# Poutine, or chili-cheese fries? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 17, 2010, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine-or-chili-cheese-fries/547039 "2010-07-17T16:25:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine-or-chili-cheese-fries/547039/81 "2010-12-07T21:52:23Z")
Nothing wrong with chili-cheese fries, but poutine is just a whole nother ballgame. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine-or-chili-cheese-fries/547039/82 "2010-12-07T21:53:43Z")
> [@Lissla\_Lissar](#): > > I’m a Canadian. Poutine. I wish I were Canadian. Poutine! ---
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine-or-chili-cheese-fries/547039/83 "2010-12-07T22:59:59Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Chili-cheese fries. From The Hat! I wasn’t thinking of The Hat when I voted for chili-cheese fries, but thank you for putting it in my mind. That place is a religious experience for a gourmand like myself. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine-or-chili-cheese-fries/547039/84 "2010-12-07T23:09:27Z")
I like both, although I’ve never had true poutine in Canada. I’ve made it myself a couple of times–we have a good local dairy that makes fresh white cheddar cheese curds, and I got some good direction about how to make the gravy from a Canadian friend who suggested adding a tiny bit of BBQ sauce to some regular beef gravy. OM NOM NOM. ---
**Author:** ![hellpaso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@hellpaso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hellpaso)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine-or-chili-cheese-fries/547039/85 "2010-12-07T23:41:32Z")
Zombie chili?? Gotta have the chili cheese fries, especially from Weinerschnitzel. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine-or-chili-cheese-fries/547039/86 "2010-12-07T23:48:02Z")
No option to vote neither? I don’t like chili, and I’m turned off by how poutine smells… ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine-or-chili-cheese-fries/547039/87 "2010-12-08T01:36:27Z")
> [@Hoopermazing](#): > > IMO, Chili-Cheese fries–with onions and red chili pepper flakes-- are much better than Poutine. Contrary to what has been said in this thread, Chili (without beans) makes everything better, to include fries, hot dogs and omelets. I suspect that it’s a cultural thing. Poutine is okay, but a little bland for my tastes. > > Disco fries would come in between the two. But what culture? Honestly, where did using chili as a condiment become normal. Even in a poll where the vast majority are American, it loses to the Canadian dish poutine. I have honestly never seen an adult order a chili dog or chili fries. It must be normal somewhere because every 7-11 I’ve been to sells it. I remember in high school my friends would go to the 7-11 and get one, but the whole idea never appealed to me. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine-or-chili-cheese-fries/547039/88 "2010-12-08T01:39:13Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > No option to vote neither? I don’t like chili, and I’m turned off by how poutine smells… The neither option is not to vote. This poll is not for you the same way people that don’t like cranberry things don’t vote in the annual cranberry sauce polls. ---
**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:** [December 8, 2010, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine-or-chili-cheese-fries/547039/89 "2010-12-08T01:47:21Z")
> [@WarmNPrickly](#): > > I remember in high school my friends would go to the 7-11 and get one, but the whole idea never appealed to me. A well-constructed chili-dog is a work of Art. Pink’s and Tommy’s set the bar. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine-or-chili-cheese-fries/547039/90 "2010-12-08T02:05:42Z")
> [@WarmNPrickly](#): > > But what culture? Honestly, where did using chili as a condiment become normal. Even in a poll where the vast majority are American, it loses to the Canadian dish poutine. I have honestly never seen an adult order a chili dog or chili fries. It must be normal somewhere because every 7-11 I’ve been to sells it. I remember in high school my friends would go to the 7-11 and get one, but the whole idea never appealed to me. Cincinnati chili is almost always served on spaghetti or dogs or fries. Nearly every sports bar or Mexican restaurant or American-style grill or diner or chili house I’ve been in serves some form of chili as a topping for something or other. So, it’s definitely American culture. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine-or-chili-cheese-fries/547039/91 "2010-12-08T02:21:38Z")
> [@Olentzero](#): > > Oh. My. God. I must go. I’ve been and the bacon poutine is great. However, there was a thing in the Toronto Star about Smokes’ recently and basically an order of poutine make the Double Down look like health food. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine-or-chili-cheese-fries/547039/92 "2010-12-08T02:51:40Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > Cincinnati chili is almost always served on spaghetti or dogs or fries. Nearly every sports bar or Mexican restaurant or American-style grill or diner or chili house I’ve been in serves some form of chili as a topping for something or other. So, it’s definitely American culture. I know that it exists in some part of American culture, but where did it originate? I’ve seen it on the menu, but never actually seen anyone order it. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine-or-chili-cheese-fries/547039/93 "2010-12-08T03:29:09Z")
I doubt you’ll ever pin down any specific origination, or that there was ever a single point of origination. Chili is so sauce-like by nature, it seems perfectly natural to pour it on something else. I almost always put my chili on something—be it spaghetti, macaroni, rice, tortilla chips, mashed potatoes, french fries, or corn bread—because it naturally just seems to call out for a medium of some kind. Having grown up with Indian food, I treat it just like a curry. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine-or-chili-cheese-fries/547039/94 "2010-12-08T04:07:20Z")
Never had the opportunity to try poutine, but I’m dying to. As goog as cc fries can be, I chose poutine, because that’s what I want RIGHT NOW. Joe ---
**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:** [December 8, 2010, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine-or-chili-cheese-fries/547039/95 "2010-12-08T04:09:56Z")
> [@WarmNPrickly](#): > > I know that it exists in some part of American culture, but where did it originate? I’ve seen it on the menu, but never actually seen anyone order it. Straight chili, or as a topping? Straight chili originated in San Antonio around the turn of the last century. Cincinnati-style chili originated in the Greek community and uses a much different spice base. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine-or-chili-cheese-fries/547039/96 "2010-12-08T04:21:42Z")
No, not straight chili. I like chili in a bowl like soup, I’m just curious about where it became a condiment that one might pour on hot dogs and fries. ---
**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:** [December 8, 2010, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine-or-chili-cheese-fries/547039/97 "2010-12-08T04:39:31Z")
According to Wiki, the [Coney Dog](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coney_Island_hot_dog) originated back in 1914. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine-or-chili-cheese-fries/547039/98 "2010-12-08T09:20:25Z")
And what I thought a coney was, turns out to be a white hot. Interesting. ---
**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:** [December 8, 2010, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine-or-chili-cheese-fries/547039/99 "2010-12-08T20:08:48Z")
Smoke’s is okay, and I really like their curry poutine, but I thought Poutini’s was slightly better. I didn’t Smoke’s had opened in Quebec! I thought their gravy was a bit too thyme-y or something. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine-or-chili-cheese-fries/547039/100 "2010-12-08T22:27:55Z")
I love poutine, and get some every time I go to Canada (about once a year). It’s heavenly. However, chili \> gravy. Not really much of a contest, in fact. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine-or-chili-cheese-fries/547039.md?page=4)