la banquise

shaub xmas montreal 08
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (12/143)
there are a number of recommended places for poutine, a quintessential canadian comfort food, in montreal. not only was la banquise mentioned by anthony bourdain, but a preview of the menu online indicated there was, in addition to a vegetarian version for the pescetarian bf and the classic poutine, a variety of options of toppings for your poutine including a variation on the gravy.

we opted for the classic (cheese curds, gravy & fries), the veggie (green peppers, mushrooms & onions plus classic ingredients), the mart (sausage, bacon plus classic) and the jaco (minced beef, onions, pepper sauce instead of generic gravy). although the fries were on the greasy could have been more crunchy side (my main complaint), they were all tasty, and definitely worth the experience. i liked the pepper sauce on the jaco the best. the gravy on the others were a little bland and not memorable. i think if you're going to cover your crunchy pommes frites and render them somewhat mushy, you better have some tasty sauce.

the resto has a casual, youthful cafe feel and being open late, seems like a great place for snacking after (or during) drinks. the regular sized poutines are pretty sizable. even if i could eat more, i don't think i could eat a large quantity of such heavy food. they also serve hamburgers and other pub-type foods.