PoBoys on Thanksgiving, dare to dream

Illustration by Emma Fick

“We fed those men free of charge until the strike ended. Whenever we saw one of the striking men coming, one of us would say, ‘Here comes another poor boy.'” –Bennie Martin

Around this Thanksgiving holiday there is much talk about turkey, cranberry sauce, and gravy, and here at ViaNolaVie we are still thinking about one of New Orleans’s bedrock foods. The poboy. Or poor boy. Or po-boy. Just like the variance in spelling and pronunciation, the poboy sandwich comes with just as many arrangements–each with its own flavor.   That got us thinking at NolaVie. Taking in your family/personal holiday traditions, what would be your Thanksgiving poboy?

Greg Scott: “I want a food item that I invented. It’s a deep-fried turkey drumstick that’s stuffed with stuffing and cranberries. So you have the whole meal and you can eat it right off the drum stick. And make that po-boy dressed. With gravy.”

Sarah Holtz: “I would put turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce, and maybe tater tots? That’s pretty boring I guess, but I kinda like it that way. Also, you might already know, but Parkway is doing a crazy thanksgiving po-boy that’s supposed to be off the chain!”

Lindsey Bruso: “I’d have to say two of my favorites would be deviled eggs and mashed potatoes. I like the soft foods.”

Joe Shriner: “I would just have a turkey poor boy dressed with spinach casserole. That sounds disgusting, though, so you’re probably better off not putting this in the article.”

Cassie Pruyn: “Ohhhhhh. Some stuffing, some mac n cheese, and just a little bit of turkey. Fully dressed with gravy.”

Michele Whalen: “I’m all about an oyster po-boy with a side of mashed potatoes and gravy and stuffing. Don’t mess with the best po-boy ever.”

Brad Crawford: “Smoked salmon, red onion, capers, cucumbers, light bacon, with hollandaise sauce. Although, my second choice would be my dad’s pulled pork (smoked) with bacon, cheddar, mashed potatoes, peppercorn, gravy, and my sister’s beets as relish. My wife, Erin, says BLT with buttered corn, but I don’t know about that.”

Travis Bird: “Stuffing, gravy, cranberry relish, green beans, and what I imagine in my head to be a mashed potato aioli. Almost like the one Killer Po-boy sometimes makes. It’s also basically the menu from my childhood thanksgivings, minus the bird.”

Steve Babcock: “Turducken!”

Illustrator and writer Emma Fick is the published author of Snippets of Serbia. She is currently working on the illustrated book Snippets of New Orleans. To see more of Emma’s work and learn more about her, visit her website or find her on Instagram and Facebook.