Grannan's takeout poutine (Image: submitted)
Saint John’s first ever Uptown Poutine Fest is preparing to start a new culinary tradition while supporting restaurants during another COVID-19 lockdown.
Uptown Saint John Executive Director, Nancy Tissington says several Uptown restaurants came to the organization in mid-December about putting together the festival in anticipation of health restrictions and the typical slow January season.
Together with the local Business Improvement Area association (BIA), they got to cooking up the Poutine Fest.
“We’re doing all their advertising and the push for it, and we’ve had a huge response online,” said Tissington. “With Chop Chop Week and Burger Week it just makes sense that it comes under our umbrella and we can be that conduit to help businesses – they just have to go and prepare the dishes, wait for the patrons to come in.”
Churchills Steakhouse Philly Cheeseteak Poutine (Image: Submitted)
Over 20 Uptown Saint John restaurants, from East Coast Bistro to Toro Taco, will participate and offer delicious different takes on poutine dishes, from Monday, January 10 to Sunday, January 16.
Poutine Fest’s menu also offers restaurants the vegetarian and the gluten free options. If contacted ahead of time, most of the restaurants can make substitutes for those with dietary restrictions as well.
“What we’re here to do is to support our local businesses, in particular right now with the restaurants struggling during the holidays,” she said, adding the 50 percent reduced seating capacity is a struggle for restaurants. “They’re still a force to be reckoned with, they’re resilient, but when they do need us – they do need us to come out and support.”
The festival’s menu can be viewed online and will be updated regularly with new dishes. Takeout and curbside pick-up are available to order for customers.
“I feel like this [Poutine Fest] is going to come and stay with us,” said Tissington, adding they are following the online chatter getting the word out about the week-long event. “Its a Canadian comfort food, so it only makes sense that we do it in January and get everybody feeling really good and their bellies.”
