(Before I get to the pies, I would like to explain a couple of interesting combinations I learned this weekend. In Portland, a friend of mine introduced me to a new late snack, onion rings dipped in milkshake. Sounds gross, but it is good. In Seattle, people eat their hot dogs with cream cheese. This actually is gross.)

Okay, so the Dap-Kings are in Vancouver today and a special treat awaits us at the Commodore theatre. The nice people at Tartine Bread and Pies (770 Beach ave)  are fans so they gave us 8 pies — sour cherry, blueberry, chocolate pecan, sour cream raspberry, Dutch apple, double crust lemon, strawberry rhubarb and pumpkin pecan. This is my dream come true. I have been craving this quality of pie every since I saw the movie “Waitress”. Being the food critic that I am, I must have a piece of every one of these pies. Every pie is pretty much perfect. An interesting one is the chocolate pecan pie, which is a pecan pie and a chocolate brownie all mixed into one. I can’t pick a favorite because every time I eat a piece, it becomes my favorite. 

 Here in Canada, they take their bacon pretty seriously. What we Americans call Canadian bacon is really just a lean meaty piece of back bacon. Out here they have something they call peameal bacon, which is canadian bacon that is coated with some cornmeal. Pictured above is a simple sandwich of peameal bacon on a soft white country roll. It may not look too appetizing, but this sandwich is what Binky Griptite would call PMA, or “pretty much awesome.” It is so simple and so good. I bought this in Toronto at the Carousel Bakery, a famous Bakery inside St. Lawrence Market (they seem to be famous for this particular sandwich). St. Lawrence Market (pictured below) is a famous indoor Market in Toronto where you can buy fresh meats, cheese, produce, bread, and some good prepared food.

Today I am in Montreal and there is really only one thing on my mind — Poutine. For those of you who don’t know, poutine is a not-so-good-for-you Quebec staple that is made of french fries topped with hot gravy and cheese curds. Cheese curds, often called squeakers because of the way they squeak when chewed on, are fresh little nuggets of cheddar cheese before it has been aged and pressed into real cheddar. To be good, they must be eaten fresh from the cheese factory, so if you are not in a region with a local cheddar maker, you probably can’t have any squeakers. The beauty of poutine comes from the hotness of the gravy combined with the curd; the gravy is piping hot, but it somehow doesn’t melt the curd. Combine this with some fries and there is nothing better. This Poutine pictured above is from a roadside place called Pataterie La Belle Province. The day before I had a hot dog from a similar joint in Montreal (on mont-royal and marquette) called Restaurant La Belle Province. I am not sure if the two are related, but the hot dog pictured below is another Montreal delight not to be overlooked. This grilled hot dog is placed in a toasted bun and dressed with pickled cabbage, relish and mustard, resulting in a near perfect dog. One thing you will learn quickly when you are in Montreal is the term “All Dress?”. The first time I heard this, I was in a falafel joint. The falafel maker said to me, “All Dress?” while he was assembling the pita. I responded with a confused face. He said it again with a little anger this time, “All Dress? “. I said okay and was happy to see about twelve toppings grace my falafel. Now, when I go to a joint like this and order a hot dog, I happily say yes when I hear this question. It is the obvious answer for anyone who wants the food the way the chef intends it to be.