From the 1st ot the 7th of February. For the first time, 30 restaurants around Montreal are going to be making a special poutine at a special price, exclusively for the week of Semaine de la Poutine Week MTL. 10$ for a big one, 5$ for a smaller version. The Realcity Epicurean will sample 3 different inspirations this week. First up: The Hangover Poutine courtesy of M:brgr.
It has finally arrived foodies! Poutine Week Montreal! I've been talking about it ad nauseam since last week, it's been in the papers, you've seen the website; and now it's here! A week in which we can indulge in creative variations on something so familiar and uniquely delicious. I'd me remiss if I didn't dive into the festivites. So I rounded up some of the Best Professional eaters I know ( Shout out to Frank, Mihn, Sze, Gab, Nareg and Mike!)and we straight crashed M:brgr! well maybe not crash exactly, we just didn't have reservations, but I digress.
This is all about the Poutine, and for a first experiement, what the Good folks at M:brgr have concocted is nothing short of remarkable. The Hangover is very much in keeping with the philosophy adopted by the restaurant: Adding a gourmet flare to the every day and familiar. It's felt in the minimalist and clean decor, and in their signature burgers. They've taken what some could consider pedestrian and given it a certain elegance, all the while maintaining it's simplicity; and simplicity is that line between elegence and pretension.
Now I could go on about the fries and how they were cooked to perfection and how they married so well with the cheese. I could tell you about the french fired onions and how they were an unexpected surprise and added depth to the dish's texture. I could also tell you about the grilled all-beef salty goodness of the salami that added another dimension to the poutine, and how inspired that addition is. I could tell you all these things and still not do it justice. You know that, as with any poutine, the real magic lives in the gravy; and boy is this Gravy ever magical!!
As we were devouring our respective plates, I turned to my bretheren and asked, what they liked, what stood out, and unanimously they all said "the gravy". They could quite put their finger on it, but they knew it was like no gravy they've had in recent memory, especially in a poutine. The Portabello mushroom sauce lovingly drapped over the works gives it balance, complexity and that elegance I stated earlier that defines the establishment itself. You'd think that with the Gravy, cheese and salami that it would be overly salty. Quite the opposite. The dish is crafted harmoniously where nothing is overpowering, but evry component shines.
If you're looking to participate in Poutine week MTL, M:brgr offering is an excellent start. The poutine you remember but something else. it's like the the girl next door come back from college and has grown up. Nicely!
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