Poutine at a White House dinner? It's happening tonight as President Obama and the First Lady host Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The Canadian delicacy, a heavy mix of French fries, cheese curds and gravy, is hardly a rarefied meal. You'd expect to find it at a local tavern, but not 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
But White House chef Cristeta Comerford has not gone mad. She's deconstructing the typically gloppy Quebec dish and giving it a formal spin by turning it into a canapé. The evening's 200 guests will encounter a wafer fry topped with fine shavings of both smoked duck and cheese curd, finished with a red wine gravy flourish.
The White House did not mention a Labatt chaser.
For those who won't find themselves in black tie in the East Room, yet are hit by a poutine craving, consider visiting the Rabbit Hole (920 E. Lake St., Mpls., 612-236-4526) for its fantastic Korean-influenced variation (a pork-curry gravy, kimchi and a soft poached egg, $10.75), the mountainous and bacon-topped version ($8.99) at Burger Jones (3200 W. Lake St., Mpls., 612-746-0800 and 1619 County Road 42, Burnsville, 952-885-2289), the poitin-infused gravy (and Lone Grazer Creamery cheese curds) topping the hand-cut chips ($8.50) at the Anchor Fish & Chips (302 13th Av. NE., Mpls., 612-676-1300) and the a.m. variation (mushroom gravy and a sunny side-up egg, $9) served at lunch at Muddy Waters (2933 Lyndale Av. S., Mpls., 612-872-2233).
Also on the White House menu: Alaskan halibut "casseroles" with spring vegetables, a salad of roasted apricots and heirloom lettuces and farmstead cheese (from a Galax, Va., cheesemaker), baby lamb chops (splashed with Canadian whisky) with creamy Yukon Gold potatoes and just-harvested vegetables, and a maple pecan cake (sorry, Canada, the maple syrup is from New England) and butterscotch swirl ice cream. Wines are from California and northern Michigan.
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