103640 Fri Sep 09 18:08:53 -0700 2005 18 23 Ontario (including Toronto) 0 561469 First posting ever. You guys are awesome and don't use stupid words like 'boite' to describe a restaurant. Mission: I'm looking for somewhere in Toronto with good poutine. Fries crisp on top, soggy on the bottom, salty cheese curds that squeak when you chew them, gravy that's dark, thick, smoky and meaty, and everything's so hot it gets goopy and stringy on the bottom. Exemplars include: La Belle Province (for their own style of poutine), and pretty much most places in downtown Montreal. Bubba's in Kingston is good too. I went to the blue chip truck at the south end of Nathan Phillips Square on an earlier chowhound rec. last Saturday before heading out to beach volleyball (I don't recommend doing that) and the large was $5.50 I believe. The portion was hefty. Almost enough gravy. Not enough cheese curds; I could have used double. Fries were double-fried, cut medium (>1cm) and crisp, and had skin on which was a good thing until I had a taste of nasty potato dirt. A few fries from mine had some unclean skins. If I had a better sample I'd say it would be "okay". Order the small. I tried Harvey's poutine ($3.67) the same week. They use the proper cheese curds in theirs, which is neat. Gravy wasn't amazing and had more salt than flavour (c'mon, it's Harvey's). Fries were the usual fast-food type. Jamie Kennedy's has good fries, but everyone says that. Makes you love potatoes. When I was there I noticed that amount of fries were inconsistent depending on who was prepping the dishes (Kitchen bar-side seating makes everything in plain view). I had the lamb sausage poutine with lamb jus and grated pecorino ($8 or something). I agree with another poster that they should use curds but then they'd have to present the dish in a bowl or something. The dish is not really poutine but I think it tastes pretty good. I'll try Dangerous Dan's, Rebel House and Mel's to see what they're like. Off the board I've also heard that New York Fries serves poutine but I have no idea what it's like. Fri Sep 09 18:08:53 -0700 2005 0 po' boy dave 1 561470 Great first post. Ain't poutine great? I like the Rebel House poutine and the pub, but they don't have real McCoy. They use thick cut chips with cheese, not curds. NY Fries' gravy is all wrong in colour (dark brown) and taste (bland). I think they use cheese curds, but they melt into solid layer. Although I haven't had it a JK, I'm not much of a fan of the chi-chi styles like they had at Bouchon. So far the most reminiscent of the real thing that I've had in the GTA is that blue truck (sorry to hear about the grit). But it isn't as good as those in Eastern Ontario and Quebec so good luck! Let us know when you find the right one. (If you go to cottage country, try the corner of Durham 23 and 48 at Port Bolster. Another poster indicated you can find the real thing in nearby Manilla.) Fri Sep 09 19:47:11 -0700 2005 561469 0 mikeb 2 562228 Clinton's at Bloor and Clinton has a veggie poutine and they use real curds. Unfortunately, the fries are frozen and unimpressive. Sun Mar 26 15:53:22 -0800 2006 561470 0 amy 1 561477 had my once year lick's burger craving the other day and added on the poutine,it was pretty good.also a great cure for a hangover. Sat Sep 10 01:20:46 -0700 2005 561469 0 chefmat 2 561485 I don't think Lick's fries are very good. They're frozen and not crisp. I believe that they use grated cheese, not curds. Sat Sep 10 13:20:20 -0700 2005 561477 0 lissar 1 561490 The real problem is them curds, Dave. Real curds come from small cheese factories found in Eastern Ontario and Quebec. Curds don't travel particularly well, the proof being the pricey tub caulk sold as "cheese curds" at St. Lawrence. Best curds I ever had were from the Wilton cheese factory just outside Kingston. Curds around the GTA suck. Sat Sep 10 20:27:54 -0700 2005 561469 0 Ronin 2 561519 Try their garlic cheese curds too, and fresh cheddar and 7 year old premium cheddar. Yum. Mon Sep 12 13:37:28 -0700 2005 561490 0 Maureen Strong 2 561541 Yes, Wilton's cheese is so awesome. I'd eat those curds on their own. It's nice to hear from people who know Kingston food! Mon Sep 12 21:33:59 -0700 2005 561490 0 po' boy dave 2 561546 Having grown up in Eastern Ontario, I agree that the dry, oversalted chunks of wannabe cheddar available in Southern Ontario definitely are no where near what is available east of Cobourg! If you can't get to Wilsons in Kingston, try the Forfar dairy (close to Westport) in Forfar, who still make cheddar in the 90 lb round format. There is also Ivanhoe (Highway 62 near Tweed), however it is more corporate and doesn't make cheeses in the small batch format. Link: http://www.forfar.com Tue Sep 13 07:07:55 -0700 2005 561490 0 Mike 3 561548 Sorry for the correction but Hwy 62 goes North to Mado and then Bancroft not Tweed (Tweed is Hwy 37). If you go further North on 62 (North of Hwy 7) there is still Eldorado Cheese who still make fresh curd on a Saturday. Love that squeeky noise in your teeth from fresh curd. Tue Sep 13 08:28:54 -0700 2005 561546 0 MorseCat 3 561558 I suffered serious withdrawl when I left Kingston for TO--no curds scooped and packaged still warm from the vat at Wilton late in the afternoon, no aged white cheddar. Loved Forfar products, too, but didn't always have time for the drive. Ever see these products on offer around the GTA? I haven't. Tue Sep 13 11:09:36 -0700 2005 561546 0 Ronin 3 562203 Whenever I get a craving for poutine I go to the Lakeview Diner ( Dundas street west northside just east of Ossington) the chips are double fried, the gravy tasty and plentiful though far from "real" still better than NY Fries and Harvey's - my second and third choices in Toronto. The LV Diner uses white cheddar cheese not curds but the whole melty mess makes a very satisfying dinner every once and a while! Sun Oct 16 21:20:16 -0700 2005 561546 0 fleurdelis 1 561496 as a constant defender of jkwb ;)... they actually do use cheese curds sometimes. it just depends on the day you decide to go. i think their artisnal poutine, essentially your basic basic poutine, uses curds. but i love that lamb.... mmmm............ Sun Sep 11 10:35:45 -0700 2005 561469 0 pinstripeprincess 1 561520 You may want to try the poutine at the Five Alarm Diner on Church south of Bloor. Haven't tried it myself, but I have seen it, it looks and smells good and if you're in the mood for experimenting, it's worth a shot! Mon Sep 12 13:46:34 -0700 2005 561469 0 Ariadne 2 561521 Hi everyone - sad news on this front, the diner closed last weekend. (there's a message outside on the whiteboards about joining them for their "last supper", and a thank you notice for patronage over the past 2 years) Mon Sep 12 14:19:35 -0700 2005 561520 0 Britmeg 3 561566 Really?!?!? What's happening to the Church Street stretch? Slack Alice, Babylon and now this? I guess the Five Alarm will NOT be a good place to try poutine... R.I.P. Five Alarm Diner... Tue Sep 13 12:46:30 -0700 2005 561521 0 Ariadne 1 561701 honestly, new york fries is sadly where i satisfy my poutine cravings these days. it's the best i've found around here. i'm still hunting though. i want to try the poutine at the brass taps... Fri Sep 16 15:23:50 -0700 2005 561469 0 mainja 1 561779 Don't all shout at me now...I know this is totally not authentic - but I quite like the poutine they serve at Dirty Bird (aka KFC). The gravy is nicely gooky, and it satisfies the most primal cravings for salt & fat combined together. I haven't had it in years though (which is probably for the best - healthwise), so I'm not 100% sure that they still serve it in all the branches... Mon Sep 19 14:52:13 -0700 2005 561469 0 Rani 1 562218 The poutine at Nickels Restaurant is very good. While the fries somewhat remind me of frozen McCains lol the rest of the poutine is outstanding. Plentiful curds too! And while you are at it, if you are in to Smoked Meat, grab a Jumbo Smoked Meat sandwich. I was stuffed after eating both the poutine and the sandwich. Only one Toronto (err... Scarborough) location, but lot's on the menu. Click the URl to see their menu and map etc. Link: http://www.nickelsrestaurants.com/page.asp?intNodeID=7056&switchLang=true Sat Jan 14 11:32:57 -0800 2006 561469 0 Kirk