Time to be Good to Yourself?
Allright…Our mandate here at Thumbshift might have started with Cycling and the Art of Maintaining Zen, but it soon spread out into all sorts of multi-modal transport ranging from Commuter Transit to piggy-backing on the TTC…and of course some of the messy politics and civics that go along with all that. So since it’s been a long road already, I’d like to pause to reflect and refresh ourselves abit with some healthy outlooks on fast foods and fluids. Ironically enough, before we consider the subtle details of healthy fast-food, let’s start with a quick review of a great little spot for French-Canadian style poutine right here in Toronto…A quick ride across Queen West.
Relax, Redux, Repeat…
Poutini’s House of Poutine is already renowned among the afterhours Ossington crowd, but I’d like to offer you a more in-depth look at why it remains a fave. Not only did this warm and homey casse-croute take 3rd Place on the BlogTO “Best Fries in Toronto” list, but they also use their mastery of french-fry fundamentals as an superb springboard in launching the humble ‘chip’ to a higher evolutionary form. Poutini’s is arguably one of the best local offerings of what many consider to be among the most satisfying, yet simplest indulgences you might ever experience.
Most surprisingly though, Poutini’s not only serves up the goods, but also provides everything else we need to enjoy the rich nutrition of poutine, without any of the fast-food guilt of it’s imitators. In order to somehow introduce you to the environmental benefits and cultural complexities of Poutine, let’s start from the beginning…
First a little background…
Poutine (not “poo-tine”, but rather “poot-tsien”) is an incredibly simple dish, that requires perfection in its 3 basic components to set it apart from the many pretenders out there in Fast-Food land. Drawing from Montreal’s mythical mastery of this sub-cultural phenomenon, Poutiny’s offers us quick, comfortable, and consistently reliable LOCAL access to an otherwise elusive source of properly prepared poutine. Starting with select seasonal potatoes that are cut, cooked and seasoned to award-winning perfection, then coupled with genuinely fresh curds from Maple Dale Farms north of Belleville, the tempting affair is then consummated in marital bliss by a perfected gravy recipe who’s composition only the Saucier will ever know for certain.
Where’s the Curd?
Anyone who has ever tried to source those delicious nuggets of uber-fresh cheese curd will tell you that even if you could somehow find a reliable source that get’s them shipped to them inside the requisite 24 period (before they turn into just very mildly aged cheese), you would likely need to pedal your ass off to arrive there early enough to snag some before they all vanished with the light of day! So finding a local destination to satisfy this curd challenge is (in itself!) an invaluable service provided by Poutini’s everyday of the week, excepting Mondays when they’re closed.
Any Time’s the Right Time
Some maintain that Poutine is best served after a night of debauched carousing, to help satiate any unresolved appetites before settling down for slumber. Others know that it can act as a great slow release source of energy for an athletic schedule. Many fuel-converted or even vegetarian cyclists will tell you that poutine is an especially potent source of grounding emotional ballast and high-grade energy, especially when you need to go to a late-pitstop strategy to keep your revs up into the small hours! Poutini’s also reminds us that you can actually enjoy this dish anytime of day, and it also makes a great leftover if you’re the type who enjoys cold or re-heated pizza. Poutini’s even offers a range of “breakfast poutines” for those of you who can consider 11AM the start of their day.
The Guilt Free Gourmand
Their location is an easy ride-by on any trip in and out of the core through the West-Side, so you can easily assure yourself that cycling over/down to Poutini’s will help balance the caloric load, and raise your metabolism in order to keep your guilty indulgence from being converted to arterial plaque afterwards. In fact, if you can approach poutine with the right mindset, you’d be amazed how healthy your outlook on poutine can actually be!
Even their packaging will relieve you of any residual remorse, since absolutely everything you carry away from the counter is not only sturdy (unlike cardboard) but also FULLY biodegradable…right down to the forks!
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