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Enjoy a Classic Québécois Poutine in Marvellous Montréal!

Published by Morgan Squires, Writer

Country: Canada

The Experience

Whenever I travel to a new country, I always try and taste the local food—whatever that may involve. Sometimes you get completely grossed out, and sometimes you hit the jackpot. Often it involves something that has a slightly different approach to it, and it makes you wonder why you didn’t come up with the idea yourself. Montreal 's Poutine is one of those examples.

Poutine is a staple of the Canadian province of Québec that was invented in the 1950’s. It’s quite simple, French fries covered in gravy and cheese curds. Now, while this may sound quite innocuous, it really can be incredibly delicious (especially at 3 a.m!), and depends quite a lot on the quality of the fries, the thickness of the gravy, and most especially, the freshness of the cheese curds. The cheese curds are quite important, as shredded cheese just doesn’t cut it!! When the cheese curds squeak in your mouth, you know they’re fresh!

Quebecers flock to their local chip carts and diners for a good poutine, and it’s easy to be fooled by some of the places that make the “best poutine” around. Whilst you can get it as a side in most big restaurants, if you want the best Montreal poutine experience you need to find a “greasy spoon” type diner or even small chip cart (known as “casse-croûtes”) on the side of the road. This is where the best stuff can be found, as generally they’re places that specialize in poutine.

Montréal is an incredible city to visit as it has a wonderful mix of North American with European charm. It is fabulously cosmopolitan, and you will meet all sorts of people in your stay there. Whether you decide to wander the cobblestone streets of Vieux Montréal (the Old Town) or meander the subterranean tunnels that make up a gigantic underground shopping district, you’re certain to find everything you want. If you’re seriously on the hunt for a good poutine, it’s always a good idea to ask the locals. They’ll generally point you in the direction of the nearest diner or chip cart, but you can always find a decent poutine at La Belle Province: a chain of poutine restaurants.

Don’t stress if you don’t speak French. While the locals will definitely appreciate it if you give it a try (and in my opinion you always should!), most people in the downtown area will be bilingual. When you find your casse-croûte or diner just say “Je prends un poutine s’il vous plait,” and you can’t go wrong!

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When to Go to Montreal Poutine

Obviously, as with any trip to Canada, it is important to decide whether you wish to go in the summer or winter, as winter can be a real shock to the system for those of us who come from warmer climates. However, in saying this, Montréal in winter is quite an experience, and coming in from the cold to have a nice warm poutine is really something. Also, in winter, Montréal comes to life as the hockey season arrives, and if you're lucky enough to get tickets, going to the Bell Centre to see the Canadiens is a must-see sporting event of the province.

Montréal also has an amazing nightlife in both the summer and winter, and after a hard night partying down Boulevard Saint-Laurent or Rue Saint-Denis, a good poutine may be just the thing you need at 3 a.m.

Odds n' Ends

Poutine in Montreal will cost you between a couple of dollars to $20, depending where you get it. Don't be dissuaded by the cheap poutines though, as sometimes the best ones are from the chip vans located on the street. Of course, if you pay a little more at a restaurant, you may get a bit of smoked meat to go with it, if that’s your preference.

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Books and DVDs

From Pemmican to Poutine: A Journey Through Canada's Culinary History
Frommer's Montreal and Quebec City 2010
Michelin Green Guide Quebec, 7e

Elsewhere on the Web

Montreal's Best Poutine - Gridskipper.com

Language Guides

French , Italian , Japanese , Lao , Portugese , Russian , Spanish , Turkish , Vietnamese are some of the languages spoken in Canada. If you know of a freely available phrase book or podcast for one of the missing languages, let us know!

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