For Lunch Today...

Foreword: I wrote this blog entry a while back, but Rene and I thought it best to delay posting anything on Mahony's until after our article in OffBeat was published. We made this decision in the interest of our newly found journalistic integrity. Whatever that means.


The Pope absolutely loves onion rings. I don't think that I have ever known him to pass up an opportunity to start a lunch with mile-high pile of those golden rings of goodness. But I never knew where his hankering for fried onions came from until a recent lunch date with La Papa's Mama, Mary Magdalene ("MM").

MM was kind enough to procure us a few extra tickets to the LRA Food Service Expo, and I offered to buy her lunch as a sign of gratitude. We decided to try Mahony's Po-Boy Shop on Magazine just off Louisiana. The place is run by former Rio Mar Sous Chef Ben Wicks, who obviously has had some great training under Adolfo Garcia.

The po-boys are solid, and you have a few unconventional options for fillings. The richness of fried chicken livers is offset well by the acid and crunch of shredded coleslaw. The meatballs are covered in fresh buffalo mozzarella (where else is that possible?), and the cochon de lait is porcine perfection on french bread.

But the onion rings alone are worth a visit - thinly shaved onions, lightly coated, and then fried crisp to order. MM proclaimed these rings as the best in the city, and she would know. The french fries are also fresh cut and fried to order. If I wasn't such a carnivore, I would get the french fry po-boy (with cheese and brown gravy, of course), and then ADD onion rings to the sandwich.