La Belle Patate, 1215 Davie St.

Fritz European Fry House, 718 Davie St.

In the Montreal Canadiens jersey, weighing in at 30 different flavours and 2 locations, hailing from Montreal, Quebec, boasting  Quebec beer and

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Fritz looks afraid.  Clearly a sign of curd-size-envy – not pretty.  La Patate is indefatigable here.  I literally have never seen cheese curds that large.  It’s like they escaped from some sort of secret government cheese testing program.

In the face of such huge wallops of cheese, Fritz is staying loose and wiry; the curds may be smaller, but, look at that depth – its curds are piled 2 layers-deep!

Fritz: 3/4

LBP: 4/4

Judges tally – Split decision, LBP leads by 1.

Round 3 (Fries)

master and commander: the far side of the world dvdrip

Fritz fries left something to be desired.

Fritz is known for fries; that’s where the moniker Fritz comes from.  Frites (pronounced Fritz) is French for French Fries.  And they they have the best fries in Vancouver.  But arrogance breeds complacency, and complacency breeds mistakes.

Fritz clearly didn’t know what hit it, when LBP brought its home cut fries into the ring.  Fritz tried to battle back, but its performance looked half-baked, and tasted overcooked.  Maybe it was the bitter taste of defeat.

Fritz: 2/4

LBP: 4/4

Judges tally  LBP by unanimous decision.

Round 4 (Final round – Ambience)

Fritz recovered well from the last round, although it looked a little dazed – as if someone had turned the lights on at the bar at closing – much like those patrons who find Fritz a welcome post-party respite.  Without much seating room, Fritz seemed destined to stand up to LBP’s salvos.

LBP had tricks up its sleeve, however.  It landed a devastating combination: 80′s rock music, Quebec beer, Quebec license plates adorning the walls, Quebeckers speaking in French in the corner.  LBP pummelled Fritz, and finally broke through the exterior with a magnificent upper cut – service available completely in French!

Fritz:  2/4

LBP: 11/4

Judges tally – LBP by knockout victory.  LBP advances to semi-finals.

Click to see the entire tournament bracket.

]]> http://thethunderbird.ca/2010/03/23/west-end-upend-la-belle-patate-vs-fritz-european-fry-house/feed/ 0 http://thethunderbird.ca/2010/03/23/so-you-want-to-learn-french/ http://thethunderbird.ca/2010/03/23/so-you-want-to-learn-french/#comments Tue, 23 Mar 2010 09:17:29 +0000 Daniel Hallen http://thethunderbird.ca/?p=9346

A scene at a Paris cafe in Montorgueil-Saint Denis, photo by flickr user Mecredi

You walk by this scene, a lively cafe in Montorgueil-St Denis, in Paris, dog-eared Berlitz French phrase book in-hand.

Now what?

You could haltingly order a cup of coffee, ask the time, or ask the way to the Post office. All useful skills, certainly.

But, wouldn’t it be great to pull up a chair next to the chic woman in polkadots and dangly earrings, and share a conversation and a glass of merlot?  Sure, there’s a chance she speaks English.  Why don’t you try?

Afraid she might not be so friendly if you drone on in…<gasp> anglais?

That would not be, as they say, “Super cool.”

Don’t fret!  You can change this scenario – it is within your power.

You could join a in Vancouver, or eat at a French restaurant.  All great ideas, but will they get the job done?  That depends on your existing level of comfort in French.

Or, you could enroll in one of the many French classes offered throughout the city.  You might think that it would be difficult to find classes in French in a city where Cantonese and Mandarin are more commonly heard on the street, but there are actually lots of avenues down which you can pursue that passion.

Let’s assume you want to take a beginner class – you’ve got some options…

– 6161 Cambie St.

- offers 2-hour classes either twice per week or once per week, depending on your schedule.  Average price for one class is $25.

– 1551 W 7th Ave.

- offers one 2-hour class per week, average price per class is $18, cheaper if you become a member of the cultural center.  A free placement test is required to determine your starting level.

– 1892 W Broadway

- offers one 2-hour class per week, on Thursdays, the average price for each class is $29.  Private lessons are also available for $40 per session, for really intensive frenchification.

also offers classes both at the main campus and the Robson Square campus.  They vary in price.

A beginner class, offered at the main campus, is offered each Thursday for 2-hours at a time; it costs an average of $32 per class!

Find the one closest to you below:


View in a larger map

Tonight, I visited a weekly meeting at Vancouver’s , 1551 West 7^th Street (Le Centre Culturel Francophone).  As I arrived, under glaring fluorescent lights, ten people were seated around small tables in the midst of a French-language library. The ambiance was more bookstore than lounge.

Although the cultural center is attached to a French bistro, (see it compete in La Vie Vancouver’s ), they either did not have coffee or were not able to serve it in the library area.

Despite the lighting and lack of warm beverages, the company was superb.

I was welcomed instantly by Ted, a retiree and repeat customer, who spoke fluent French although he only started learning five years ago.

Throughout the evening, the number of people grew to twenty – only two were actually francophone, the rest were French language enthusiasts of all stripes.

Milan, a Serbian-Canadian who speaks 4 languages, explained to me there are a number of venues and occasions over a given month where French is the language of choice.

He said he preferred some of the other meeting spots to the cultural center – places where you could purchase coffee or something to eat.

The cultural center’s Wednesday night meetings run from 7 pm until 9 pm, when the die-hards go to a nearby McDonald’s to keep the party going.

What do people discuss at these meetings?  Like any conversation, that depends on those attending.  As a newcomer, most of the initial conversations I had with the other members were focused on how we each came to speak french.  By the end, we were discussing attitudes towards life, religion, love, and the end of the world.

The reasons for attending such a soiree  are one of two  – either to improve an existing level of french, or to keep up skill in a language not commonly spoken in this city.

As there are events that occur throughout every month, I thought it would be easier to keep track of them using a Google Calendar, see below. All the events listed are free of charge, but it is appropriate to purchase food or drink when the events take place in restaurants.

Poutine from Resto La Banquise, Montreal, courtesy of Flickr user wallyg

Primer:  Invented in rural Quebec in the 1950s, poutine is to one of Canada’s greatest inventions.  It marries the unholy trinity of French fries, cheese curds, and gravy to create a cardiac-arrest-inducing melange that can be described only as magical. Or as it was first described, a “mess” which is a rough translation of the slang word “poutine.”

There are various iterations of the dish which add hotdog bits, smoked meat pieces, chicken chunks, pepperoni, or an Italian meat sauce. A true poutine must be able to survive without the extra accoutrements.  As this is a distinctly Quebecois food, places that serve it well tend to attract a Francophone crowd.

A battle royale