There are a few native to New Orleans sandwiches, but the most famous is the po-boy. The po-boy is the name in common local usage, shortened from the formal, “poor boy” sandwich. In fact, no self-respecting New Orleanian would ever call it a “poor boy” – just say po-boy and you’ll be good. Many travelers ask me where to get the best po-boy. I offer them two suggestions. But the caveat is, these two po-boy styles are wildly different. The main, but not only, differentiator here is the bread; these two styles of bread speaks to two different waves of immigrants.
So, let’s start with a traditional po-boy. The key to getting it right is the bread. The ingredients between the bread can vary widely: shrimp, roast beef, fried green tomatoes- you’ve got to get the bread right. For the traditional po’boy we use what New Orleanians call “French bread”. However, it’s not like any baguette you’ve ever seen, and here’s why: the bakers of 19th century New Orleans were German.
There were two waves of Germans that came to the New Orleans area. The earliest were Germans that settled in 1721, the second and larger wave of German immigration began in the 1840s and 1850s. That latter wave included a host of prominent bakers in the city. The most famous German bakery from this time period, also the maker of the quintessential traditional poboy bread, is the Leidenheimer Bakery. The family is now in its the fifth generation here and has been steadily baking since 1896.
The Leidenheimer po-boy bread, known everywhere as “French Bread” has a crunchy, flaky, sturdy crust, it’s airy and light on the inside. Add your shrimp, oysters, whatever, and as you bite in, the light airy inside of the bread collapses so the “meat” of the sandwich can stand out.
My favorite of the classic style po-boys is made by Parkway Bakery. They have a lengthy menu that includes favorites like shrimp and catfish. Full disclosure; yours truly is a seafood lover. They use real Louisiana seafood – another reason to love Parkway. Using locally sourced ingredients makes sense; the freshness of the seafood translates into the best possible flavor. For a good ten years, the wild caught Louisiana shrimp was my go to. But these days, I am torn between it and the catfish. My solution is to go with a friend and order one of each – split and swap halves, and vióla, problem solved. If you’re lucky enough to go on a Wednesday or Thursday, Parkways offers a wonderful oyster po’boy. Using Louisiana wild caught oysters, flash fried to avoid overcooking, produces a delicate, crunchy, fried oyster perfection experience. Parkway is also famous for their house made roast beef, soaking in a savory gravy- it’s more akin to a pot roast. The beef has been slow cooked, creating such a succulent tender meat, it l falls apart when served, piled upon your Leidenheimer bread, and liberally covered in gravy, a drippy and delightful meal. Be ready with multiple napkins. Did I mention this place is dangerously close to my house?
My other suggestion for your po-boy exploration is Killer Poboys, which is a relatively newcomer to the po-boy world, and a decidedly “nontraditional” po-boy joint. The bread used at Killer Poboys is a Vietnamese style baguette. These mini-French loaves, or pistolettes, are also used for Bahn Mi sandwiches. Brief aside, in New Orleans, Bahn Mi are often called Vietnamese Po-boys.
The Vietnamese are another, lesser known and far more recent, immigrant group to arrive in New Orleans. How did the Vietnamese come to settle in New Orleans, you ask? There were a few reasons: similarities in the climate, New Orleans was another place colonized by the French, and many Vietnamese were Catholic. New Orleans’ origin story is steeped in Catholicism and has always maintained deep Catholic connections (hello Mardi Gras!). Starting in 1975, after the fall of Saigon, many Vietnamese people were relocated to New Orleans in an effort spearheaded by Catholic Charities, a local social services organization. Many of these immigrants settled in New Orleans East where began a thriving community. The Vietnamese already had a deep history as bakers due the French occupation of Vietnam, so like the German’s before them, they quickly got baking in the Crescent City.
The most beloved and well known of the Vietnamese bakeries here is Dong Phuong, founded in 1982. Dong Phuong was hit hard during Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans East, where the bakery is located, bore the brunt of the floodwaters resulting from the failure of the federal levee system. However, Dong Phuong recovered, rebuilt and came back stronger; they even won a James Beard Award in in 2018 in the American classics category. Their bread is flawless, and Dong Phuong supplies the bread for Killer Poboys.
My go to choice at Killer Poboys is Seared Gulf Shrimp (see a theme here?) – it is served with pickled carrots, daikon radish, cucumbers, Sriracha aioli, and fresh herbs. All those ingredients between the light, yet chewy Dong Phong bread is simply delightful! The Pork Belly is a winner too, the pork is glazed with rum and ginger and served with lime and cabbage slaw and garlic aioli. One of the other reasons I love Killer Po'boys is that they are not afraid to trail-blaze and veer waaaay off the beaten po-boy path. There’s always a vegan option on the menu. The Roasted Sweet Potato po’boy has braised collard greens, black eyed peas and pecan spread on the sandwich. These ingredients shout out to me – “ New Orleans’ culinary influences are African too!.” Both black eyed peas and stewed dark leafy greens came to us via Africa. Considering that enslaved peoples brought with them their style of cooking, the fingerprints of Africa are all over traditional New Orleans style food.
So, there you have it, two distinct takes of this curiously named, New Orleans born, sandwich. As you sink your teeth into your po’boy, remember: New Orleans is an immigrant city, and these immigrants provide the beloved bread of our favorite city. Bon appetite!