Po’Boy

by Burke Bischoff

Po’Boy tells the story of how a humble sandwich became a symbol of New Orleans culture, history, and cuisine. Invented to help feed a crowd of out-of-work individuals in New Orleans’s streetcar industry, the po’boy is a submarine-like sandwich served on French bread, with common fillings that include fried seafood, roast beef and gravy (“debris”), and hot sausage. Rich with historical detail, Po’Boy welcomes readers into the world of the city’s most iconic sandwich.

120 pages, Paperback

Published July 26, 2023

Reviews

[Bruce Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another nice short LSU Press book on Louisiana culture. What I learned about po-boys:
* Started in 1929 by the Martin Brothers in the French Quarter to provide free sandwiches to members of the Railway Employees union who were on strike (here comes another poor boy).
* The Po-boy is unique because of the French bread, the quality of which is made possible only with the heat and humidity of the New Orleans climate.
* New Orleans only has 2 remaining legit French bread bakeries - Gendusa and Leidenheimer (which owns Reisings also).
* Vietnamese sandwich Banh Mi has become very popular in New Orleans and is called the Vietnamese Po-boy.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone born and raised in the New Orleans metro area, I loved learning more about the poboy. Specifically the survival of New Orleans French bread and poboys post-Katrina.

I think that this book would be nice for anyone who is interested in the impact of Katrina on local businesses or someone who is local and wants to learn more about the history.

[Matthew Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best book about a sandwich that I have read. But to be honest, I don’t know if I’ve read any other books about sandwiches.