Big Smoke Burger 09-01-2014

Location: 70 7th Ave.
Time: 2pm
People: RB, CK and myself

List:

-Ontario based burger chain, Big Smoke Burger opened with three scoop milkshakes and a beloved Canadian delight, poutine.
-This new NYC outpost is owned by a Calexico mogul.
-It is supposed to have a variety of Canadian and local beers, but they are currently waiting for their liqueur licence.
-Excellent, friendly, fast service.
-With the generous amount of cheese curds and gravy, the poutine ($6.50) is a major winner here.
-For the burger, there are four to choose from: veggie pattie, chicken, lamb or organic beef.
-RB's "Big Smoke Burger" ($8.95 horseradish mayo, caramelized onions, smoked cheddar, tomato and lettuce) was overcooked for his liking. This chain specializes in medium well burgers, so if you prefer some pinkish hue in your meat, this may not be the place for you.
-Easy access to poutine is always a plus.

T Poutine 03-07-2010

Location: 168 Ludlow St.
Time: 3pm
People: RB and myself

Feelings: On a lovely Saturday afternoon, we ventured out for some of the Quebecois delicacy, poutine. T Poutine is a cute little spot in Lower East Side with plenty of seating in the back and a clean bathroom. The staff was friendly in West Coast hipster kind of way. I suppose this might be a part of Canadian hospitality: relax a little and enjoy your poutine.

As we were ordering, we heard a man eating his poutine, "Man, this is so good. I don't know what's so good about it, but it tastes like God made it." A good sign.

Yes, for vegetarians out there, you too can enjoy this Canadian comfort food that is covered with gravy and cheese curds. I ordered the vegetarian poutine, "Treehugger." ($7.50, with sauteed mushrooms, peppers and onions, topped with vegetarian gravy) It did not taste like authentic poutine, but I did not expect it to since it was vegetarian. It tasted more like Chinese food, noodles with gravy sauce to be exact.

As I tasted RB's "The Classic," I regretted ordering the vegetarian version. The classic tasted delicious, just as I remembered. The gravy was thick yet smooth, and the fries were almost soggy outside but still maintained the crispiness. They had the right amount of cheese curds with the nice consistency and saltiness. If you don't mind having beefy flavor (There are no meat chunks in the gravy), I'd highly recommend skipping the vegetarian version and order "The Classic" ($7.25) instead.

Poutine is so good here, but it cannot possibly be good for you! If you would open up a clogged artery, you may see something that resembles a plate of poutine. But just like the guy said, "It tastes like God made it or something."