Toronto-bred chain Smoke’s Poutinerie loves to thumb its nose at poutine purists via wacky stunts like its annual poutine-eating contest. The latest is their brand-new holiday (or, rather, “Chriskwankah”) poutine, which along with an elaborate back story, comes topped with latkes, applesauce, and a blackened chicken drumstick. I count two Hanukkah foods, one nod to Kwanzaa (although blackened catfish or would have been more appropriate to the holiday) and zero Christmas flavours. At last, proof that the War On Christmas is real!
Having taste-tested this festive beast courtesy of the fine people at Smoke’s, I can say that the weirdest-sounding addition, the applesauce, is actually quite pleasant (the cinnamon amps up the flavours of the gravy nicely). The blackened chicken, meanwhile, adds some welcome heat and comes easily off the bone with a fork – great, since you don’t have to pick a gravy-laden drumstick off your poutine and chew on it.
The only real disappointment here are the hash brown-like potato pancakes. (I have it on the excellent authority of NOW senior entertainment editor Susan G. Cole that these are “not really latkes.”) They dissolve into the poutine in little starchy flakes that almost look like cheese curds, which is kind of a cruel trick if you’re like me and only eat poutine for the curds. If you’re looking for ideas for more ways to double down on the starch next year, Smoke’s, here are a few alternative suggestions: Mashed potatoes, stuffing, crumbled-up gingerbread houses.
Want to try it yourself? It’s at Smoke’s until December 31.
food@nowtoronto.com | @nataliamanzocco
