste, like there was mustard in it, and I guess my taste buds aren't so refined-- I was expected a more unctuous, salty, one-note gravy. The cheese curds were lovely, a little squeaky which I love, and nicely gooey and melted at the bottom of the bowl.
But the reason for the 4 stars is not the poutine (they really only merit 3)- it's the BDLT. A BLT with duck confit (!!!). The duck confit was so lovely in this perfect little sandwich. The bread was also amazing-- so buttery and toasted-- almost as if it had been browned in a buttery pan instead of in a toaster.
The vibe is also great-- laid-back crowded lunch spot on a great little street near the Palais des Congres that happens to have elevated diner cuisine. I would definitely come back, maybe not for the poutine, but definitely for the BDLT and to explore the rest of the menu.
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