Poboy Preservation Festival

[Backstrap]

I heard there's this awesome new law firm in the area and they have a great conference table.

Is it the one with the sign, "Barrister Bam Bam"?

[EatinAintCheatin]

We decided to go early and got there right at 11am. Good thing. We were able to sample some poboys.

Bozo's stuffed crab poboy - This was the winner. Very tasty with a nice amount of crab and spicy roumalade sauce.

Parkways roast beef - Their standard roast beef was being sampled for $2 and included swiss cheese. A great value and a very good sandwich. But you can get it any time. They even gave you a bag of Zapp's.

Emeril's abomination, the fried green tomato, bacon and shrimp - The bread seemed very dense, not airy N.O. French bread. The fried green tomatoes were ice cold. Best described as a gut bomb.

Bozo's was by far the best. By that time we were full. It's a good thing because when we left around 12:15 the lines were unbearable.

Got home in time to watch the Saints kick some Tampa Bay butt.

[justagirl]

You think it'd be ok if we ate a sloppy, drippy roast beef at his new table? And more importantly, can we use his parking? haha...

Just kidding, we're gonna park at Jefferson Playground and ride our bikes on the levee there.

I can safely say I didn't post that...but I did leave my laptop unattended while I took a nap yesterday...Damn lawyers are so slippery.

[Turbodog]

As we were watching the New England-Jets game yesterday, my 24 year old says damned that Nick (his 22 year old brother, who now lives on Carrolton near the river). I asked why he said that. He shows me his phone, with a text message from Nick, saying $2 roast beef from Parkway at the festival. My older one had been at his brothers Saturday watching the game. Came home at 2 in the morning rather than stay and have lunch at the festival yesterday. Nick said it was great.

[In Vino Veritas]

Of course you can never try them all, though certainly did my best. Here are my results:

Favorite

Palace Cafe: ESR (Extra Special Peacemaker)
Fried oyster poboy with sherry and ancho cream sauce served on spinach and red onion.
Very rich, and very worth it.

Runner Up

Palace Cafe: Roasted Duck with Orange Jalapeno Marmalade
No particular bias to give Palace Cafe so much love, they just honestly had the best poboys. Excellent offering here with one of the better duck poboys in the city; apologies to Crabby Jacks.

Best Surprise

Bear's Grill: Shrimp Remoulade
Don't be fooled into thinking Maloney's has the monopoly on Shrimp Remoulade poboys. It may not have fried green tomatoes, but Bear's Grill makes a mean remoulade sauce with hefty portions.

Most Buzz / Before These Crowded Streets

Dong Phuong Bakery: BBQ Pork Vietnamese PoBoy
I didn't see a more consistently filled line all day. I wish I could say I braved crowd; instead I got another Bloody Mary. Definitely won the battle of public interest.

Biggest Flop

Red Fish Grill: Cochon da Laite

Ok, perhaps my own fault for going to the Fish place for a cochon da laite poboy. Honestly, this same recipe is my single biggest reason for attending Jazz Feast, I figured no one could mess it up too badly. Yet they did. Badly.

Best Old/New Combination

Vaucresson's Sausage: Crawfish Sausage Poboy
They've been around since 1899, survived the Great Depression and Hurricane Katrina, and yet their sausage products are still new to many residents. If the crawfish sausage is any indication, the new online product line with quickly segue into continuing a proud culinary legacy.

In Vino Veritas

[Oyster]

I'm definitely a Po-boy purist, so I see no appeal in my oyster Po-boy having sherry ancho cream, or spinach, or red onion. Just MHO...

Not sure these new creations will contribute to the "preservation" of the Po-boy at all. Actually, seems like they may well lead it to a much faster death.

Another contributor to a quick death may be price. Hard to get youngsters to fork over + $10 for a sandwich.

[In Vino Veritas]

All is flux, my man. The surest way for anything coming to an end is if it stops adapting.

btw, all signs from the Poboy Feast point to it being alive and well, with classic recipes as well as new variations, cheap favorites and richer new endeavors.

Happy Eats,

[yum]

We went the first year. It was way too crowded. Very uncomfortable. Grabbed a po-boy and walked to the levee. Haven't been back.

[Suzy Wong]

This poll should have included "french fry" po boy....

Never been to the festival (turned off by crowds) but Dong Phuongs' vegetarian (and the shrimp patty) are the best Vietnamese po boys no question. And for 1.95 and 3.55 (respectively)!