A breakfast poutine

Ms. Waffle has an early hospital appointment, for which she had to fast for 32 hours prior. In solidarity, I didn’t eat in the morning either. I’m basically a White Knight.

So we got on my horse and headed to the hospital. Once she went through the appointment, I had to feed her. How did I know? She had started gnawing on her arm.

I had thought of a great spot to break her fast.

Not too far from the Gatineau hospital, there is a spot claiming to be opened 25 hours a day and offering all-day breakfast: Deli Chenoy’s.

Chenoy’s is a small delicatessen chain, the first store opened in Montreal in 1936, in the old Jewish neighborhood near the Main on Saint Laurent, near Marie-Anne. You won’t be surprised to learn that its original claim to fame was the smoked meat sandwich.

Chenoy’s would succeed and later franchise, opening restaurants in the Montreal and Laval area. Most of them are now closed, leaving only two standing. The oldest remaining Chenoy’s is in Dollard-des-Ormeaux and was opened in 1974 by Morty Chenoy and the Sigounis brothers. And there is the Gatineau location, openeed in the Complexe Lumière in 1997.

Deli Chenoy’s breakfast menu is quite extensive. There are 62 different meals on the offer, excluding the optional sides and other variations. Classic eggs, omelettes, pancakes and french toasts, in many declinations.

Ms. Waffle selected the Bacon Omelette ($9.25), served with home fries and coffee. Two slices of orange accompanied the dish, and, much to Ms. Waffle’s displeasures, some of the home fries were touching the fruit. “I don’t want my potatoes to taste like oranges!” she exclaimed.

Before pointing out that she was overreacting since only 3-4 pieces of home fries were touching the oranges, I remembered that she had not eaten all weekend, I remembered how much I loved her and I remembered how much I loved being alive and would rather not die. So I stayed quiet and looked down at my plate.

Which was quite the sight.

Lo and behold, the Breakfast Poutine! A new menu on the item, at $7.25 for 12,000 calories, it was quite the deal! Home fries, fresh cheese curds, topped with hollandaise sauce.

Now talk about breaking a fast! This was huge! A large dish, filled with crispy home fries, squeaky curds and a very rich hollandaise sauce. I needed a Coke to cut through the richness!

It was quite delicious, but my oh my how rich! I was quite glad I resisted the temptation to upgrade my poutine with extra garnishes, such as the bacon, sausage or smoked meat as gently suggested by the menu.

Ms. Waffle quite enjoyed her omelette, with plenty of bacon and cheese. She especially enjoyed the coffee. I don’t get it.

We paid up and went straight back to the Gatineau hospital so I could get an echocardiogram.