Poutine Guy

July 26, 2013

 

Poutine Guy was fortunate enough to garner some attention from the local Times & Transcipt newspaper. Based on the visits to the blog, it certainly did a lot to boost the amount of visitors. Special thanks to Tess Allen for reaching out. Here is the story as it appeared:

 

POUTINE GUY GAINING ONLINE POPULARITY

 

BY TESS ALLEN

TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF

26 Jul 2013

 

Most New Brunswick food fans will agree there are few things in life more satisfying than a good poutine – and few things more disappointing than a bad one.

 

But while many can claim to have eaten their fair share of both, none can make the distinction quite like Moncton’s David Gingras – or as he has become more commonly known among blog-surfing poutine-lovers across the region: Poutine Guy.

 

“Everybody has an opinion on poutines. Everybody’s had the great one and everybody’s had the one they wish they could forget,” says Gingras of his motivation behind launching the popular online blog in which he rates the best and worst cheese, gravy and french fry dishes from diners to lunch-carts across the region and beyond.

 

“I wanted to talk about poutines since they’re culturally significant and they’re a passion of mine. I have a French background, so poutine is almost in my blood.”

 

Gingras, a former Times & Transcript employee and current policy advisor for the New Brunswick Health Council (he is the first to point out the irony), has a carefully-sculpted rating system when it comes to distinguishing the best – and worst – poutines the region has to offer.

 

“I have a five-point evaluation system; the first three points of course being curds, fries and gravy because that’s what a poutine is all about. Then there’s value for money and expectations,” says Gingras, adding that eateries with any variation of the word “poutine” in their title are held to an even higher standard.

 

“If I see a place with ‘poutinerie’ in the name, it better have a pretty darn good poutine. Don’t get me to sit down and then feed me a mediocre poutine.”

 

It goes without saying that Gingras has tasted his share of poutines both awful and awesome since launching his monthly blog last spring, an experience that has taught him a thing or two about what makes the truly perfect poutine.

 

“A lot of restaurants make their poutines with salty fries and salty curds and salty gravy and it’s just overpowering. The secret is to cut down the salt on the fries; if you do that then you’re going to have a great poutine almost every time as long as your gravy is the right consistency and you have the right amount of curds,” he says.

 

As for actually tasting the perfect poutine, Gingras says the closest he has come to cheese-and-gravy excellence was in fact right here in Metro Moncton.

 

“I just happened to be at the Moncton market one day and I wasn’t even there to eat poutine. I saw one of the trucks outside (called Belle’s Wagon) where this guy was cutting a potato like an acrobat. I thought, ‘well I just have to get a poutine from this guy,’” says Gingras.

 

“I had no expectations of getting a great poutine from outside the market and it was the best poutine I’ve ever had.”

 

Thankfully, the worst poutine Gingras claims to have ever eaten was far outside Metro.

 

“The worst poutine (I’ve ever had) was in Edmundston. I figured that since I was pretty close to the Quebec border, they’d make a great poutine there. Unfortunately it had frozen fries, mozzarella cheese and mediocre gravy. It was another case of expectations being just too high.”

 

Gingras tries his hardest to provide readers with a fair and accurate assessment of each poutine featured on his blog, an effort noted by loyal followers like Nathan White.

 

“I appreciate David’s dedication and I like that he actually has a consistent rating system he applies to various aspects of the poutine,” says White, a New Brunswick native now residing in Ottawa.

 

“Poutine isn’t something you can eat every day, so when you have one, you want it to be worth it.”

 

Despite what some might think, this is in fact a philosophy shared by Gingras himself.

 

“I work in healthcare with nurses and other health professionals and when they hear that I’m Poutine Guy, they kind of shake their heads. I (have to explain) that I don’t have a poutine every day. I don’t even have one every week,” says Gingras, adding that when he does test out a new poutine, he typically buys the smallest size available.

 

“Eating is about moderation. That’s something that I try to tell people in my blog.”

 

Gingras says he has noticed a growing popularity for not only his own musings, but for the traditional dish itself in the months since launching his blog.

 

“Since I’ve been writing Poutine Guy, I’ve seen a growth in the popularity of poutine in New Brunswick. Saint John just had a poutine challenge and Fredericton has a poutine festival coming up. I even have people up in Shippagan telling me they’re planning something for this summer,” he says.

 

“I’ve had people from all corners of the country talking to me and sending me tips and some even volunteering to do taste tests. It’s great to get that kind of feedback from people.”

 

More than anything, Gingras just wants to bring a little humour to the lives of his many dedicated readers and keep building Poutine Guy’s presence on the web, one poutine at a time.

 

“I just hope people get a chuckle out of it. It’s something fun to write and especially fun to research. I hope it’s also fun to read.”

 

Those hoping to follow Gingras on his quest for the perfect poutine can log onto poutineguy.blogspot.ca.