Smoke’s Poutine


IMG-20130329-00844Alright, so this was neither paleo nor low carb but you know what, sometimes you just have to take life by the sweet gravy covered fries and enjoy it. Smokes Poutine gives massive portions with a variety of topping combinations to choose from. I ordered the pulled pork poutine, which was very hearty and filling, but I wished there had been more pulled pork. There were also not a lot of cheese curds, but an abundance of fries, perhaps to mask the lack of other toppings and make you feel your $9 was well spent?

We also ordered the Philly cheesesteak which I was not impressed with, at least in regards to the processed orange squeeze cheese that came on top of it. The flavour was so artificial it detracted from the steak/onions/mushrooms/peppers.

IMG-20130329-00845

If I sound like a poutine snob it’s because I lived in Montreal for five years, and it honestly doesn’t get better than that. A good poutine isn’t about the add-ons, it’s about the quality of the gravy, the cheese curds, and for me, the thickness of the fries ( McDonalds poutine doesn’t cut it for me because those fries are too flimsy).

Smoke’s gravy has a distinct flavour, very down-homey like it was made in your gramma’s kitchen. It packed a lot of flavour, but it is also a very distinct taste. I would like to go back and try a regular poutine with no toppings because it was just a lot going on flavourwise, and overall very jumbled. The fries were thick cut and well seasoned, and that’s a major plus. The cheese curds, well there could have been more.

Smoke's Poutinerie on Urbanspoon

Just A Quick Bite To Eat

So life has been hectic yet rewarding the past couple of weeks. Activities included 5 days in Las Vegas followed by 2 days moving/setting up a new apartment. Now that the dust has settled, I’m happily in my new apartment with a sweet tan and a not-so-sweet extra 5 pounds round my mid section. I haven’t had a lot of time to cook, so here are some photos of the meals I encountered.

Browns Social House

I go to Browns for their daily drink specials (on Monday it was a wicked spiced apple Whisky Sour). I’ve been for appetizers and drinks in the past, and those were alright (liked the chicken wings and dry ribs) but nothing has ever stood out. This was the first time I tried their entreés.

#28 Dragon Bowl

Surprisingly good, this dish came with choice of teriyaki chicken or tofu over coconut rice, vegetables, red cabbage and spicy yogurt sauce. Exactly what I wanted after stuffing my face with burgers and steaks in Vegas. Would have liked a few more vegetables but other than that no big complaints. I would order this again if I returned.


Fettuccine Carbonara , C

“alfredo sauce, smoked bacon, sweet peas, blackened chicken, garlic toast”

Sounds good, right? I was so torn between ordering this or the #28 Dragon bowl. Luckily I went with the dragon bowl because I didn’t like this dish at all. I thought there was nothing special about it, I could have made it at home the flavours were that bland. Phil liked the taste of the blackened chicken, and said it was exactly what he was looking for post-Vegas.

( Sorry for the horrible photo. I think it’s indicative of the quality, Phil says I’m dramatic and a picky eater)

Browns Social House (Point Grey) on Urbanspoon

EARL’S 

I’ve been to Earl’s for lunch and had their very well priced Soup-Salad-Sandwich combo. Loved it. I was very impressed with their dinner menu as well.

Dungeness Crab and Asparagus Linguini,

“saffron cream sauce, tomatoes, asparagus, lemon oil, prawns and Dungeness crab”

I’m obsessed with crab right now. I loved this dish because they cut up the prawns and crab meat so every bite with filled with seafoody goodness. This also meant I had to eat every bite in order to get all the seafoody goodness and I was quiet full by the end. The lemon oil was present without being overpowering or artificial.

7oz Certified Angus Beef Top Sirloin 

“Yukon Gold garlic mashed potatoes and seasonal fresh vegetables”

Good steak, slightly undercooked for what Phil asked (medium but it came medium rare). The seasoning was spot on though, and the mashed potatoes amazing. He wished he ordered the 9oz. They gave him a good handful of veggies though, unlike the Keg where your lucky to get more than a green bean and piece of red pepper.

The Gluten-Free Dom order the salmon feature and ate it all before a photo could be snapped. Hungry Girl.

Jeera Chicken Curry

 ”authentic spicy Indian curry, tender chicken, coconut jasmine rice and fresh baked naan bread”

I really liked the presentation of this dish. The only complaint I heard (repeatedly) was that the spice level was too low. I’m not sure if this was directed towards the seasoning or the heat level, but everyone finished their plates regardless.


Earl's (Broadway & Fir) on Urbanspoon

Easter Weekend Mixed Grill

It was another orphan holiday for i♥toeat and friends this Easter weekend. Don’t cry, we made the most of it with booze, a mixed grill, and hockey – Go Canucks!

I contributed Rosemary & Garlic Roasted Potatoes. Simple enough I’m sure you can all figure out the recipe. I added lemon juice while they marinated and a little squeeze after they came out of the oven, yum!

TheGlutenFreeDom made a Greek salad, so delicious, so fresh! Much better than any store-bought version. We decided the key to great Greek salad is FRESH FETA and big fat juicy olives.

Last but certainly not least came the mixed grill, provided and cooked by Mr. Phil. What a great idea! We had a juicy steak, spicy SouthWest style chicken and my favourite, Maui Ribs. All the items came pre-seasoned/marinated (except the steak) so we can’t take credit for it but everything was delicious. Way to go Hamilton Beach Grill for turning another basement suit BBQ adventure into a success! Just goes to show you don’t need a fancy grill to get the job done … although if anyone wants to buy me a BBQ this summer I won’t protest!

Holy CRAP look at that steak! Aren't you jealous!?

Oh ya, and there was strawberries.

Orange Ginger Beef

I improvised on an orange ginger recipe to breathe life back into some leftover steak. Soooo good! Steamed broccoli and rice completed the meal, garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.

Ingredients: minced garlic and ginger, cornstarch, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, orange zest, orange juice, sugar.

Original recipe here

Marinate beef  while rice cooks. Heat a small bit of oil in the pan, add beef and marinade. Since I wasn’t cooking the steak only reheating it only took a couple of minutes to heat up and for the sauce to thicken.

voila!