A lot of people on the West Coast like to take shots at the Toronto Maple Leafs.
To be fair, a lot of people across Canada do, as well.
But one pub in B.C. is doing it in a unique, and very Canadian, way.
The 17 Mile Pub in Sooke has an appetizer that goes straight for the hockey team's pride. Called the Maple Leafs Poutine, it's a $67 dish that's sure to leave you unsatisfied.
"In usual Leafs fashion, a cold, [it's an] overpriced dish served with underperforming gravy, ice cold fries and a side of disappointment," reads the menu description of the Leafs Poutine.
The high price, by the way, is a nod to the last time the leafs won the cup.
Just above sits another dish, the Habs Poutine. It's a fairly straightforward take on classic poutine, which hails, like the Habs, from Quebec.
Pub co-owner James Lemire tells Vancouver Is Awesome the Leafs dish has been around more than a decade and comes from the friendly rivalry his business partner Ken Whitaker has with local Leafs fans.
"We've always had a playful banter with the Leafs fans in the area. There's lots out here," he explains. "Some regulars are Leafs fans."
Before the poutine came a 'No Leafs Fans' sign, put up in jest, and then urinal cakes with Leafs logos.
"We thought that was a bit too far," says Lemire. "But then he created the Leafs poutine, and of course the Habs Poutine, as well, as the better tasting of the two."
Lots of people get a laugh out of it, he adds, and it sometimes goes viral with hockey fans out east.
However, it's only occasionally ordered and so far has never been served. To make it, it would take 45 minutes to let the fries cool properly and the gravy to get cold and disappointing.
"We've been able to talk everyone out of it," Lemire says, noting that when people do ask for it, he promises to charge them the $67 and that usually ends things.
However, he may not always have that to rely on. Leafs fans are bugging them to change the price if the team brings home the cup soon, but Lemire (an Oilers fan) is hoping there isn't another Leafs cup win until 2067.
And for those wondering why a Vancouver Island pub doesn't have a Canucks poutine, it did. But when COVID arrived, the menu had to shrink and it hasn't returned.
"It had bacon and stuff on it; mushrooms, the works," he says. "It was quite tasty."
