Call it an oyster loaf. Call it a peacemaker. Call it whatever you want, but a po’ boy by any other name tastes just as good. Fried shrimp and oysters, crunchy iceberg lettuce and sliced tomato all wrapped in Leidenheimer bread and topped with some kicking remoulade—it’s another New Orleans culinary claim to fame. And like all the best American foods, its origins remain shrouded in mystery, political strife and the fundamental truth of disappointing husbands. Many trace beginnings of the term back to 1929, when striking streetcar operators (“Those poor boys!”) ate free at Benny and Clovis Martin’s sandwich shop, but others contest the sandwich itself predates the Martins by half a century, when errant husbands would offer their wives sandwiches of fried shrimp and oysters as sweet and savory supplication. Such discussions miss the point—it doesn’t need a name, it just needs to be eaten.
Shrimp Po’ Boy Kacey’s Seafood
Sweet and plump fried Gulf shrimp top this perennial favorite at Kacey’s Seafood over on Fruitville Road, where hungry travelers come from as far as Venice, Nokomis and Port Charlotte to get their fix. “Because nobody knows how to make it as good as we do—Louisiana-style,” says Kacey’s Katie Despain. A house-made Cajun remoulade adds roasted peppers, jalapeños and blackened seasoning blended into a mayonnaise base for a bit of a kick, tempered by fresh tomatoes, lettuce and onion. Wrapped up in a grilled roll from St. Armands Bakery, some diners opt for a fork and knife because, as Despain says, “It’s just overflowing with goodness.”
4904 Fruitville Rd., Sarasota, 941-378-3644.
Shrimp and Oyster Po’ Boy Owen’s Fish Camp
At Owen’s Fish Camp the po’ boy gets a new suit and a raise. The poor boy you knew growing up is still there in the sweet shrimp and finely seasoned oysters, but decked out with bacon, house-made pepper jelly and a new Rolex. It’s a best seller, and the secret, according to Chef Randal Roulette, lies in the layers and textures he creates. Cuban-style bread is crispy on the outside but soft in the middle, holding in the juices. Shrimp and oysters are not battered, but dusted just enough with fine cornmeal to give a hint of a crunch. Crispy bacon offsets the smooth and creamy, sweet and spicy pepper jelly and remoulade. “You want it all to melt together,” says Roulette. “You want it nice and moist in your mouth, but crispy at the same time. Those layers of texture really set it off.”
516 Burns Ln., Sarasota, 941-951-6936.
Po-Boy Sandwich Starfish Company Market and Restaurant
“Traditionally, what makes a good po’ boy is the remoulade,” says General Manager and Chef Jim Gowett, and at Starfish that means a relatively uncommon tomato-based red remoulade. Looking like spicy ketchup, minced green onions and garlic lend that distinctive remoulade texture and a green onion aioli keeps it creamy. He introduced the remoulade 16 years ago, he says, “and not one person didn’t like it.” This includes celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse, who stopped by Starfish Company on a recent Florida tour. Topped with fresh-caught Gulf shrimp and Louisiana oysters served on a hoagie roll with lettuce, tomatoes and onion: “People see it and their eyes make the decision for them,” says Gowett.
12306 46th Ave. W, Cortez, 941-794-1243.
