Oak Street celebrates po'boys in a rich fashion
Parkway Bakery presented The Irishman, hand-carved corned beef brisket and pickled cabbage topped with creole mustard, at the Oak Street Po"boy Fest on Sunday (Nov. 22) in the Carrollton neighborhood, within walking distance of the Tulane University uptown campus. (Photos by Alex Meyer)
On Sunday (Nov. 22), crowds of people wearing puffy jackets and fluffy scarves filtered down Oak Street, circling vendors to find the perfect po"boy sandwich to bite into.
The po"boy sandwich got its start in 1922 when the Martin Brothers" Coffee Stand and Restaurant opened. They coined the name "po"boy," referring to strikers who would receive free sandwiches. Since then, the po"boy has grown from a poor man"s meal to a New Orleans staple. The Oak Street Po"boy Fest, rated as the best food festival six years in a row by Gambit Weekly, reflects the city"s obsession with the hot deli treat.
Asked about their favorite po"boy, Tulane University students gave a variety of answers, from classic shrimp to outlandish chicken teriyaki.
While it is clear that Tulane students differed in taste, the celebration offered all students the chance to immerse themselves into the New Orleans community.
“Po"boys are my favorite type of sandwiches,” said Tulane sophomore Jack Marin. “But besides the food, I enjoyed walking down Oak Street and seeing all the people and cute dogs.”
Other students agreed, saying that the festival gave them a chance to get off-campus and into a suburban environment.
“It reminded me of home, where we have lots of fun community-wide street festivals,” said Tulane sophomore Rachel Rosenberg.
This year, the Where Y"Art Market added explosions of color and extra entertainment to an already lively event, and gave people a chance to get a peek at local artists" works and perhaps start some early holiday shopping. The local art gallery with over 25 artists showed off everything from homemade tie-dyed shirts to American flags made from scrap metal.
“Taking parts in events off-campus is a chance for me to take part in the larger NOLA culture,” said sophomore Isaac Hubley.
Claire Davenport is a sophomore at Tulane University, majoring in English and political science.
