by Steven Doyle
Since we are on the subject of Andre Natera and his restaurants in Highland Park Village, it might be worth noting that the chef recently added poutine to his menu at Village Kitchen. Poutine, you say? Yes, that luscious plate of steaming fried potatoes, laden with supple lumps of cheese curd and smothered with gravy. That poutine.
It could be argued that it is the national dish of Canada. Everywhere you go in Canada you will find a version of poutine on the menu. From the lowly McDonald’s version for $3.99, to the very elegant Au Pied de Cochon in Qubec with their foie gras version for a mere $23 Canadian. You cannot go anywhere, including a ballpark, without being able to order this dish. But most identify poutine as being sold at casse-croûtes, or a greasy spoon diner, or roadside chip wagons called cabanes à patates. Continue reading
