Good eating

In a town full of fine food and great restaurants, the culinary treasure New Orleans residents prize the most is their neighborhood po'boy shop.

The po'boy sandwich is a simple thing. A length of crusty baguette - plain or seeded - filled with something delicious. Roast beef is a traditional sandwich filling, but New Orleans is famous for its seafood, and there's nothing more tempting than a fried shrimp or oyster po' boy.

A dish of Mahony's creole slaw, made with Zatarain's mustard

Mahony's Po-Boy Shop on Magazine Street has a menu full of choices, including the Chicken Liver po'boy dressed with creole slaw - this selection was a winner at the 2009 Po'boy Preservation Festival.

Or you could go with the Peacemaker - Fried oysters, bacon, and cheddar cheese.


But I had a hankering for the grilled jumbo shrimp with remoulade and fried green tomatoes.


And [The Man I Love] went for the overstuffed fried shrimp - "dressed," of course - that's with lettuce, mayo, tomatoes and pickles.

You can sit outside at sidewalk tables, or you can eat inside. The high-ceiling room, in an old Creole cottage, is loud and echoing. While we were there, it seemed an entire soccer team of little girls were there, playing at the standing arcade game and lining up for the one tiny ladies' room.

Just shake a few drops of Crystal hot sauce on the delicious cornmeal-breaded shrimp, take another sip of draft Abita beer, and enjoy. This is good food.