Third Annual Event Gets Enormous Turnout
Po-Boy Festival Winners: Unexpected List
The runaway success of the still-new Po-Boy Festival (it's only been two years since the first one) continued over the weekend. Over 25,000 people (that's what the organizers say!) came to Oak Street, and the vendors sold thousands of sandwiches.
As always happens in culinary competitions among restaurants at any level, some unexpected names and unusual entires appear. And here they are:
Best in Show
Grand Isle’s Shrimp Caminada
Caminada, a fishing town west of Grand Isle, was wiped out by a hurricane in 1893. The sandwich consists of shrimp, sautéed in a spicy citrus butter sauce topped with herb slaw. It's not on their menu, but they say they will add it.
People’s Choice
New Orleans Hamburger & Seafood Co.’s Shrimp-Zilla
Roast beef, fried shrimp and coleslaw. Say what? Shrimp and roast beef together? The People's Choice award was voted on using cellphones.
Best Pork Poor Boy
Dong Phuong Bakery’s Vietnamese Po-Boy
The banh mi sandwiches at the Po-Boy Festival have been spectacular every year. Dong Phuong in New Orleans East bakes the best bread and makes fantastic sandwiches out of mystery meat at prices that seem insanely low. Banh mi is used both for the bread and the sandwich using that bread. (That was also true of the word "muffuletta.")
Best Roast Beef Poor Boy
Gattuso’s
Great little place in old Gretna, near the courthouse.
Best Shrimp Poor Boy
Boucherie’s Barbecued Shrimp Po-boy
Hmm. The place specializes in upscale meat barbecue. But I'm sure this was as good as their seafood appetizers, which is very.
Best Special Seafood Poor Boy
Acme Oyster House’s Fried Oyster Po-Boy
Not hard to understand.
Best Special Non-Seafood Poor Boy
Mahoney’s Fried Chicken Livers And Cole Slaw Po-Boy
That does sound good.
The Po-Boy Festival will undoubtedly return to Oak Street the weekend before Thanksgiving next year.