When most people think of Coastal cuisine, gumbo and jambalaya almost always come to mind, and those are two very good and classic examples. A fried seafood platter is also high on the list, as are raw or charred oysters, etouffee, and even the Yugoslavian pastry, pusharatas. But when I think of my favorite local food, I always go to a fully dressed and pressed fried oyster po-boy. I like the oysters to be large, and fried just to be crunchy, but still moist and juicy on the inside. If the juice doesn’t run down your arm, then its overcooked.
If you are new to the Coast, you might well ask what a dressed and pressed po-boy is; dressed means tomatoes, pickles and lettuce have been added, and pressed means your po-boy has been placed in something like a panini press to compress and warm it.
Hands down, a fried shrimp po-boy is the most popular po-boy of all, stuffed (really) with local shrimp fried crispy. Fried oysters and fish are also popular, as are sausage, and pot roast beef po-boys (another favorite). A good pot roast beef (not roast beef!) po-boy is about as messy a sandwich as you will ever find (if it its well-made!). The best po-boy places have rolls of paper towels on the tables, as a regular napkin will just not do the job.
The idea of the po-boy style sandwich is centuries old. The French have been slicing open crusty baguettes and adding good things like cheese or local ham for generations, as have the Germans and Italians. Who hasn’t had a good German wurst on crusty bread with a big dollop of fiery hot German mustard?
Most people have heard the story of the streetcar strike in New Orleans, many years ago. The local restaurants felt sorry for the “poor boys” and made them sandwiches on baguettes. I am sure it is a true story, but it certainly was not the first time a good, crusty baguette was used to make a sandwich! But, it is a good story and the good people from NOLA enjoy telling it.
Perhaps the most famous local po-boy is the Van Cleve special. There used to be a popular restaurant in Biloxi called Rosetti’s. One day a customer came in and was in a hurry, so he told the owner to make his a po-boy, but just add crabe cakes and cheese. The owner did not know the fellows name, but he knew he came from Van Cleve; thus, the Van Cleave special was born.
It’s a delicious po-boy, so give it a try. Desporte’s makes a good one, as does Po-Boy Express in Ocean Springs and Quave Brothers in D’Iberville. Enjoy!