Vendors are offering everything from classic fries, cheese curds and gravy to brisket and jerk chicken poutine
Saultites enjoyed fries, poutine and cheese curds – along with many other delicious combinations – at the annual Poutine Feast, running at the Downtown Plaza this week.
Business was brisk on Thursday as five different poutine vendors served the public.
“We come every year,” said customer Emma Hotchkiss, who stopped by with her mother Patricia Montesi.
They each enjoyed an order of deep-fried cheese curd poutine from The Tragically Chip Wagon.
The dish included deep-fried mozzarella sticks with cheese and gravy.
“I love poutine. The cheese is my favourite part of it,” Hotchkiss said.
Vendors at this year’s Poutine Feast include Dude Bro Potato Co., Groovy Gravy, Smokin’ Carnivore, The Tragically Chip Wagon and Fat Les’s Chip Stand.
Each of the vendors come from Ottawa except for Groovy Gravy, which came from Belleville.
Though poutine typically consists of French fries covered in cheese curds and gravy, vendors show a great deal of imagination in what they offer customers.
The Tragically Chip Wagon, for example, also sells General Tao Chicken, Hot Honey Chicken, and Chili and Cheese poutine along with many other combinations.
Smokin’ Carnivore sells Smoked Brisket, Smoked Pulled Pork, Jerk Chicken and Smoke House Sausage Stack poutine.
“We’re the only food truck here that smokes our meat. We’re the only truck here that has brisket. We smoke the pulled pork for a lot of the other trucks,” said Arianna Needham of Smokin’ Carnivore.
Other vendors at Poutine Feast are selling cool drinks, miniature doughnuts and leather goods.
Poutine vendors travel across Ontario to attend events from late spring to early fall.
Poutine Feast was first held in the Sault in 2018.
Live entertainment was provided by The Hustle Brothers at The Downtown Plaza on Thursday.
This year’s Poutine Feast began Wednesday and continues until Sunday, running from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m.