I had heard of poutine from my Canadian friends who hyped it mercilessly. "You have to eat Poutine! We're taking you out for poutine first thing. It's the best." As a lover of all things food I was excited to try this regional favorite, but nervous it might not meet my expectations.
Nick recommended I stick with the poutine classique as the added ingredients on the specials would mask the flavors of the gravy/cheese curd*. I was absolutely ravenous after my 7 hour drive and dove right in. The hype was well deserved. Rich brown gravy complements the fries - slightly crispy on the outside perfectly soft inside -without overwhelming. Warm, chewy cheese curds round out the dish perfectly. All three elements are critical but none dominates. The perfect bite has all three.
Hungry as I was, I ate George's leftovers in addition to my regular size order. He had ordered the tre viande ("three meats"). It wasn't bad at all but made me glad I went with the classic for my first time. The ground beef hash was bland and didn't add anything and the bacon flavor was almost completely undetectable. Thankfully the tangy sausage strips (cut to look like fries) stood out and really added to the standard poutine elements without trying to take over.
There's other stuff on the menu but I wouldn't come for anything other than the poutine. After a certain time in the evening they make you pay right after your order because they get a lot of drunk dine-and-dashers. Cash is your best payment option.