The Peacemaker - Mahony's Po-Boys, New Orleans, LA
During their last jaunt to New Orleans, Vodka and her college roommate, Whiskey Sour, tasted the gold standard of po-boys at Domilise's Po-Boy and Bar. The only reasons they opted out of making a return visit to Domilise's fried shrimp palace are a) a lack of willingness to wait in their line, and b) the quest to be "adventurous" and try something new. This would prove to be a poor decision.
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| Mahony's: Where Nobody Knows Our Name and Is Not Particularly Pleased We Came |
In place of Domilise's, we trek off via St. Charles streetcar to Mahony's Po-Boys, home of The Peacemaker, which Aaron Sanchez spoke of during the SANDWICH HALL OF FAME episode of Best Thing I Ever Ate. The Peacemaker features fried shrimp and oysters, along with bacon and cheddar cheese. Because the large size is the better deal ($26 versus the half-sandwich's $17), we each opt for our own sandwich... which ends up being a good move, as Vodka immediately dumps a solid portion of hers on the floor.
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| Oyster Down |
To blame the carb and not the carb-eater, the bread which Mahony's uses for their po-boys is much less pliable, much more crumbly, and, dare we say, much less fresh than that used at Domilise's. Because of these qualities, it does not scoop around the (packed in) sandwich components nearly as well, which is how Vodka loses an oyster within seconds of her first bite.
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| Too Much of a Not-Very-Good Thing |
This loss would prove to be fortuitous, as the oysters themselves are off-putting at best, and downright fishy at worst. In fact, Vodka ends up scooping all of the ones that didn't fall to the ground back into the basket, and eventually does the same with the bacon, which she deems an unnecessary addition.
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| Did We Really Need ANOTHER Protein Source? |
While Domilise's may always have the upper-hand for us where po-boys are concerned, due not just to their quality but also to how unexpectedly amazing we found the entire enterprise ("how can this possibly be so good?!"), Mahony's effort truly pales in comparison. Vodka eventually gives up entirely, leaving practically a loaf of bread and a family of oysters behind, while Whiskey Sour, never one to waste food, wraps up the remainder of hers in the provided wax paper.
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| Nothing Says 'New Orleans' Like Strolling the Streets with an Oyster in Your Purse |
In fact, the more distant Mahony's Peacemaker floats into our past, the more sour our memory of it turns. By nightfall, we downgrade it from a respectable, if unshowy, 3 stars to barely a 2. And in retrospect, it is possibly one of the worst things we have ever eaten in New Orleans.
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| When Absence Does Not, In Fact, Make the Heart Grow Fonder |
Proof, we suppose, that "adventure" doesn't have to mean trudging down a new road to a novel location, but rather deigning to wait in line for something you know will be worth the journey.
Mahony's Po-Boys's The Peacemaker: 2 stars
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