po'boys

In recent years, the popularity of roast-beef po'boys with Swiss cheese and beef gravy has given shrimp and oyster a run.

The Crescent City's Greatest Po'boys Steve Garbarino 2011

A "Maryland Creole" outpost, known for its lunch-hour po'boys. ethelandramones.com

The Crescent City's Greatest Po'boys Steve Garbarino 2011

The city's white-tablecloth chefs are dreaming up inventive takes on the sandwich, too, inspired largely by the New Orleans Po-Boy Preservation Festival—a four-year-old event that awards best-of accolades to po'boys at its annual bake-off on Oak Street.

The Crescent City's Greatest Po'boys Steve Garbarino 2011

And gaining favor (and earning awards) are po'boys made with fried chicken livers and bacon (Mahony's), roasted duck and cochon (Crabby Jack's) and even fried lobster.

The Crescent City's Greatest Po'boys Steve Garbarino 2011

If they didn't serve po'boys, it would still be a cool place to drink.

The Crescent City's Greatest Po'boys Steve Garbarino 2011

We sampled various po'boys at a dozen New Orleans-area shops, both iconic and new.

New Orleans's Most Famous Sandwich 2011

Sometimes I'll walk down the street to FredRick's Deli across the street from my restaurant, Lüke, and order 15 oyster po'boys for my cooks.

Bayou Boy John Besh 2011

Bonus question: What in the name of oyster po'boys is the Office of Management and Budget doing deciding how to handle oil-spill data?

Rick Horowitz: Losing Their Gulf Cred Rick Horowitz 2010

Variety rules: you can order the po'boys on a French loaf or a large bun, or as a triple-decker.

The Crescent City's Greatest Po'boys Steve Garbarino 2011

This outdoor spot has everything from blackened catfish to Cajun BBQ meatloaf po'boys. thegumbopotla.com

The Crescent City's Greatest Po'boys Steve Garbarino 2011