The shrimp po-boy is king of sandwiches on the Coast

The po-boy is king of sandwiches in this part of the Deep South.

Legend has it the po-boy tradition started with a street car strike in New Orleans and sympathetic restaurateurs gave the "poor boys" a split open loaf of French bread, stuffed with good things they had on hand.

I would venture to say that today the king of po-boys is the fried shrimp version.

Some places seem a bit miserly with the amount of shrimp they use, while other places like Bozo’s in Pascagoula go completely overboard, but what a wonderful excess it is.

How many shrimp should a good po-boy have? Let me know what you think on in the comments section of this blog.

A shrimp po-boy can be a thing of wonder, but it does not have to be fried. Wouldn’t a barbecue shrimp po-boy be good?

What if you gently sautéed shrimp in garlic butter, added a handful of chopped cilantro and then pressed it on a crusty, locally baked loaf of French bread? Now you are talking. Just don’t forget the sliced tomato and lettuce. If you are feeling really daring, try it with spicy coleslaw.