A Culinary Pet Peeve

I think that when you call food by a particular name, that there are certain qualities that it must have in order to actually be what it is named. One of the foods of South Louisiana that I just have to have from time to time is a po-boy. Growing up in Arkansas, I was told that a po-boy is basically the same thing as a sub-sandwich or a hoagie. That is not quite right. I hoagie has cold cuts and can have whatever condiments you want, and can be made out of a number of different kinds of bread. Not so with a po-boy. The traditional criteria for a sandwich to a called a po-boy in South Louisiana -which is the birthplace of the sandwich- are as follows:

1) Made with French bread
2) meat is fried seafood - shrimp, oysters, catfish, or gator. . .yes I said gator, and yes, I have eaten gator. . .I think it's just not right to call your self a South Louisiana resident if you don't least try to eat gator once :-)
3) It is dressed with Mayo - not Miracle Whip-, lettuce, tomato, and dill pickles-not sweet pickles. Any NOTHING else!

There have been two times that I've ordered a po-boy here in Red Stick, but I did not get a po-boy. The first time was at Monjuni's - a fabulous Italian restaurant - but just don't order the shrimp "po-boy." The shrimp on it is not fried. It is cold, and covered in mayo. This is not a po-boy. It is a shrimp salad sandwich. Monjuni's lasagna is just to die for though.

The other time was today at a local pub called Chimes. They put ketchup on the po-boy. I sent it back to the kitchen.

I'm not usually such a picky eater, but there are somethings that just should not be fooled around with.