Between the Bread

The Rich History of the Po'Boy

nancyeinhart — Tue, 25 May 2010 12:21:38 PDT

Perhaps no humble sandwich comes dressed with as many stories as the New Orleans po'boy. Dating back to the 19th century, the fried oyster version was called "the peacemaker" because it was offered to angry wives when their husbands stayed out too late. But it was reborn as the po'boy during the Great Depression, when so many great American sandwiches, including the sloppy Joe, came of age.

The po'boy tale begins in 1929, when New Orleans's streetcar workers went on strike, and Bennie and Clovis Martin - the owners of a local coffee stand and former streetcar workers themselves - announced they would feed the strikers free sandwiches. In a letter to the union, they pledged: "Our Meal is free to any members of Division 194. . . . We are with you till h--l freezes, and when it does, we will furnish blankets to keep you warm."

So what was in these free sammies? You might be surprised.

Snapper Schnitzel Sandwich

nancyeinhart — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 07:05:58 PDT

When the footlong slab of snapper arrived on my dinner plate (really more like a platter) at Suppenkuche the other night, I immediately had visions of serving it as a sandwich, pork tenderloin style. I saw it spilling over the sides of an undersized hamburger bun like the Wiener schnitzel-inspired pork sammies of Hoosier land, its golden bread a glistening testament to German cuisine.

I ate about half my fish, and so did my future mother-in-law, so I ended up with a whole serving of snapper leftover. I abandoned my Indiana sandwich dreams and instead turned to New Orleans for inspiration to create a sort of makeshift po'boy. To hear about my supper,

read more. I purchased some soft French sandwich rolls, then heated the fish separately, leaving the bread untoasted. I whipped up a little spicy mayo by mixing mayonnaise with a touch of hot sauce, relish, and a pinch of salt. Sliced cucumbers and crisp lettuce provided the garnish: since Suppenkuche served the fish with cucumber salad, I figured the flavor combo would work. Indeed, the hybrid German/Indiana/Louisiana schnitzel po'boy was delicious.

Sandwich Share: Po'Boys at Domilise's, New Orleans

nancyeinhart — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:02:54 PDT

One of the great tragedies of my trip to New Orleans last November is that Domilise's was closed the day I tried to eat there. Thankfully, my dad and Dee visited New Orleans a few weeks later, so I sent them on a pilgrimage to the legendary po'boy restaurant and bar. My stepmom Dee was kind enough to take photos of their sandwiches, the unique ambiance at the 85-year old restaurant, and the owners, Dot Domilise and her daughter-in-law Patti. Fried oyster po'boy, fully dressed - no one does it like Domilise's. Check out the gallery below.

Want to submit a sandwich photo of your own? Email your photos to nancy@betweenthebreadblog.com, along with a description of what's on your sandwich.