When people ask me "what's your favorite sandwich?" I usually toss out a few answers; it all depends on the occasion. But two of my perennial favorites are the New Orleans classics the fried oyster po'boy and the muffuletta. The fried oyster po'boy harks back to my Gulf Coast roots, while the muffuletta appeals to my Sicilian palette.
They are so different it would be hard to choose: I usually prefer hot sandwiches, but the muffuletta is my favorite cold sandwich of all time. However, if I had to pick one sandwich to eat once a year for the rest of my life, I have to say, it would be the oyster po'boy. So in honor of Mardi Gras, I present to you the same dilemma.
Mardi Gras Sandwich Showdown: Muffuletta vs. Po'boy
March 8, 2011 7:33 am · Posted by Nancy Einhart
Last Stop in Oystertown
July 17, 2010 9:14 am · Posted by nancyeinhart
On our way back from camping a few weekends ago, we ambled down highway 1 along Tomales Bay, hoping for barbecued oysters at Tony's but finding it closed for the holiday. Hungry in Point Reyes, we opted for lunch at the Pine Cone Diner, which has pretty good food and pretty bad service. But I love the decor so much that every time I eat there, I can't shut up about how I want to move in and/or decorate my kitchen to match.
Anyway, since I was in the mood for oysters, I got the fried oyster sandwich, and it was definitely the best dish on the table. A handful of big, lightly breaded, super fresh oysters, served on a toasted roll with purple slaw and pickles. The slaw looks rather ordinary but had a complex, perfectly complementary flavor.
Making Peace With Oyster Po'Boys
May 12, 2010 7:00 am · Posted by nancyeinhart
My dear friend Anna always claimed not to like oysters. Having grown up on the Gulf of Mexico, this makes me sad — and suspicious that, as a Wyoming native, she just never had a good oyster. But in New Orleans, she came around.
After sampling her husband's fried oyster po'boy at Parasol's, Anna realized it was just raw oysters that made her squirm, so before we left town, she had to have an oyster po'boy of her own, over brunch at The Old Coffee Pot. I mention this because it's wonderfully in keeping with the oyster po'boy's reputation as an offering from husbands to wives.
One of the country's oldest sandwiches, the "oyster loaf" in the 1800s was called la mediatrice, or "the peacemaker," because boozin' husbands brought them home to make their waiting wives less angry about their misdeeds. In Anna's case, her husband's mediatrice helped her make peace with fried oysters.
Muffuletta + Fried Oyster Po'Boy = The Gulfuletta (Sort of)
January 9, 2010 10:34 am · Posted by nancyeinhart
I only had one chance to order lunch at Jerry's Cajun Cafe, another must-stop when I visit Pensacola, and I sort of blew it. Namesake owner Jerry is from Louisiana, so even though Pensacola is three hours from New Orleans, you can get a great fried oyster po'boy here.
I usually get the combo: half oyster, half shrimp. This time, out of some misguided obligation, I felt like I should order something different. The Gulfuletta was too tempting: a version of one of my favorite sandwiches, the muffuletta, made with fried seafood instead of salami and ham. It sounded too good to be true. Alas, it was.
Latest Comments