Dairy Belle

With its walk-up window and picnic tables, Dairy Belle would be welcome enough if it were only an old-fashioned ice cream and hot dog stand. But owners Gilles and Ritane Grenier and their daughter Isabelle also serve the dishes of their native land, Quebec. First, that means poutine ($5.83 to $7.32), a pile of French fries tossed with salty, mozzarella-like white cheese curds and smothered in hot gravy that melts everything together and makes it taste deceptively wholesome. Need your veggies? There's poutine italienne, with the same fries and curds covered in a homemade tomato sauce; and galvaude, a gravy-based version that adds shredded chicken and mushy peas, hitting all the major food groups. Another regional specialty is the guedille ($3.18), a loose mayo-based salad of chopped lettuce, tomato, and onion on a toasted hot dog bun, chicken, or chopped egg. Don't miss their homemade caramel topping, rich with cream. Cash only!