# I've heard stories aboiut poutine... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 27, 2006, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-heard-stories-aboiut-poutine/350054 "2006-03-27T06:18:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-heard-stories-aboiut-poutine/350054/41 "2006-03-28T14:49:42Z")
For those of you in the New York area that want to try authentic poutine, try this place: [http://www.pommesfrites.ws/](http://www.pommesfrites.ws/) A wife is Canadian and verifies the poutine’s authenticity. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-heard-stories-aboiut-poutine/350054/42 "2006-03-28T14:51:58Z")
> [@Jackknifed Juggernaut](#): > > A wife is Canadian and verifies the poutine’s authenticity. That should read “My wife”. I guess I’ve been watching too much HBO on Sunday nights. ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-heard-stories-aboiut-poutine/350054/43 "2006-03-28T16:37:13Z")
Sausage gravy, **Homebrew**? Nah. Wouldn’t work. Instead of a mildly flavoured creamy gravy with chunks of sausage in it, you want an intensely meaty gravy, to contrast with the cheese. Milk gravy would be too bland. Cripes, I wish I hadn’t given up eating out for Lent. I want poutine. The best insanely bad-for-you food in the world. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-heard-stories-aboiut-poutine/350054/44 "2006-03-28T16:50:31Z")
> [@Lissla Lissar](#): > > The best insanely bad-for-you food in the world. Better/worse than [scotch eggs](http://www.britainexpress.com/articles/Food/scotch-eggs.htm)? I find that hard to believe. Although I suppose the gravy does kinda give it the edge. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-heard-stories-aboiut-poutine/350054/45 "2006-03-28T17:11:34Z")
> [@Jackknifed Juggernaut](#): > > We have something similar (and better) to poutine in New Jersey diners. Just ask for the “disco fries”. It’s better than poutine because they use mozzarella cheese instead of the cheese curds. FYI, they might not be on the menu but every waitperson will know what you’re talking about. You’re kidding, right? Disco fries are a pale, pale imitation of poutine. My NJ cousins and I went through this years ago, and in the end they had to concede that their faux fries were inferior. Now, I have to admit that when I first moved to Canada, I was horrified by the thought of poutine, let alone the sight. Now… not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-heard-stories-aboiut-poutine/350054/46 "2006-03-28T17:37:04Z")
> [@Rysdad](#): > > I know they have coffee and pastries, but do they have poutine? They’re just as Canadian as poutine. Really, you want some, I’ll make it myself and ship it down to you… ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-heard-stories-aboiut-poutine/350054/47 "2006-03-28T18:53:47Z")
> [@Cerowyn](#): > > You’re kidding, right? Disco fries are a pale, pale imitation of poutine. My NJ cousins and I went through this years ago, and in the end they had to concede that their faux fries were inferior. Cerowyn and poutine, sittin’ in a tree… ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-heard-stories-aboiut-poutine/350054/48 "2006-03-28T20:05:28Z")
> [@Jackknifed Juggernaut](#): > > It’s better than poutine because they use mozzarella cheese instead of the cheese curds I know there’s really no arguing about subjective tastes, but what makes poutine so nice is the soft salty curds, and they way they go with the gravy. Sticky melty mozza, coating the fries and preventing proper gravy absorbtion? Ugh. ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-heard-stories-aboiut-poutine/350054/49 "2006-03-28T20:12:07Z")
Being bored and adventurous one day, I wanted to try the asstasticness of McCain’s frozen dinner poutine. Ugh. The texture was all wrong, it was soggy. And the taste…bleh. The gravy was ick. I’m surprised I’ve stayed with it though - the first time I ever ate poutine was in high school at A&W, and it was like gravy soup. But if you can get a good bowl of the stuff, mmmm. Humpty’s has a great meal sized portion. ---
**Author:** ![tiltypig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dbc845/32.png) [@tiltypig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiltypig)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-heard-stories-aboiut-poutine/350054/50 "2006-03-28T20:17:08Z")
Are there any places in Northern California where you can get poutine? ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-heard-stories-aboiut-poutine/350054/51 "2006-03-29T17:33:06Z")
> [@Jackknifed Juggernaut](#): > > Cerowyn and poutine, sittin’ in a tree… Ah, you mock, but the truth is I very rarely eat poutine. Certainly less than once a year. Of course, it’s quite healthy, containing several of the food groups: salt, cholesteral and starch. All that’s missing is alcohol and sugar. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-heard-stories-aboiut-poutine/350054/52 "2006-03-29T17:53:53Z")
In the online game _Kingdom of Loathing_, you can only eat poutine if you’ve gone to heaven. And you have to fight a poutine elemental first. ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-heard-stories-aboiut-poutine/350054/53 "2006-03-29T18:44:38Z")
> [@Lissla Lissar](#): > > … **mildly flavoured** creamy gravy with chunks of sausage in it, you want an intensely meaty gravy, to contrast with the cheese. Milk gravy would be too **bland**. I must presume that you’ve never had sausage gravy made by a real Southerner. ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-heard-stories-aboiut-poutine/350054/54 "2006-03-29T19:18:58Z")
Oh, BABY! There is nothing like real southern sausage gravy. It’s its own food group. My arteries are clogging just thinking about it. ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-heard-stories-aboiut-poutine/350054/55 "2006-03-29T20:05:28Z")
Well, I had some cooked by an Arkansas housewife with a thick Southern accent. Does that count? She spent our whole visit force-feeding us marvellous Southern food, and telling us that Canadians are too skinny. I repeat- You don’t want a sausagey salty creamy bland gravy, you want a non-cured-meat gravy. ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-heard-stories-aboiut-poutine/350054/56 "2006-03-29T20:09:55Z")
But sausage gravy isn’t bland. At least, it shouldn’t be. It should be spicy. ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-heard-stories-aboiut-poutine/350054/57 "2006-03-29T21:18:36Z")
Actually the sauce is not the **most** important component of the poutine (I’ve had some with sauce as thick as transmission fluid, others with sauce so diluted you had trouble to differentiate it from water, I’ve had Italian poutine [with spaghetti sauce], pepperoni poutine, smoked meat poutine, etc.). the **cheese** (or if you prefer, the curds) is the **most** important ingredient. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-heard-stories-aboiut-poutine/350054/58 "2006-03-29T21:53:58Z")
Agreed – the curds are the thing. Fresh, soft, warm, salty curds. Mmmmmm. Using mozza is just wrong. (And don’t get me started on the time I got served up a basket of fries with what appeared to be instant gravy from a packet and grated sharp _cheddar_ sprinkled on top. Never ask for poutine at a falafel shop, people.) > [@detop](#): > > I’ve had Italian poutine [with spaghetti sauce]… :eek: Buh… Wuh…? Excuse me, I’m going to have a little lie down. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-heard-stories-aboiut-poutine/350054/59 "2006-03-29T22:13:00Z")
_ponders_ I don’t even remember what gravy tastes like, other than that I know I thought it was yucky. I’ve been a vegetarian for 20 years and til now never bothered trying to find a good vegetarian gravy, because I had bad memories of real gravy. But now I’m intrigued… ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-heard-stories-aboiut-poutine/350054/60 "2006-03-29T22:26:46Z")
**Opal** , I stuck to a vegetarian diet for 15 years (and will probably go veggie again when I am wealthier and less lazy) and I became pretty enthusiastic about mushroom gravies. No set recipe, but veggie stock, pan drippings, butter, flour, reserved water from reconstituting dried shitaake, sauteed onion & mushrooms (pureed), red wine, cream, and seasonings in varying combinations usually combine into something that’s marvelous over mashed potatoes. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-heard-stories-aboiut-poutine/350054.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-heard-stories-aboiut-poutine/350054.md?page=4)