A Poutine Newbie in Colorado

The first time I had poutine it was home-made.  And frankly that was a trick.

Fries are not a problem to come by, or make.  Same with gravy.  Best of all I had the guidance of a real live Canadian.  But there was one thing that was a huge challenge.

Finding cheese curds.

Well, first I had to figure out what the heck a cheese curd IS!  Never even heard of such a thing.  Turns out neither had anyone in any store where I inquired about it.

Not completely true, some people knew what I was talking about, furrowed their brow and asked, why would I want cheese curds?  I would then tell them I wanted them to make poutine.  Next question: what's poutine?  It's french fries, cheese curds and gravy.  No more questions after that, mostly just a look of disgust or a tip about my health.

Keep in mind that Colorado is considered one of the healthiest, skinniest states in the union.  Add to the equation that I live very near Boulder where people exercise and hike and bike more than they work and you can understand the horror I was instilling in these people.

Eventually I did find cheese curds.  Turns out Longmont isn't as redneck as ya'll think it is.  The Cheese Emporium is a long time business establishment and besides pricey and fancy cheese and olives and such, they have just what I needed to complete my trifecta!  Cheese curds from Wisconsin, or some such cow-filled state.

Unfortunately I can't find anything close to fresh curds.  There are Colorado cheese companies but they don't seem do curds.  So in addition to the obvious problem of freshness, they don't squeak worth a damn.  Something I was really looking forward to hearing.

Nonetheless this creation turned out to be one of the best things I've ever tasted.  Perhaps the only artery-clogging food that even comes close is the cheese stuffed, crispy-fried chile relleno.  Something that is far more accessible in this area than traditional French-Canadian cuisine.  No matter!  Let the poutine search continue.

Denver Poutine, Where is It?

As a true blue American, lover of french fries, brown gravy and melted cheese in any form, I was stunned to discover that I had never heard of combining the three together for a fantastically decadent dish, poutine  The Canadians, of course did, and bless them.  It's a deliciously fattening and artery-clogging experience that is finally working it's way south into the US of A.

I'll be visiting various places in and around Denver to sample the fare and give my views of the dishes. It should be fun.  I'll be posting whenever I get a chance to, not on any particular schedule, so you might want to sign up to get these posts via email or sign up for the blog feed.

Also, if you know of places in Denver that serve poutine leave me a comment, I'm sure I don't know them all.  Even if you run your own place, let me know, I'd like to visit!