As I understand it, it’s french fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. Is it good? What does it taste like? Where do you get it? Are there large quality differences between your greasy spoon and an upscale place?
Bonus: can you get a good quality poutine here in the States?
For some, it is the food of the gods. Also, depending on the serving, it can be a meal by itself.
Like cheesy french fries covered with brown gravy
Up here (in Quebec), about everywhere (including McDonalds, but it is a shitty poutine)
There can be. But it is usually found in greasy spoons and it is there that it is the best. I mean, who wants a foie gras poutine ?
Unknown. Probably in the northeast though.
I never did try it when I visited Canada some years ago. I did piss off my friends by insisting on calling it poontang. 
Food of the gods, indeed… I’m drooling right now just thinking about it.
I don’t often step into greasy spoons, so the most decent poutine I’ve found here comes from New York Fries… which, as I understand it, has no locations in New York.
Yummy.
Cheesy? Greasy? What have you been… Never mind; I don’t want t know!
Here in northern Vermont there are a few places with poutine on the menu.
Chez Vachon in Manchester NH has poutine. It’s a standard stop for presidential candidates when they’re working the NH primary - Bill Clinton (of course), Joe Lieberman, John McCain, etc. have been there. I’ve never tried it - while poutine sounds fascinating I can’t quite justify the 1 hour drive.
Around here we just order wet fries with cheese. It isn’t poutine, but it’s close.
What are these “wet fries” of which you speak? Cuz I’m just thinking, “soggy French fries.” Surely you mean something more … appetizing?
Jim’s Steakout (several locations around Buffalo) recently started serving poutine. Don’t know how good it is.
I had poutine once. It was all right, but nothing spectacular. But then, I was at a BC Ferry terminal while I was waiting to go to Nanaimo. I’m sure it would be better at a pub.
Fries covered with gravy, with cheese. You can get the fries cooked as crispy as you want. Look under Side Orders.
There’s a place in Herndon, VA called Jimmy’s Old Town Tavern that’s a Buffalo bar. They serve delicious poutine.
Most ironically, I was just about to post that I don’t think cheese curd is available here in Herndon. And I’ve been to Jimmy’s! I never looked at the menu, though. Thanks for the tip.
Being vegetarian, when I developed poutine cravings (just from reading about it), I first had to go and invent a vegetarian gravy. I came up with a recipe using cremini mushrooms and Marmite that is mind-blowingly delicious. I was astonished how good it was. PM me if you want the recipe. Not knowing that any cheese curd could be had in these parts (I must go and ask Jimmy about that!), I substituted fresh goat cheese crumbles I found at Whole Foods. I was pleased with the result, but then I’m no Québecoise purist, I was just making it for my own satisfaction so that substitutions didn’t matter.
I’ve also experimented with the Italian version: fries topped with tomato sauce and parmesan, simply replacing pasta with fries. It was kind of meh. Nothing beats my kickass vegetarian gravy.
It’s absolutely wonderful.
You can get a (very) rough approximation by ordering fries with brown gravy and cheese in a decent diner, but it’s kind of like the difference between sex with a first timer vs an experienced lover.
Yes, poutine is that good.
My sister lives in that area of Manchester and I’ve eaten the poutine there. It goooooooooooood. By itself it might not justify the hour’s drive, but if you’re on errands up Manchester way and are there for lunch… go.
(bolding mine)
See here, that’s where you made your mistake. Even Italian poutine uses cheese curds, not parmesan.
OK. I’d still like to find out where cheese curds can be obtained if you don’t live within a few hours’ drive of a cheesemaking dairy. Come to think of it, my friend at the Twin Oaks commune in central Virginia makes cheese; maybe I could hit her up for the stuff.
Trader Joe’s has cheddar cheese curds.
Well, for starters, he’s the best Prime Minister Canada has ever had.