Unbreaded

All Points Po’ Boy

The po’ boy is the quintessential New Orleans sandwich. The crusty French bread, and toppings varying from breaded shrimp, and soft-shell crab, to roast beef au jus, help to tell a story of the sandwich makers behind the counter. In ten days, The New Orleans Po-Boy Preservation Festival will bring together 40 restaurants to share their sandwiches and stories with attendees. Scheduled events range from storytelling of New Orleans history, the art of streetcar maintenance, and even “Ultimate French Bread Fighting”, a mysterious showdown that pits Jared Fogle of Subway fame against a representative from John Gendusa Bakery.

To countdown to the event, John T. Edge journeyed in and out of some of N’awlins most famous po’ boy shops. He finds that many are keeping it real, building sandwiches the same way they were 80 years ago. Others are struggling to survive, using lower quality ingredients, resulting in lower quality sandwiches, that appeal only to tourists buying into the hype, not the tradition. Still, shop owners are adamant about standing up against the impeding chains, as Subways and Quizno’s are slowly creeping into the area. We must fight to keep these iconic shops alive, or the history and culture of the land will die with the sandwiches that represent them.

Saving New Orleans Culture, One Sandwich at a Time [The New York Times]