While home I was able to wrangle a side trip to Vancouver, Canada. Besides being one of the most gorgeous cities I've ever been to, and the place where I got to visit a dear old friend and a former student, Vancouver was also, more importantly, where I got the chance to sample poutine for the first time.
This is a dish normally associated with Quebec and is allegedly a bit hard to find on the west coast, but a bit of internet sleuthing led us to Vancouver's own La Belle Patate. As illustrated above, there was also a smoked meat sandwich and a steamie -- apparently also Quebec dishes -- but the main event was fries, fresh cheese curds and gravy. Beer was also involved, specifically Quebec's Fin du Monde:
The verdict? We all quite enjoyed it. The cheese curds had the requisite squeak, the fries were well-fried and crispy and the gravy well-seasoned and tasty. And perhaps most amazingly, and despite Att's expression above, we didn't even feel grossed out afterward.
La Belle Patate 1215 Davie Street Vancouver, BC, Canada (604) 569-1215 11am-late