Grand Rapids Poutine Week Has Kicked Off

One of the ultimate comfort foods, poutine, is once again being highlighted in Grand Rapids.

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Grand Rapids Michigan Street Poutine Week is back in 2023!

If you've never had poutine, it's French fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. It started in Quebec, Canada in the 1950s, but has become a Midwestern staple throughout the years.

According to the Farmer's Almanac,

Its name comes from a Quebecois slang word meaning 'mess', and one popular story posits that Warwick restaurateur Fernand Lachance created it in 1957 at the request of longtime customer Eddy Lainesse. While making the dish, Lachance is said to have exclaimed, Ca va faire une maudite poutine! (Roughly translated: 'It will make a damn mess!).

As with any dish, there are many variations on poutine. I've seen it made with sweet potato fries instead of regular fries, or with different toppings like bacon, avocado, onion, sausage, mushrooms, jalapenos, fried eggs - the list goes on!

Poutine Week coincides with ArtPrize this year, running September 14 through October 2, 2023.

A dozen Michigan Street restaurants and bars are battling it out to see who's got the best, most creative poutine dish on the block.

This year's participating restaurants are:

• 7 Monks
• Birch Lodge
• Bob's Bar
• Duke's
• Elbow Room
• The Friesan
• Glass House
• Grand Coney 
• Kaffeine
• Logan's Alley
• Maggie's
• Taco Borracho

Check out what each restaurant is serving up here.

Here's a look at some of the dishes from years' past:

Last year's winning dish came from Kaffeine place GR.

It was a Korean-Style Fried Spice Chicken Poutine made with Miso and Sweet Potato Fries and topped with Housemade Cheese Gravy.

So get out there and try some poutine! You can vote for your favorites here.

Stay tuned for updates by following Michigan Street Poutine Week on Facebook!