I promised a follow-up to a September post about finding the best poutine in Whatcom County. There’s one place left on the original list, compiled by the Herald, that I haven’t been able to swing by just yet.
But- because fate is a funny, fickle thing- I found TWO more spots here that serve my favorite comfort food. Plus, I had the chance to stop by one of my favorite spots when I was back on the East Coast. AND I sampled some poutine from a bonus chain across the border- they’re more well known for their other specialties. Suffice to say, there’s poutine all around. Everyone wins!
Let’s get right into it.
===================================
Our journey through Whatcom County’s poutineries-adjacent starts with a trip to Fiamma Burger. It took a good minute for me to find their poutine on the menu- they are better known for their burgers, after all- but there it was, right along with the rest of their side dishes. I think I paid about $5.75 for this bowl, which has been the best “bang for my buck” in the county thus far.
I mean… that’s a heaping mound of fries. The gravy is thick, seasoned, and coats almost every spud across the board. I got a bit concerned when I could only find one solid lump of cheese curd, but those fears went away pretty quickly. Take a look:
That’s an Academy-award-winning cheese pull right there, folks.
Alas, most the cheesy goodness calmed down significantly after munching through the top layer. Same with the gravy- I really wish that some of the savory sauce slunk south into the poutine’s inner core. But it’s not all hard knocks here- these fries were perfectly fried, and didn’t cave under saucy, cheesy pressure.
It’s a bit of a catch-22 when it comes to poutine: either you get the crispy fries with no coating, or you get all the coating with mushy fries. It’s a very delicate act to balance. I’ll still commend Fiamma Burger for putting their take on the menu- and for having two size options available. I’m glad I went with the smaller portion, because those fries filled me up pretty quickly.
=================================
There’s a lot to unpack in this Schweinhaus Beer Garden platter, and I’m more than happy to oblige. You’ve got a base of sidewinder fries- which I had never heard of until I ordered this!- roasted in Schweinhaus’s signature wood-fired oven. Look at the char on some of those! Any burnt bits bestowed by a wood-fired anything gets brownie points in my book. It’s topped off with cheese sauce, proper cheese curds, green onions, and pulled pork.
I couldn’t get enough of this stuff. Forkful after forkful of hearty, savory goodness kept me coming back for more. Purists would argue about what’s in the sauce (can it technically be called a gravy?), and normally I’d raise an eyebrow over whether or not this is a true poutine. Then again, I’ve had poutines with other types of gravy or sauce that still made them exquisite dishes. Why should this one be any different? It’s a fantastic meal.
I’ll note here- this is better as a shared dish, maybe between 2-4 people. There’s a fatigue that hits towards the finish line if you attempt to chow down on this solo.
===================================
Now, for a bit of a palate cleanser, if you will.
Surprise, it’s more fries!
This very messy box of cheesy, gravy goodness comes from the #1 spot on my personal list: Pommes Frites. It’s where my love for poutine began, all the way back in 2010! They’re well-known for their Belgian-style frites and all their handmade, in-house sauce varieties. There’s dozens of options to choose from. You can keep it classic with a rosemary garlic mayo, dive into the wild side with their pomegranate teriyaki sauce, or spice things up with their warm peanut satay blend. Whatever way you choose to dip, it’s bound to be a winner.
As for their poutine, they’ve come a long way since my first visit in 2010. They now offer three types of poutine: regular, vegetarian (ft. Impossible Meat), and their “poutine special,” which is topped with wild mushrooms, parmesan, and Turkish sweet tomatoes. You can also get a catering-sized serving tray of their poutine, if you’re looking to meal prep for the week (it’ll set you back a cool $120, though).
I remember dreaming about Pommes Frites’ poutine for weeks after I first tried it. There’s something about the Belgian-style fry that makes it a textbook base for the rest that goes on top. You’llo see in the picture above that absolutely everything is smothered in gravy. It still- somehow!- manages to maintain its golden crisp, even with all that sauce. Speaking of, the gravy is probably the underrated star of the show here. A gravy can make or break a poutine, in a lot of different ways. It could be too thick, or too runny. It could be underseasoned. It could be severely lacking from the dish altogether. This is the Goldilocks gravy, if you will. Perfect texture, excellent seasoning, and it’s prominent throughout the whole meal. By the way, see the number of cheese curds in the box? That’s the correct amount, dispersed evenly.
=============================
I was nearly done writing this post when I realized I’d forgotten something crucial. After years of not being able to cross the border and having a proper Canadian poutine, I also got a chance to snack on some real comfort food, from the source!
The thing is, I didn’t expect that source to be Pizza Pizza.
This, of course, is not my first time foraying into the birthplace of poutine. And it’s certainly not my first time grabbing a bite of my own personal soul food from a fast food joint. In this instance, I didn’t even plan on grabbing a bite to eat. But when you’re tuckered out and waiting for eternity for a Lyft to become available after a Florence + the Machine show, anything goes, right?
I believe the decision by Pizza Pizza to go into fry territory was a recent decision, because I would’ve missed it if it didn’t show up on their digital menu. I took home a large poutine with bacon bits, which beckoned memories of Pommes Frites gravy and perfect fries all over again. It was the best way that night could’ve ended. I’m glad I chose to get a little lost and splurge on some soul food.
=================================
(Artist’s rendering, 2023)
A local food truck even went so far to create their own poutine- by request!- not too long ago. I didn’t get a picture of it, unfortunately, but this is roughly what it looked like (not drawn to scale). The truck in question was the inimitable Mobile Mouth Hole. Their trademark shoestring fries got the Quebecois treatment with a healthy smothering of gravy and some stretchy cheeses. I’m not sure if it was shredded mozzarella or something else, but it became ensconced in the mushy goo that these potatoes eventually became. Don’t get me wrong- it was a tasty mush. But I personally would have preferred a bit more structure to keep this gravy boat afloat.
=====================================
That brings us back around to the present day. I saw a special from the Gateway 1890 Taphouse floating around on social media, and set out in search for this pot of gold at the end of the I-5 rainbow on St. Patrick’s Day. My timing was perfect- only about a dozen people were milling around the Taphouse. I couldn’t wait to dig into this corned beef (no cabbage!) poutine.
A few things to note here: this bowl came out sizzling. I’m talking “the gravy was still simmering” level sizzling. It took all of my willpower not to chow down as soon as this was placed in front of me. But something else threw me off: they must have run out of sidewinder fries, because that’s what was advertised as the base of this poutine. It didn’t bother me for too long, though. These fries were well cooked, and could handle almost any sauce or topping thrown its way. Almost, in that the corned beef cubes were really tricky to pick up. I found it difficult to get a little bit of everything in one forkful, especially when some of the gravy sizzled so much that there wasn’t much left by the bottom of the bowl.
Fortunately, I found this bowl of frites to be flavorful, with the corned beef adding a nice unctuous touch. If you hadn’t told me what the meat was, I would’ve guessed ham or bacon bits. Maybe next year, this’ll make a proper comeback with the sidewinder fries in all its glory. I’m willing to give this another go.
The post Beyond The Morning News – Eye On The Fries, Vol. 2 first appeared on My Bellingham Now.