Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
As Matt Mitchell, a great Southern philosopher, has asked, how was poutine not a Southern dish? I mean the staples of poutine feature fried potatoes, cheese curds, and gravy, three dishes that on their own provide artery-clogging comfort. A dish that includes French fries, gravy, and cheese would have been popular across the United States, but instead, it is a purely Canadian culinary tradition. I’ve tried poutine before, but while we were in Canada, it seemed a perfect time to order it in a local diner.
We made our order, and when asked about the poutine, we were immediately surprised by the number of variations that people would order. The menu at the Westside Cafe listed twelve different kinds of poutine, ranging from the standard mozzarella to dishes that featured an assortment of bacon, popcorn chicken, turkey, pepperoni, spaghetti sauce, chili dogs, and cheeseburgers. We determined that three artery-clogging ingredients were enough, so we went with the Mozzarella version.
Overall, the poutine was well prepared, but it is a heavy dish. The extra starches and fats accumulate in the stomach and can make you feel miserable without a way to burn them off through exercise. Poutine is filling, and if I grew up with it, it would become a comfort food. It can also be somewhat bland, and the different variations make sense considering how often I have had bacon or chili on a baked potato.
The rest of the Westside Diner served quality, no-frills food. They advertised their homemade pierogi, which were well prepared. Also, diners can be a great place to order a steak, and the T-bone special was excellent.
We appreciated the opportunity to try some poutine and to grab some good diner comfort food. Poutine will never become my go-to food, and I know why Canadians are proud to claim it as their own. I am happy to have had the opportunity to try it in a non-touristy place.
