What is a Po Boy: Digging Into This New Orleans Classic
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\\nHave you ever wondered, What is a Po’ Boy? Every once in awhile I add a dish to my food bucket list. Right near the top is a Po’ Boy in New Orleans. Today we are going to do a deep dive into the amazing history of this New Orleans classic!
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\\nIn the late 1800\\u2019s oyster sandwiches were served all over New Orleans on French loaves. They were called \\u201cOyster Loaves\\u201d. This is a term that is still in use today. A popular variation on the classic oyster loaf is what they call the \\u201cPeacemaker\\u201d. This is a delightful blend of fried shrimp and fried oysters.
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\\nWe have the oyster loaf and we have the peacemaker. So how did we end up calling it a Po\\u2019 Boy?
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\\nThe Martin Brothers and the Birth of the Po’ Boy
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\\nThe Bennie and Clovis Martin were former street car operators in New Orleans. In 1929 they offered to feed anyone involved in a massive transit strike for free. Bennie Martin said, \\u201cWe fed those men free of charge until the strike ended. Whenever we saw one of the striking men coming, one of us would say, \\u2018Here comes another poor boy.\\u201d
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\\nFeeding the public was a tremendous PR move. When the Great Depression began, the strike ended. However, Bennie and Clovis had built a loyal following. People knew they served massive sandwiches for cheap. People would literally buy a sandwich to feed a hungry family.
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\\nSadly all good things must come to an end. Eventually the Martin Brothers parted ways and pursued their own interests. Bennie held onto the St. Claude location and Clovis developed several other restaurants through town. It was once said that you could get a sandwich anywhere, but you could only get a Poor Boy at the Martin Brothers.
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\\nWhat Goes on a Classic Po\\u2019 Boy?
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\\nWhat goes on a classic Po\\u2019 Boy? Until 1970, roast beef was the most popular meat on a Po\\u2019 Boy sandwich. A wide variety of fillings are also used. The one thing that must be the same is the classic French bread. If you don\\u2019t have the French bread, you don\\u2019t have a Po\\u2019 Boy. Other fillings include fried oysters, fried shrimp, fried crawfish, fried catfish or hot Louisiana sausage. A dressed Po\\u2019 Boy will add lettuce, tomato, pickles and mayo to the meat.
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\\nVariations on a Classic:
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\\nWhat about variations? Po\\u2019 Boys have spread far beyond New Orleans. They are a common staple all along the gulf coast. They have also spread to other southern states and have become a southern staple.
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\\nHouston has their own twist on the classic Po\\u2019 Boy. They add chowchow which is a pickled vegetable relish, to the sandwich along with ham, salami, and provolone. Antone\\u2019s Famous Po\\u2019 Boys was formerly known as Antone\\u2019s Import Company. This was a Houston shop started by a Lebanese American Jalal Antone in 1962. He wanted to serve Lebanese food, but his brother said they\\u2019d have a hard time selling food that was so unfamiliar to the locals. Antone instead focused on Po\\u2019 Boys. For a time it was wildly popular in the Houston area.
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\\nMake sure you listen to the full episode to learn all about what is a Po’ Boy.
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\\nDid You Like Learning About What is a Po’ Boy? Subscribe!
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\\nThe history of what is a Po’ Boy is fascinating and complex. If you liked learning about food history, make sure you subscribe!
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