From WWLTV.com, I ran across this New York Times article. It pains me to say there is a great deal of truth in the article. Po-boy restaurants in the New Orleans area are dwindling. The biggest reason is cited:
A creeping monoculture is the most frequently cited threat, exemplified by chains like Subway and Quiznos, which are making inroads south of I-10.
It's always difficult for locals to compete with national mega-chains. Hurricane Katrina only exacerbated the already bad situation for them. Katrina wiped out the two I frequented most in Gentilly and New Orleans east. One of them failed at a comeback and the other took a long time to recover. The mega-chains had the resources to get up and running quicker than the locals. As Adrian Monk might say, here's the thing: There is a whole generation, maybe two, that don't know the difference between a real New Orleans Po-Boy and a Subway Sandwich. I quoted the relevant passage from the BOTD to tell you what a New Orleans roast beef po-boy is about. Roast beef is the standard and the most popular po-boy made. If you ever have a good one here, you would throw rocks at the next Philly cheesesteak sub you see. Some day, we may only have Philly cheesesteak subs. I rue that day.
- Red Barchetta 6:11 Rush Moving Pictures
- Highway (Killing Me) 3:51 Foghat Foghat
- Going Home - Theme From 'Local Hero' 6:05 Dire Straits Alchemy [Disc 2]
- The Railroad 6:18 Grand Funk Railroad Caught In The Act
- Sanctified 5:48 Nine Inch Nails Pretty Hate Machine
Quote of the Day
Oh, you know, the railroad
Is a mighty good line
Come on and ride the railroad
One more time
Grand Funk Railroad, The Railroad
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "The object of the Po Boy Bread in this recipe is to make the eating experience as messy as possible. During your first bite the sandwich should flatten somewhat and your hands (as well as chin and possibly clothing) should be awash with gravy, beef debris, mayonnaise and possibly a few shreds of lettuce as the contents spray from the sides as if the sandwich was stepped on. Relax and enjoy, resist the urge to reach for that over sized stack of napkins until the last morsel is gone. In my humble opinion, the best Roast Beef Po Boys in New Orleans are judged by the amount of napkins used to clean up the aftermath."
Great video at the BOTD. Boiled roast beef? Well, if it works, it works. Put Parasol's or any equivalent that you recommend on the tour.
Never been to Parasol's, Dave. For roast beef, I go to Come Back Inn, Mother's, or Sammy's. Rhonda's Diner was pretty good, too, but it's gone since Katrina. We can surely go to Parasol's, though. I will not let you go hungry. Promise. :)
"I will not let you go hungry."
Ha! My apologies if I left the impression that I thought you or Patsy ever would do so. I've never had any doubt that you all would be great hosts that way.
Man, this is sad. I never gave it much thought, but it certainly makes sense. Some of the best po-boys outside of New Orleans used to be available at Mary Mahoney's in Biloxi, but looks like Katrina did them in too. They used to serve sandwiches and similar fare on the patio and their finer dining was inside. Looks like they've gotten rid of the sandwich part of their operation. That's a huge chunk of my youth gone to that damn storm.
If you ever make it here, Dave, you'll get a good sampling of the food we used to eat here almost every day. Make sure you have a few extra notches on your belt. :)
We've succumbed to the Subways and other national chains for the change of pace and also because I don't work in New Orleans any more but we both prefer New Orleans cuisine to anything else.
I've never been to Mary Mahoney's, Cullen. Did they get their French bread from New Orleans? I hardly ever make it out to the gulf coast any more. The problem with po-boys outside of New Orleans, for me anyway, is that the French bread is usually baked above sea level and at lower humidity. It's just not as good anywhere else but some restaurants outside of but still fairly close to New Orleans get their French bread delivered from Leidenheimer's. Makes all the difference.
http://www.leidenheimer.com/history_po.htm
http://www.leidenheimer.com
I don't know, Rob. I always found it to be really good. It had that great texture and it flattened out real well. Chewy, but not too chewy.
If they did bake their own, I would imagine that it wouldn't be too far off New Orleans' style. The altitude difference is minimal (it's only 20ft above sea level) and the humidity is almost exactly the same.