Ok, I’ll admit it right off the bat — before October of last year, I had no idea what poutine was.  I was in Standings Bar in the East Village with Jill and our friend Martin drinking a few pints of Green Flash West Coast IPA and watching my beloved Michigan Wolverines get spanked yet again when the topic came up.  I had made a quick run over to Pommes Frites earlier for some Belgian fries (with curry ketchup, of course) and Martin asked if I had ever tried their poutine.  ”Poo-what?” I responded.   For those ignorant Americans like myself, poutine (poo-TEEN) is basically a mix of French fries with fresh cheddar cheese curds (a by-product of cheddar making), covered with hot gravy.  It is honest-to-goodness, rib-stickingly good Canadian cuisine.  In some Labatt-drinking circles, it’s known as the unofficial national cuisine of Canada.  While poutine can be found nearly everywhere in Whistler, Canada, it’s only just starting to take hold here in NYC.  Last year, TPoutine (168 Ludlow b/t Houston & Stanton) joined the ranks of Shopsin’s, Sheep Station and Pommes Frites as places that have poutine on the menu.

I was surprised to hear from a friend a couple of weeks back that I had to try TPoutine soon, not just for the poutine, but for their burgers, too.  This past weekend I found myself in the Beer Room at the Whole Foods Bowery picking up a couple of growlers of Sixpoint Craft Ales’ limited release Double Sweet Action.  I was thinking of where to have lunch and remembered that TPoutine is just a few blocks east and is also BYO.  Nice.  What could possibly be better on a cold, winter day than a burger, poutine and a beer? The sign outside the restaurant alerted me to a weekend special — any burger + a side of classic poutine for $9.75.

You order at the counter fast-food style and the space is what you might expect of a Lower East Side eatery — small and narrow, but well-designed (the bathroom is actually quite big).  There are ten varieties of burgers and almost as many varieties of poutine on the menu.  I ordered the Farmer’s Burger (applewood smoked bacon, fried egg and chipotle aioli) to go with my side of classic poutine.  It should be noted that they will cook your burger medium as the default temperature, so if you like medium rare or another temp you need to ask for it.

While I waited, I popped open the Double Sweet Action and poured myself a pint.  And so I diverge for a moment.  The special 5th Anniversary Double Sweet Action pours a very hazy bright orange color and has aromas of sweet malt, honey, caramel and some crisp, citrusy hops. It tastes of sweet buttery, caramel malty goodness with some zesty citrus hoppiness.  It was so good I offered a taste to one of the TPoutine employees to see what he thought.  I may be his favorite customer now.  But back to the food.

The burger had a great char-grilled flavor and the chipotle aioli added a nice kick without being too creamy or overwhelming.  It was definitely a better burger than I was expecting at a place named and known for its poutine.  You should also know that they have several varieties of grilled cheese, hot dogs and ice cream floats on the menu.  The couple next to me ordered the steakhouse poutine (steak, caramelized onions, blue cheese crumbles and the homemade gravy) and it looked and smelled ridiculously good.  But I was really digging my classic poutine.  The fries were nice and crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and while I’m certainly no poutine expert, there seemed to be the perfect ratio of gravy and cheese curds.  I will definitely be back to work my way through the other varieties of poutine and burgers.  While many seem to label poutine as “drunk-only” food, I think it’s perfect for any time you are looking for a savory, hearty quick bite to eat.  It’ll definitely be different (and more satisfying) than any burger and fries combo you’ve recently had.  And if you want a taste of Canada during these Winter Olympics, go pick up a 6-pack of Molson and try yourself some poutine.  You won’t be disappointed, at least not until you step on the scale the next morning.  I’ll be in Whistler in a few weeks and look forward to trying and comparing the poutine there.

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