Mathieu Lott, owner and Poutine chef at La Belle Patate on Esquimalt Road in Victoria B.C. Canada knows his potatoes. He loves his potatoes – and it shows.
And if you think that there is only one kind of spud, you are sadly wrong.
Photo right – Mathieu Lott owner and operator of La Belle Patate has a love for the apple of the Earth!
Mathieu, or Matty as his employees and friends call him, lists off the variety of potatoes that he uses and the quantities – thousands of pounds of potatoes come into La Belle Patate to be cleaned, peeled and hand-cut into perfect fries.
Because fries are the bedrock of a great poutine.
Ah Poutine. For the uninitiated, Poutine is a dish of French fries, topped with a thick and dark vegetable based gravy and a macadam of Island made cheese curds. And for those who feel that this might not be the most healthy meal – Poutine is a cruise missile with your arteries in the cross hairs. After a platter of poutine (in our case the Vege BBQ version), two “Steamie” – all dressed steamed hot dogs (and buns) loaded down with pickled cabbage (saur kraut) and mustard – washed down with two lemon Nestea drinks that have about 15 scoops of sugar per tin… Let’s just say that if your pancreas has not packed it in and your arteries have not clogged beyond repair – then the added salt is pushing your blood-pressure into the red zone.
Which is an entirely good and wonderful thing.
We try to get to La Belle Patate once a month for a “correction” in our normally great, border line hippy eating habits – because HEY, our internal organs and cardio-vascular system need to be reminded from time to time who is in charge here!
Lunch for 2 with drinks: $14.
La Belle Patate is located at 1215 Esquimalt Road a half-block past the Civic Center and Esquimalt’s original strip mall. Bon apetit!
Mathieu Lott recently traveled to New York city to check out the burgeoning poutine-scene and found it hopeful but in need of a bit of work…