We both love shopping at Costco, especially when traveling. Recently we stopped at the Costco food court in Montreal, Canada while on vacation. While planning our trips both in the US and in other countries, we always include stops at Costco to search for local product options not available in Texas. You just never know what will make the perfect souvenir to take back home.
So, what did the Costco food court Canada menu look like?
At first glance it looked identical to our local Costco store. The hot dog and drink combo is $1.50, but at the current Canadian exchange rate that converts to about $1.10 USD, quite the bargain. I noticed immediately that you still have the option to choose the beef hot dog or polish sausage. We haven’t had the polish dog available in Houston for several years and that’s one of the items I miss from the food court. Although, the item I miss the most that Costco stopped making is their gelato. The Stracciatella and pistachio flavors were awesome. It’d be incredible if they brought the gelato back!
Glancing back at the menu, I quickly noticed a few unusual special menu items. There were french fries on the menu in multiple options. You can order fries alone, with chicken strips (also not available in Texas) or as Poutine. We also don’t have the ice cream cones at our local stores.
What exactly is Poutine?
Poutine is a plate of french fries topped with gravy and cheese curds. It appears to originate in Quebec from the 1950s. For those of us from the south, I was familiar with fries and gravy, but knew nothing about cheese curds. Derived from the process of curdling milk and then separating the curds from the whey constitutes the making of Cheese curds. Curds are moist pieces of fresh cheese that have a “squeak” when you bite into them. They can be plain, cheddar, or contain any number of flavorings. I just wish that they were available for sale here in the south.
Poutine is perhaps Canadian “comfort food” at its best, as it’s very popular throughout Canada. There are even festivals and celebrations around this dish. They take place in Canada, New England, and around the world. La Poutine Week is from February 1-7 every year. It’s the largest poutine festival in Canada, with over 700 restaurants making poutines.
I’ve seen poutine on menus here everywhere and in some very creative ways. There’s Carribean style with chopped jerk chicken, Tex-Mex style with chili. There are toppings like chopped smoked meat or Cajun seasonings. The variations are endless. On my first trip to Canada decades ago, I ordered poutine and loved it. Now, it’s always the first thing I eat whenever I return.
Since our first stop upon arriving in Montreal was Costco, that’s what I ordered. The size of my order was huge and the cheese curds plentiful–more than enough to share. I certainly satisfied my craving. Yum!
What are some of the discontinued items you miss at the Costco food court? Are there menu items you’ve seen in other Costco food courts that you wish were available at your local store?
Facebook Comments