Chez Ashton

Chez Ashton

640 Grand Allée E, Québec, QC GR1 2K5

Every once in awhile a dish comes along that changes one's life irrevocably. There the CA Scotch Couple were, traveling along, blissfully unaware that for the last couple of decades a certain Tasty Tidbit even existed, when suddenly they entered Chez Ashton's doors, and the world became both a brighter and a more desperate place. While they had discovered a dish that would make their life infinitely richer (pun intended), they were now doomed to search it out in the four corners of the earth. Oh poutines, where have you been all our lives?

Poutines are the ultimate comfort food, a combination between crispy fries, hot gravy, and cheese curds. Before heading to Québec City, CA Scotch Chick had a couple of reservations regarding poutines: would she like cheese curds (only frame of reference was the nursery rhyme regarding Miss Muffet), and would the gravy make the fries soggy.

The answer to the first was "most definitely!" Cheese curds are incredible – the consistency of really good mozarella but the flavor of cheddar. Their chewy, "squeaky" goodness is a revelation. The answer to the second was "kind of, sort of, but it doesn't matter!" The outside fries retain their crispiness, but when one gets closer to the bottom where the fries have been soaking in the gravy, the dish morphs into something fit to be served at a holiday dinner.

Mmmmm, poutines!

Poutines ("d@*& mess") originated in rural Québec in the 1950's, and as with any truly important discovery, many communities claim to be the birthplace. One can obtain poutines in restaurants throughout Québec (and to a lesser extent the rest of Canada), including fast food chains such as McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Chez Ashton is also a fast food restaurant, but its poutines are considered to be excellent. And, boy are they ever!

Chez Ashton originated as a push cart in 1969 and morphed into a franchise. It wasn't until the 1970's that they began to offer poutines. There are several establishments scattered around Québec City, the most convenient of which is located right off the main tourist road at 54 cote du Palais. One of the pieces of trivia about this Tasty Tidbit establishment is that the price of poutines tracks the downward pressure of the temperatures. As the temps drop in the winter, so does the amount of money it takes to secure some of this comfort food.

Chez Ashton offers poutines in three sizes: regular (would feed a family of four), mini (the size one would expect in the United States when ordering a large), and bebe (the size of a medium). Their variations on poutines include Poutine, Poutine Saucisses (w/hot dogs added), Dulton (w/ground meat added), Dulton Saucisses (w/ground meat and hot dogs), Galvaude (w/shredded chicken and peas but no cheese curds), Galvaude Fromage (w/shredded chicken, peas, and cheese curds). 

Mini Dulton Saucisse

The CA Scotch Couple opted for minis (thinking they were medium sized) of the Dulton Saucisses (not realizing that Saucisses were hot dogs), and the Galvaude Fromage. Both were very different and excellent. The ground meat of the Dulton is a perfect accompaniment to the rich gravy and cheese curds, while the shredded chicken and peas make for a "lighter" (everything is relative) dining experience. The next time around (and there will be a next time), they plan to ditch the saucisses and downsize to the bebe.

Mini Galvaude Fromage

So, the schedule is smashed; the search for foie gras is off. Time and meals are in short supply, and the CA Scotch Couple will never know when they will get the opportunity for poutines again. The remainder of the trip will be spent alternating between trips to Chez Ashton and thinking about the next trip Chez Ashton. Bon Appétit!