I’ve noticed a bit of a pattern lately.
When Thursday rolls around I’ve been getting an itch to go out for dinner. Thursdays used to be the one day a week I expected the Everyman to cook for me, and we jokingly named it Survive Everyman’s Cooking night (as he’s a huge Survivor fan). Sadly, I can’t remember the last time we had one of these nights, and yesterday I did not feel like cooking. Halfway through my day I pinged the Everyman to find out if he was receptive to going out. My plan had been to call Cowbell. Unfortunately, it took so long to hear back from the Everyman while I was in meetings that by the time I called, all that was left were the super early or really late seatings. My hopes dashed, the Everyman and I set to thinking about where we could go for dinner instead that would not be a disappointment after the possibility of Cowbell.
We’ve always had a relatively good time at Czehoski, so when the Everyman suggested it instead, it sounded like a reasonable alternative. I’d quietly considered The Black Hoof for a few seconds beforehand, but vetoed it on the basis that I didn’t feel like being bloated (there’s nothing wrong with the food, I just always eat too much). We set off for Czehoski and the thought of a comfort food dinner, (something that their kitchen seems to specialize in) danced in our heads.
When we got there, the Everyman easily chose the burger, (having craved the Cowbell burger before we found out we couldn’t make it there) but I had a bit more trouble. I knew I wanted to try the poutine, but I had no idea what I wanted to eat with it. Out of frustration I selected the macaroni and cheese, flummoxed by their drastically pared back menu that left nothing complementary to order with poutine. I knew the Everyman would inevitably steal half of my poutine anyway, (even though his burger came with fries) so I wasn’t overly concerned about how much food there would be.
The poutine was fabulous. It was crunchy, chewy and toasty, with a savoury bacon gravy and perfectly gooey, springy curds. I’ll admit, I’ve glanced at this poutine on the menu pretty much every time we’ve been in, but the thought of the bacon gravy always scared me away. Last night I found that I’d had nothing to worry about, as it was superb. I wish I could say the same for my mac and cheese, which was soupy and floury tasting, and in desperate need of texture. But I didn’t care, I’d had mind-blowing poutine. As usual, the Everyman’s burger was excellent, and I stole a tiny bite, wishing I had poutine left to go with it.
Our dinner was typical of past experiences at Czehoski; they’re pretty good at preparing most of the things on their menu relatively well. And they’re a good place to stop if all you want are the simple things. But I’ll still be going to Cowbell this weekend if I can get in. Sometimes there just isn’t any other way to satisfy a craving…
Until next time…
Tags: Cowbell, Czehoski, Grant Van Gameren, Mark Cutrara, Restaurants, Reviews, The Black Hoof
