Hmm…I don’t even know where to start on this posting because everything I had at Universal was great! The service was also excellent.
Advised by at least 2 very well-travelled friends to try Poutine before I left San Francisco, I literally carved this onto my itinerary least I forget to try this dish. I even called G via long distance to confirm restaurants I should go to try this dish. In other words, I. was. serious.
Although I did not go to one of the more famous “poutine” places, I think I did well to come to Universal.
A traditional poutine is a dish that’s consisted of french fries, cheese curds, and gravy. [Note the ugly dish below] There are now many, many variations of this treat, but this being my first Poutine ever (and probably my last), I got the traditional version. It was humongous. I ate 1/4 of the plate. It was yummy, but very, very filling. Burp!
Next, I ordered the pesto pizza (pesto, shrimp, artichoke, and cheese) Delicious, but since I ate the Poutine, I had no room to eat this pizza. It became yummy breakfast.
Now, for the beer. I am sure a lot of people are very familiar with Guinness from Ireland. But have you heard of St. Ambroise oatmeal stout (5% alc) by McAuslan brewery in Canada?
I haven’t, but I am pretty beginner in beer and wine, so am learning lots this year. [You should also ignore the glass they gave me to drink the beer from St. Ambroise because I did not try Blanche De Chambly] Anyway, I thought it would taste very bitter and unpleasant, but this one’s darn good and goes surprisingly well with the Poutine. According to the bottle, this beer is brewed from 40% dark malts and roasted barley and “carries strong hints of espresso and chocolate.” It does have a more complex flavor, but not overwhelming or unpleasant. In fact, it went down smoothly and I really prefer this one.
Service here is also friendly. The wait staff was some of the friendliest I have met, and generally very cool people.
Merci beaucoup.
Still not sure why Poutine hasn’t caught on in the States… Yum
I know. Surprising indeed given we like french fries here.
Yum, poutine! I’ve only had it in Vancouver (since that’s really the only part of Canada that I ever visit) but I’m sure it’s not the same as the real thing.
No idea that they had that there, too. Oh, now that you mentioned it. When I was in Vancouver years ago, I tried their smokies (sausages/hot dogs) grilled perfectly on the street with onions, mushrooms, the works…so much better than just plain hot dog. 🙂