cooking. eating. carousing.: poutine at patati patata

If you are going to Québec you have to have poutine. That is what I’ve been told. I did my research on the internet to see which places near our accommodation have the best poutine.

I really wanted to like Patati Patata. The place was your run-of-the-mill hole-in-the-wall diner, where locals stop for lunch. As far as I can tell, we were the only tourists that day. It was a two-person operation, they were the waitpersons, the cooks, the cashiers and I presume the dishwashers too. That lunch time, all the tables inside this shoebox diner were occupied and service was slow-going. It took perhaps a good part of 45 minutes for our order of 1 serve of poutine and 1 serve of burger to arrive.

It was not a good start. Not having a past experience with poutine, I really wanted to like it. Who doesn’t like fries? And combined with gravy and cheese, it sounded intriguingly yummy. Alas after the long wait, the slightly burnt tasting fries cut me deep. I was inconsolable, more for the fact I had to wait for so long only to be served these somewhat burnt tasting potatoes. Though the cheese curd was suitably squeaky, as I’ve read it needs to be. It is most unfortunate then that I wouldn’t have any other opportunity during the trip to have this iconic Québecois comfort food again.

And the burger... well... the picture says it all really....