Pig Out On Poutine At Perfect Potato

Perfect Potato opened their doors at 172 5th Avenue a couple of weeks ago and we decided it was time to find out how perfect their potatoes really are.

The small shop, which barely has room for a counter, serves traditional Belgian fries with a variety of free and specialty sauces and four different types of poutine.

Although poutine is popular in Quebec and other parts of Canada, it hasn’t fully made it’s way to New York yet. There are only a handful of places where you can get the Canadian favorite, which features fries drenched in brown gravy and cheese curds.

Perfect Potato owner Stephanie Seitman spent time in Canada going on poutine tours and even interning at Chez Claudette in Montreal in order to make sure she got the dish just right before opening Perfect Potato.

And the poutine Stephanie serves up is not for the faint of heart. You can get a classic style poutine ($6.95-9.95) with brown gravy and cheese curds, but the real highlight at Perfect Potato are some of the specialized versions.

The Mushroom Poutine ($9.95-12.95) features hand cut fries, Vermont cheese curd, mushroom gravy, three different types of mushrooms, peas and onions. The mushroom gravy has a very rich flavor and the vegetables are a great addition.

The little shop might be the perfect place to stop in on a weekend when you’ve had a little too much to drink the night before, but don’t want to completely miss out on brunch.

Their Hangover Poutine ($9.95-12.95) has everything you could ask for after a night on the town. This time the hand cut fries are topped with fried eggs, onions, peas, and candied bacon in addition to the brown gravy and cheese curds. The candied bacon adds a sweetness that works surprisingly well with the salty fries and gravy.

To wash it all down, try one of the creamy milkshakes ($8-12). The Banana Cream Pie, made with caramelized, grilled bananas and graham cracker crumble mixed with a vanilla base is decadent treat.

If you want something a little bit lighter, grab a cone of Belgian fries ($5-9). We recommend splurging the extra $2 for a specialty sauce like the Moroccan Tangine with Apricot, but if you want to grab a free sauce, the Siracha ketchup and Dijon mustard both have a nice kick.

Stephanie emphasizes that all of the ingredients they use at Perfect Potato are sustainably sourced and “reasonably” organic. They also have a vegetarian and vegan version of the gravy and they don’t use peanut oil on the fries. And, Stephanie says, many of the vegetables featured in the poutine are bought straight from the farmers’ market.

Although the place is a bit tight, it’s well worth the trip for a quick snack or a full meal. The shop is open by noon everyday except Monday and until 10pm on Sundays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays and 11pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.