Diabo's Restaurant

I went there on a busy Saturday at lunch time. The place was a little too overcrowded to my taste, which made ordering a bit longer than I would have liked. I dove in my Petite Poutine, which ended up being worth the wait, but not up to my expectations, given all the buzz around that place recently. The first 3 bites were pleasant, with the fresh curds squeak being the predominant impression. Digging in, the feeling was more about the gravy, on which I couldn't distinguish a spice or characteristic. It was less salty than its aspect suggested, and the next few bites evolved into notes of bitterness of which I couldn't identify the source. It had to be the gravy or the oil. The cheese, sliced to tiny bits was rather fresh and the melt almost non-existent - which I find a good thing. The slice made it that every bite had some cheese in it, as it was spread on top of the dish. The fries had a good crisp to them, and were a bit dark, but kept some crunch for a good while but had surrendered to the gravy at the end. The gravy was a dark, thick glaze that coated the fries nicely and didn't quite add so much sogginess. At the bottom, a thin layer of chopped curds which ended up being a pleasant surprise. I fought to get all the bits I could, but they were melted but still firm at this point. The portion was too generous, I had to give up on some of the fries. I'll attribute the burnt bitter taste to the gravy, hence my grade of 7, but I'll never really know what the source of it was. Not a bad place.