Review: BadHappy Poutine Shop
By Minna A in Food on Apr 5, 2012 7:20PM
You know it’s true: anything that makes you this happy is probably bad for you. And at BadHappy Poutine Shop they get that and encourage it.
You heard right, a shop completely focused on poutine. Unfamiliar with poutine? It’s a Canadian dish constructed of fries, cheese curds and gravy. That sounds unnecessarily decadent, but chef and owner Tom Kern raises the bar, using his extensive fine dining experience to dress up these delicious concoctions.
BadHappy Poutine Shop is located in the former Big & Little’s location, but the space has been slightly reconfigured to allow for ample seating. In addition to poutine, the menu offers a selection of “smoosh”, burgers, salads and shakes. The smoosh are constructed with house-made ingredients - our hands-down favorite is the aqua smoosh, with house-cured salmon, pickled calamari and rouille. The poutine isn’t like the fast food variety offered in Canada. Try the Happy Face, which boasts chicken-fried sweet breads, kale and foie gras gravy or the One Hot Asian made with ingredients used in Vietnamese Bahn Mis and topped with a tangy kimchi sauce.
On our visit, we sampled the "The Good, The Bad and The Happy" and "The RedNeck." The Good, The Bad and The Happy is a true testament to Chef Kern’s fine dining background. The fries are paired with fromage Beaucronne, pork belly, foie gras mousse, braised veal, truffle mayo, foie gras gravy and to top it all off, a Sunny Egg. All together, that may seem like a big bite, but every bit is rich with all of the complimenting flavors. We also tasted the RedNeck, which is topped with fried okra, a big ball of fried mac and cheese and a gravy made from PBR. It’s true, we saw the pack of PBRs get toted inside.
Every poutine is unique, with every part of the dish made in-house. Kern says the wide range of flavors for each dish is a tribute to his past, with each dish representing a part of his personal history. The RedNeck poutine is an homage to his southern upbringing, and The Good, The Bad and The Happy a creation from his time in fine dining.
Looking to wash down these heavy dishes with a cold drink? BadHappy Poutine Shop offers a small selection of shakes and drinks, but is BYOB. On weekends, BadHappy is BYOV; bring your own vodka, and they’ll provide you with the bloody mary mix.
BadHappy Poutine Shop is located at 939 N. Orleans.