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| - They were at the top of a list of where to have poutine in Montreal. Most every review I'd read said to be prepared to stand on queue and wait for your turn. I was flabbergasted and thrilled, after walking for 50 minutes to get there, to see no line and to be seated immediately at approximately 6 pm on a Thursday in June.
How many ways are there to make poutine? An infinite number! My plan was to have a virgin version so that I could experience it in its true simplicity. But with a menu offering up more than two dozen variations I found myself weakening and giving in to several of the deliciously sounding descriptions. The only thing I was certain of was that I would only order a regular portion and not the large portion. I had seen a regular being served at the table next to us and questioned if I could even finish that amount.
I settled on La Rachel ($8.45/13.20) with green peppers, onions, and mushrooms. In some ways, it was almost like having breakfast without the eggs. The fries were crispy on the outside with some brown edges, yet yielding, and soft on the inside. I first enjoyed a few that had not touched the gravy and they reminded me of the ones that my Mom made years ago. The gravy was very good and also reminded me of what Mom made for our mashed potatoes. The cheese curds are on the chewy side to add an additional texture and maintain that texture even with the hot gravy. The peppers and onions were likely sliced on a mandolin and properly cooked. The mushrooms added one more wonderful flavor.
My wife ordered La Taquise ($10.25/15.70) with guacamole, sour cream, and tomatoes. After tasting my dish, she said that mine had more flavor. Hers was good, but lacked the oomph that my had. The tomatoes did not further emphasize the flavors of the fries and gravy, nor add any character to them. The guacamole was very average and might have benefited from some chunky texture, but that might have conflicted with the curd texture.
It would appear that Canadian restaurants and bars favor selling Canadian brewed beers. We had bottles of St Ambroise Pale Ale ($5.70) and Alchimiste Ecossaise Scottish Brown ($5.30). Both were quite good.
Service was polite, efficient and friendly. Minimal translation was needed and the place is open 24 hours. They do not take American Express, and only take credit cards from Canadian banks.
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