re: Best Muffuletta in NOLA

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I don’t subscribe to cold. I subscribe to room temp. Late 1800s/early 1900s refrigeration wasn’t common. And cured meats, cheeses, and olives have always been stable at room temps. So agree with thoughts above a muffuletta was made, sat for a few hours, and was not cold, not hot. And that when it is at its best.

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Well, yeah.
Cold as opposed to heated, not cold out of the refrigerator.

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When people ask if you are trolling or not on this board all they have to do is look at this statement to figure it out.

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Add Impastato's and Tower of Pizza. I actually like both of them, but they are far down on any real lists.

Friend,

When I give my opinion about my favorite poorboys it is considered trolling? I hardly heard anyone talking up R&O's roast beef until Brett Anderson started a fad with his article back in the early 10s that proclaimed it the best of all-time. Anderson's Minnesota roots hardly qualified him for starting a poorboy craze, but he did. Before that time, R&O's was primarily known for its fried seafood and a very average pizza over which Metairitarians became frenzied.

I merely do not think R&Os has a top ten roast beef poorboy. It is not bad and probably lands in my top 15 along with St. Rose Tavern, Mahoney's, Rocky & Carlo's, and Adams Street Grocery. Interestingly, Anderson also omitted in his famed list what was generally held as the best roast beef poorboy in the city at the time: Parkway Bakery. And since that time, I read over and over that Parkway's roast beef is bland. I could not disagree more. I also do not like mayonnaise and I love the roast beef at Piccadilly, so take it for what you want. But if you have never put Piccadilly roast with its au jus on a French loaf, you are missing on a delicious pleasure.

TulaneLSU's Top 10 roast beef poorboys:

10. Johnny's - though I prefer their fried shrimp, the roast beef there is still delicious. There are so many great places to eat in the Quarter, Johnny's is not often on my list of places to visit, and when I do, I usually get their shrimp because it is exceptional. Always in the back of my mind, however, is the roast. It is great also.

9. Mother's - No, not that Mother (keep reading for more on her), Mother's has long been decried as a tourist trap, but its roast beef is very good and its Ferdie Special is one of the best poorboys in the city. The roast beef and its gravy are what make that sandwich.

8. Short Stop - When I was about five years old I fell on the playground and bent my radius. My orthopedist was located at Doctor's Hospital or EJGH, I really do not remember. What I do remember is stopping at the Short Stop on Transcontinental and West Esplanade near that Tastee and eating what, at that time, was the best RB poorboy I had ever had. They still make an excellent RB.

7. Parran's - There is a love hate relationship at Parran's. The J & M Special is essentially a Ferdie Special without the turkey, and it too is made by a perfect gravy. My biggest gripe there is that you pay a premium for roast beef and the poorboys since Covid I have had from Parran's have been less than overstuffed. But the flavor is excellent. Ironically, I think Tom Fitzmorris proclaiming theirs the best RB poorboy in town has turned many here against it.

6. Red Wagon - Why no one ever mentions Red Wagon here or on best of lists is a testament to both Haraharians keeping outsiders out and the parochialism of New Orleanians who do not try every neighborhood's best. Like R&O's, they serve their roast on a sesame seeded poorboy loaf, but I believe R&O's using Gendusa (a great loaf) whereas Red Wagon uses Leidenheimer. Anyway, Red Wagon's large roast is 15" and just $10 and weighs more than any of the others in the top ten.

5. Tracey's / Parasol's - is essentially Parasol's, but since the owners of Parasol's are there now, I give them the nod. But you could go to either and have a top 5 RB poorboy in the world at either.

4. Parenton's - open for over 75 years, somehow very few people seem to know about Parenton's. And it is a shame because it is a true old school poorboy shop with an exceptional roast beef, also served on a seeded loaf. It is right off Jefferson, so geographically, it is near the center of the Metro area. But it is so often overlooked.

3. Guy's - More than any other spot growing up, Guy's was the family's poorboy shop. I reckon I have eaten 100 of their roast beef poorboys over the years and simply love them.

2. Bear's - Due to the Old Metairie location in a seedy bar under an overpass, and I think everyone will agree this spot is part of Old Metairie, I will only get the roast beef to go. Even served in a sandwich wrapper on the go, the roast is exquisite. There is allegedly a location on the Northshore, and because I have conquered most of my fear of bridges, I may soon try it too.

1. Parkway Bakery - like Apollo Creed after his first bout with Rocky, Parkway is often panned as overrated, bland, and yesterday's hero. But to me, it is the quintessential RB poorboy, perfectly balanced. Their fried potato with gravy is likewise a Platonic poorboy. I always splash it with Crystal and bland is the last thing I think of when eating. While Mother's roast with carrot and potato poorboy probably is my all-time favorite RB, Parkway is right behind her.

Yours,
TulaneLSU

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I read over and over that Parkway's roast beef is bland. I could not disagree more.

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You are special

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When I give my opinion about my favorite poorboys it is considered trolling?

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Acquaintance,

Re-read what I said without such a negative outlook on my words and perhaps you will not feel the need to lecture me on common ground.

Satisfactory Regards,

FT

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Best we can get is his brother

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Who is that?

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. Red Wagon

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this?



vs

R&O

one looks like it uses lunch meat and one does not.

some meat displays better than others, depending on the city you visit.