We were on our way to Poutinefest on Sparks Street.
As we got to the Portage bridge, we realized it was closed. I turned left towards the Alexandria bridge, which was completely jam-packed. I kept going, thinking I’d cross on the MacDonald-Cartier bridge. I did. But there was no getting anywhere near Sparks street. “Everything around here is purple,” stated Ms. Waffle after looking at her traffic app. ”What’s going on?” Ms. Waffle looked it up. The CN Cycle for CHEO. Road closures were numerous. So we gave up on Poutinefest.
We made our way back across the river. First, I thought we could go to Le BBQ Shop on Fournier. But it was closed. I kept going, and figured we could still get our Poutine fix at GAGA Patate. Also closed.
I kept driving around, and Ms. Waffle suggested Routine Poutine. Guess what? Closed.
“Well, La Cage aux Sports is right here – and if I’m not mistaken, it’s free for the kids on Sunday,” I said.
“Let’s go!” she replied.
We were the first customers on this rainy Sunday. We sat in a corner booth, soon to be joined in the next booths by other families coming to enjoy the kids-eat-for-free promo. Every Sunday, you can get one free kid’s meal per adult on the purchase of food worth $10 or more.
Eligible meals include The Slam, Chicken Nuggets, Spaghetti, Mac & Cheese and Pizza. Both kids went for the Pizza.
The pizza, which usually goes for $5.99, was made on a tortilla, topped with pulled chicken and red peppers, with a cheddar and mozzarella mix. Not your typical pizza, then. Somewhat healthier than the usual kids’ pizza.
To compensate, the kids enjoyed the free, fresh-made, salty popcorn, again and again.
That’s because La Cage has a new menu and a healthier approach generally. This is thanks to the arrival of TV Chef Louis-François Marcotte in March last year. There was a makeover of the menu and even a name change few months later – the chain is now branding itself as La Cage – Brasserie sportive.
Here we have a patty made of, just wait, Beef and Sausage. The burger is topped with goat cheese, grilled red onions, Boston lettuce. It is garnished with a horseradish and Dijon sauce.
Ms. Waffle stated that it was surprisingly bland.
Pulled roasted chicken, topped with crumbled bacon, served in a hamburger bun. They complete the dish with their poutine sauce, green peas and green onions.
The sandwich was tall and looked good. It wasn’t a bad Hot Chicken – the pulled chicken was tender and juicy. The bacon was overflowing from the sandwich, and along with the poutine sauce, it gave a big salty punch.
The green peas brought in a good texture balance, with a nice pop. The freshness came from the green onions, but frankly, it mostly brought too much sharpness. I could have done without.
Both the burger and the hot chicken were served with French fries. La Cage has changed that too. Gone are the pale, thin, French-style frites. There fries are now closer to a diner style, darker shade and bigger size. An improvement.
All things considered and being equal, the new menu is adding some different options without veering too far from La Cage aux Sports’ old classics. You will find what you need to enjoy a match, with a bit more variety and interesting twists than before. An improvement on a lasting formula.