Fries get sumptuous swathe

Tag : french fries
Corey Mintz
Restaurant Critic

There are too few gastronomic traditions that Canadians are knownfor outside our borders. Poutine is dish worthy of our patriotism.The plate of french fries smothered in gravy and partially meltedcheese curds, found all over Quebec, is often seen as a novelty inToronto. At his Montreal restaurant, Au Pied De Cochon, chef/ownerMartin Picard dials up the sinful pleasure with a drizzling of foiegras sauce in addition to traditional gravy. Several slices of theseared, fatty goose liver are laid over top.
Pierre Robillard, chef and co-owner of the new, Quebec-style bistroCafé du Lac, insists he's not trying to emulate the Montrealsensation. He just happens to be serving one of Picard's signaturedishes. If you're going to bite, bite well. And he does. The schlepout to Etobicoke is worth it for the single dish ($21) with a pairof beers.
What seems like a pound of french fries is buried under a swamp offoie gravy, cheese curds and shredded beef ribs (Robillard'saddition). The cheese is nice and soft without being completelymelted. Three slices of seared goose liver, at least an ounce each,rest on top.
Robillard, a former electrician, moved from Montreal in February tojoin his wife, Toronto designer and restaurant co-owner KathrynAshby, who had been commuting for two years. Every time shereturned home, she missed the great little bistros on every cornerwith good food and good wine. She did the market research anddecided Etobicoke, with its growing population of condo dwellersand influx of upper-middle class homeowners seeking the suburbanlife, was the perfect place to open.
"College St., King (St.), yes, but south Etobicoke, where Ilive