This just in: New Orleans Po-Boy Festival 2009 Winners

The third annual “save the po-boy”event held the Sunday before Thanksgiving had an enormous turnout this year; the unexpected runaway success of the still-new Po-Boy Festival (it’s only been two years since the first one) continued with more visitors and more restaurants participating than last year. Over 25,000 people (that’s what the organizers say!) flocked to Oak Street in the river bend area of Uptown New Orleans. Vendors, new and old, reportedly sold thousands of the famous sandwiches.The variety of classic and non-traditional fillings were in abundance.

There were also some unexpected names and unusual entires in the competition to determine the best of the best. Here is the official list of the winners:

Best in Show: Grand Isle’s Shrimp Caminada: Caminada, a fishing town west of Grand Isle, was wiped out by a hurricane in 1893. The sandwich consists of shrimp, sautéed in a spicy citrus butter sauce topped with herb slaw.

People’s Choice: New Orleans Hamburger & Seafood Co.’s Shrimp-Zilla: Roast beef, fried shrimp and coleslaw. Say what? Shrimp and roast beef together? The People’s Choice award was voted on using cellphones.

Best Pork Poor Boy: Dong Phuong Bakery’s Vietnamese Po-Boy: Dong Phuong in New Orleans East bakes the best bread and makes fantastic sandwiches out of mystery meat at prices that seem insanely low.

Best Roast Beef Poor Boy: Gattuso’s: Great little place in old Gretna, near the courthouse.

Best Shrimp Poor Boy: Boucherie’s Barbecued Shrimp Po-boy

Best Special Seafood Poor Boy: Acme Oyster House’s Fried Oyster Po-Boy

Best Special Non-Seafood Poor Boy: Mahoney’s Fried Chicken Livers & Cole Slaw Po-Boy

The Po-Boy Festival will return again to Oak Street the weekend before Thanksgiving next year; mark your calendar and plan to be in New Orleans to enjoy this most unusual event dedicated to saving the po-boy sandwich (from the chain sub sandwich purveyors.) The Avenue Inn Bed and Breakfast will have special rates for Festival goers. Call 1-800-490-8542 for details.