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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2009 18:31:47 GMT
This weekend was the 3rd annual New Orleans Po-Boy Festival.Over 20,000 people converged on the small neighborhood in Uptown New Orleans known as Old Carrollton.The neighborhood is nestled into a section known as the Riverbend and is primarily residential with a small commercial corridor and a "Main Street"by the name of Oak Street. The commercial side of Oak Street runs 6 blocks from the main avenue,South Carrollton all the way down to the Mississippi River.The festival was held on these six blocks and a few side streets off of Oak sported some small Arts and Crafts booths.
The festival began three years ago as a means for Oak Street merchants to raise some money for long overdue street repairs. It was a huge success and was repeated last year with even more success. This year more vendors joined in and from 11a.m. to 6p.m.,the crowds came to eat,hear music,shop for local arts and crafts and have fun. The festival is named for the sandwich invented here in New Orleans,called the Po-Boy as it was concocted for the working man,and has taken on several variations over the years. Yesterday,there were 40 different food vendors serving up their culinary creations.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2009 18:39:24 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2009 18:46:27 GMT
setting off on my bicycle from my house to the festival I sample the Free Nutria Chili and take my bowl away ... and suddenly remember,I forgot to feed my dog,poor thing was starving. He loved the Chili!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2009 18:58:29 GMT
I set back out to Oak Street... Lots of loaves of the infamous New Orleans French bread(not to be confused with real French bread or baguettes,these are huge long loaves,you'll see..) my first stop,Fried Oysters..
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2009 19:03:39 GMT
Next up some of the other offerings and a view of the appreciative crowds who came out on this fine day. To be continued....
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Post by lagatta on Nov 23, 2009 19:11:35 GMT
Those oysters look delicious. Is that the same bread? (Of course you know there are many French breads - not just baguettes).
Well, if nutria is giant rat, a dog should certainly go for it. How about cuy, kerouac? (I confess I've never eaten cuy - or nutria).
It is lovely to see the neighbourhood merchants showing such initiative, but if I've read correctly, the city government is not responsible for street repairs? Or it is just too overwhelmed?
I love your bicycle. I'm dressed the same cycling up here - it is unseasonably warm.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2009 19:30:04 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2009 19:37:07 GMT
Roast beef "debris" Po-Boy Spicy seasoned boiled shrimp and another crowd pleaser,the Vietnamese Po-Boy,incredibly long lines for this(did not know the chef )
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2009 19:48:17 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2009 19:56:57 GMT
There was music...(2 stages,one at each end) Photographs for sale... original hats... the official poster
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2009 20:04:00 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2009 20:17:36 GMT
Think I'll head back,it's getting a little too crowded for me. On the way of course I'll scope out what else they have around. I see my dear friends are having a gathering at their house,some musicians and performers,oh,and a great chef... it's Couchon Sauce Piquant,(Pork in a spicy sauce served over green onion rice!) my friend and his daughter (also,the chef) my last stop,check in with the guys at EMS.Any action today? No,quiet day on the ambulance front.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2009 20:28:55 GMT
Sorry Lagatta,I was in the middle of trying to sort these pics out when you posted. The French bread used for the Po-Boys is what you see in the pics. One local bakery,Leidenheimer is a sponsor and many, but not all, are served up on their bread,which is very good. The other bakery I like better,Binder's,was also represented. As for the street work,yes,the city of New Orleans does major overhauls but after Katrina the merchants wanted to spruce it up without having to wait forever. This area took no major damage,but was rather scruffy.
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Post by imec on Nov 23, 2009 20:32:02 GMT
WOW! What a day! And what a post!! It was so much like being there - I could smell the great smells, feel the excitement of the crowd, hear the music - I felt I was immersed in a one of a kind event that could happen nowhere else but New Orleans. And there's some serious food porn here - those oysters (the fried AND the charred)! those sausages! and that spicy pork!!! Thank you SO much for sharing this! I have to go to this one day
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2009 21:02:16 GMT
It is wonderful to see the New Orleans area alive the way it should be.
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Post by lagatta on Nov 23, 2009 21:13:38 GMT
This is utterly lovely. Quite the althetic eating feat - thinking that it will be American Thanksgiving in a week and Christmas a month from now. Lovely food and lovely people - I love your chef friend and his beautiful little daughter, and the EMS guys. No heart attacks to tackle after all that FOOD?
Yes I figured that regular freshening up of streets would be a low priority after Katrina, and like the pride people obviously take in their neighbourhood as well as their gastronomic heritage. I want those oysters, and the spicy shrimp boil.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2009 21:15:37 GMT
Really enjoyed the pics. Thanks for these, casimira.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2009 22:03:02 GMT
Is it the same date every year? (Just checking my busy schedule for 2010.)
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 23, 2009 23:15:41 GMT
Well, excuse my French, but .................... gawwwwdam!!!!!!
This is one of the best, most fun reports ever on AnyPort. I enjoyed it so much, even while sniffling from homesickness. There is even a Bunny Matthews poster -- nostalgia overload!
HEEYYYYY, ANNA!!!
You really capture the feel and the excitement with the sequence and the great, truly great pictures. The group in Reply #6 almost did me in! I've never had charbroiled oysters -- must remedy that.
Please tell everyone what your chef friend's outfit means. That is a great New Orleans tradition that is most interesting.
Thank you for this -- one of the greats!
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Post by cristina on Nov 23, 2009 23:22:47 GMT
What a great festival Casimira - thank you for sharing!
And fried oysters would have been my first stop too. ;D
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Post by lagatta on Nov 24, 2009 0:42:43 GMT
Is the chef friend's outfit something that would be worn in a Carneval "Band"? (I don't know if that is what they are called in NOLA Mardi Gras - am thinking more of the Caribbean) - that is the people who work all year on beautiful adornments and finery for the parade?
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 24, 2009 1:22:35 GMT
You are absolutely on the right track, LaGatta, but I will let Casimira tell it.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2009 1:27:21 GMT
My friend in the costume with all it's finery is a member of one of the many tribes of the New Orleans Mardi Gras Indians,whose traditions and roots go back to the 1700's.All year long they work on their costumes with beads hand sewn(by the men,never the women),never the same costume or color for that matter worn more then once.They parade in the wee wee hours on Mardi Gras morning all over neighborhoods,far from the traditional,conservative predominately white Mardi Gras Krewe organizations on Saint Charles Avenue.They also gather during other times during the year,Saint joseph's Day and some other lesser known holidays. For a well written,brief history go here: www.mardigrasdigest.com/Sec_mgind/history.htm
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Post by lagatta on Nov 24, 2009 2:15:02 GMT
Oh that is wonderful.
In Brazil and the Caribbean as well, there are many narratives of enslaved Africans/African-Americans "going Indian".
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2009 4:23:13 GMT
Is it the same date every year? (Just checking my busy schedule for 2010.) The last 3 have been on the Sunday before our Thanksgiving. I believe it has to be then because of all the other events around town,then the holidays running all the way through to Mardi Gras,then Jazz Fest. Plus,it's always great,great weather.
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Post by fumobici on Nov 24, 2009 5:41:13 GMT
That looks amazing. I'm getting hungry looking at those. Most intriguing to me in no particular order: Crawfish sausage, Vietnamese Po-Boy and Couchon Sauce Piquant *sigh*
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Post by hwinpp on Nov 24, 2009 10:59:30 GMT
Just saw this, Cas, wonderful! Would this be a festiviy that caters to local New Orleanians? I've never heard of it but then I', not very good with anything on your side of the pond. I loved the sign in one of the pics near the top that said More Food[/img]!Both the fried oysters and the ones on the half shell got me salivating. Re the sausages, they look much better than I imagined them to look. Are those normal ones? First marinated then BBQ, good idea.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2009 12:16:26 GMT
The official numbers are in,there were 25,000 attendees. The date for the 4th Annual is November 21,2010. Mark your calendars everyone!
APIAS could conceivably have a food booth,with all our talented chefs on here,we could blow them out of the water and make some $$$ doing it. Maybe a scholarship fund?
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Post by spindrift on Nov 24, 2009 22:50:44 GMT
Oh Casimira - I have only just found this wonderful thread. I have enjoyed it so much. It has felt like I'm there with you walking around the town. Nobody seems to mind you taking photographs. They're all smiling! (very unlike what I find in England)... everyone is having a good time and feasting. I'd love to taste those oysters and everything else too. Thanks a lot for sharing this with us.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2009 23:33:31 GMT
Thanks guys! It was fun! People in New Orleans LOVE to have their picture taken and are accustomed to as we have quite a few tourists. And,we are proud of our city. To think that this festival was conceived one year after Katrina is mind boggling. People thronged to Oak Street to celebrate their food heritage and do what they know how to do best,eat,dance and be merry. In answer to your question HW about "locals". Yes,I think it is largely a locals event but this year I believe there were many more tourists. This is heavy tourist season and the PR was big for this. I think probably more then anything,locals had guests and brought them. One huge oversight I realized is the way in which Po-Boys are traditionally served. The addition of lettuce,tomatoes,pickles and mayonnaise is the norm and is referred to as "dressed". One can also request onions,pickles,or mustard (yellow and the local brown "Creole"). Another popular condiment is Crystal hot sauce,somehow more popular then the traditional tabasco also regional.
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