La Poutine, 1592 Wood Fired Kitchen & Cocktails

In doing research for this story I came across some intriguing information about the dish called poutine. There are conflicting stories regarding the origin of this quintessentially French Canadian comfort food staple. There’s the story of Fernand LaChance, who ran a restaurant in Warwick, Quebec, in 1957 and is said to have declared “Ça va faire une Maudite poutine!” or “It will make a damn mess!” when a truck driver requested the dish to go. There are competing claims out of Drummondville (something about pudding and a cook named Ti-Pout) and Princeville (something about customers mixing up their own dishes).

Ultimately, there is no mistaking three true things about poutine: number one, it comes from Quebec; number two, it’s a pretty stellar hangover cure; number three, the best version in Sarasota is served in a giant bowl at 1592 Wood Fired Kitchen (formerly named Avlí Mess Hall) on Main Street.

A truly delicious and satisfying bowl of authentic French Canadian cuisine at a Greek restaurant? Well, yes … and, no. Yes, it’s authentic, and no, it’s not strictly a Greek restaurant. There’s a melting pot going on behind the scenes at 1592 and that influence is finding purchase in the eclectic menu. The team behind 1592 is paying homage to their roots with a few French-Canadian dishes—other than the aforementioned poutine—but there’s also a touch of Portuguese influence (in the Piri Piri Chicken Breast) and a little British inspiration (in the Bangers and Mash) and some Italian verve (in the Arancini). The tagline for 1592 Wood Fired Kitchen is “Bold, Global, Vibrant”— they took the opportunity to rebrand when they were encouraged to change the name Avlí soon after opening.

There’s a lot to love at this beautiful addition to the downtown restaurant scene including the fact that everything is fresh and everything is made in-house. The cocktails contain fresh-pressed juices and fresh herbs and even the mayonnaise doesn’t come out of a jar, or a packet. Th anks to Chef Alexandre Gosselin and his partners Mila Aguiar and Edward Zaki, everything at 1592 is made to order and made with love, including my new favorite dish: the poutine. 1592’s version is comprised of twice-baked, hand-cut French fries; large, perfectly textured cheese curds; and a craveable veal gravy. We may never know the true origin of poutine, but I can certainly tell you where they’ve mastered it.

1592 Wood Fired Kitchen & Cocktails: 1592 Main St, Sarasota; 941-365-2234; avlionmain.com