Snack bar, canteen, potato shack, whatever you call them, these little summer counters are definitely part of popular Quebec culture. This is one of my guilty summer pleasures (along with ice cream and toasted marshmallows). Comforting, they take me back to my family road trip memories.
As over the years, my tastes have become more refined (and those of Quebecers too), I dreamed of a snack that would dare to reinvent the hot-dog, the poutine and other classics inseparable from these open-space stands. one summer. I almost put a cross on that wishful thinking when… Hallelujah! I discovered La Babine Gourmande. It was while passing through the charming village of Saint-Michel de Bellechasse, which has a very special place in my heart, that I came across this very different snack. The wooden poster alone confirmed to me that this snack would stand out.
However, from the outside, everything is there: the small sliding window, the attendant with her net on her head, the line full of gourmets, the children playing a little further on the lawn, the parked motorcycles. Like the hundreds of snacks that line the roads of Quebec. The distinction is made in the local products put forward, like the street trucks and their decadent menus, a notch more sought after.
Looking at the menu, I am jubilant. First, for the fries. We go a little beyond the bottle of ketchup and vinegar on the edge of the shelf to offer a string of flavored mayonnaise: curry, tarragon, lemon, sriracha, sundried tomato pesto, salted herbs from the Lower St. Lawrence, etc. It promises. Already! The poutines also look delicious, made with cheese curds from Fromagerie du Terroir de Bellechasse.
I take a look at the Hamburgers which look fabulous, but I've always had a soft spot for rolls. Go find out why, I keep coming back. On the slate, we offer a roll of shrimp (my favorite thing), but I want something new and I opt for the Confit Duck Roll with a salad. Yes, yes, a salad in a canteen! But, my friend and I agree to order a poutine with BBQ sauce to share.
The weather is nice on this early summer evening and we sit on the small terrace while the action takes place in the kitchen. It works, because orders are pouring in. Our pretty cabarets are ready and the presentation makes me smile with its girly side. I bite deeply into my sandwich and I revel in it. The duck and the maple and rosemary mayonnaise add a little “oumpf” to this traditional dish. But it was the poutine that won me over. The sauce is… by far, the best poutine sauce I have had the chance to taste. I love it! Its texture and its sweetness are miles from the BBQ sauces of the big chains. Sorry Ashton… the palm has just been won.
I leave, satisfied. Through the open windows where my arm is resting, the breeze slips into the car and tangles in my loose hair ... That's it, summer in Quebec!
Note:
9/10
What struck me most about my visit:
The enticing menu
The house specialty:
Poutines
The most expensive main meal on the menu:
Pulled Duck Confit and Orange Salad, $ 16.50
The cheapest main meal on the menu:
The sparrow (hot dog with coleslaw and fries without sausage), $ 3
Do I recommend this restaurant:
Yes
What time of day did I visit:
Supper
Most :
- The varied menu
- Local products highlighted
- The welcoming place
- Homemade sauces
The lessers :
- The wait
