If you're Stateside, you may not be familiar with poutine (poo-teen, or check out the French pronunciation on the poutine Wiki page). It's not a Canadian indie band, but it does go with one very well, before or after a show. Poutine is a Canadian culinary treat that originated in Quebec: French fried potatoes topped with cheese curds and gravy. It doesn't have a particularly long tradition. My friend's mom, a Quebec native who left in the 1950s, had never heard of it. But it is gaining in popularity and definitely has a lot of passionate consumers.
Purists demand only freshly prepared potatoes (not frozen crinkle-cut fries), fresh cheese curds (also known as squeaky cheese; if the curds were finished correctly and aged, they would result in cheddar cheese) and a light gravy (poultry- or veal-based; vegetarian gravy is used as well).
We think poutine is a culinary trend waiting to happen in the Detroit area. After all, Detroit loves its chili-cheese fries. For now, the best place we know of locally to enjoy poutine along with a side of Canadian indie music is Windsor's Phog Lounge (be sure to scroll all the way down for the menu and prices).
