R&O's

Photo by renee b. photography.

Last week we all endured a frightening episode of deja vu when Hurricane Isaac stalled over the city on the seventh anniversary of the landfall of Hurricane Katrina. Fortunately, the reinforced levee system operated as expected, and the city was spared any major flood damage. Unfortunately, Entergy turned in a 2005 FEMA-like performance when it came to the task of restoring power. But those of us who were without air condition for a few days should consider ourselves lucky in light of the loss felt by our neighbors in La Place, Plaquemines Parish, and the like.

When a storm approaches and we're either riding it out at home or evacuating to higher ground, New Orleanians often pass the time talking about the simple pleasures which we cannot wait to enjoy once life returns to normalcy. A ride on the streetcar down St. Charles. A jog around Audubon Park. A loaf of seeded Italian po-boy bread filled with roast beef debris.

In the September issue of OffBeat Magazine, we review R&O's, a bucktown staple where generations of families have come for a taste of our indigenous Creole-Italian cuisine. R&O's has always been a restaurant which caters to every taste. Fried shrimp? Yeah, they got that. Craving a po-boy? No problem. Grandma wants spaghetti and meatballs? Consider it done. Child will only eat pizza? Let him have it, along with the complimentary entertainment which comes from peeking through the kitchen window and watching the dough fly through the air.

No cotton candy foie gras. No sous vide tenderloin of Colorado lamb. No specialty cocktail menu. Just a place where locals come to get a good meal at a fair price. A simple pleasure certainly worth returning home for.

R&O's - Par
216 Old Hammond Hwy
(504) 831-1248

Roland & Ora's

But most of you probably know it as R & O's. This Bucktown joint is very nostalgic for me, because my parents (who rarely ate/eat out) would take us kids to here as a treat. I remember loading that Pac Man arcade full of quarters while we waited for a table. As a comparison for those of you who did not grow up or do not live near the Lakefront, R & O's was our Rendon Inn. (Man, I now have a huge craving for a Horse Burger or a Gotti.)
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Though it started as a pizza place, most of us connote R & O's with fried seafood or "red gravy" laden dishes. However, in my opinion, the sandwiches are the best way to go. If you aspire to follow the path of Legend (and who doesn't), then go with the Italian Special: thinly sliced meatballs and italian sausage with red gravy and mozzarella on their signature seeded italian bread. The roast beef is unorthodox - with almost the texture of chipped beef - but it makes a good sandwich and an even better accompaniment to a heaping pile of cheese fries.

The pizzas are still a sleeper though. The freshly hand tossed crust makes such a huge difference.

Top 10 New Orleans Sandwiches

Nothing like starting the week off with a little controversy.

1. Roast Beef Po-Boy - Parkway Bakery: Words cannot describe the magic of Parkway's roast beef. The beef and gravy somehow become one with each other to make for a spectacular sandwich. The only possible way to improve on this po-boy would be to add fried shrimp .... Oh, right. I believe they call that the Surf & Turf, and it's now a permanent fixture on the menu. Then again, why mess with perfection?
2. Muffuletta - Nor Joe's: Sure, Central Grocery may have started it all, but who wants to wait in line and deal with surly service? At Nor-Joe's you only have to tolerate surly service. This sandwich is not for anyone with an aversion to the finer things in life. Things like cheese, Italian deli meats, briney olives, and bread. Its about time someone around town made a Muffuletta Charcuterie Board. In fact, I just did.
3. Roast Duck Po-Boy - Crabby Jack's: This thing is amazing, if only for the fact that you can't get it anywhere else. Succulent roasted duck in a brown au jus - it also wins the "high class" award.
4. Mozzarella - St. James Cheese Company/Fernando - Stein's Deli: So similar, yet so different? Both start with foccacia, pesto, and fresh mozzarella. At St. James they use salami, while at Stein's they layer on the prosciutto. The St. James Girl (surprisingly) gives the edge to the Mozzarella because the cheese is slightly melted.
5. Banh Mi - Pho Tau Bay: The bread might be the best specimen of classic New Orleans style french bread in the city. The fillings are straight from Vietnam. My favorite is the chef's special liver sausage and rolled ham, but you can't go wrong with the char grilled pork. By the way, the sandwiches are small (and cheap) enough so that you can order both.
6. Oyster Loaf - Casamento's: Oysters - it's what they do, which is why Casamento's is closed during those dreaded summer months when oysters are not at their peak. Piled high on toasted and buttered "pan bread" with a few pickles and a couple of dashes of hot sauce. You can't get much better than that.
7. Meatball Parmesan Po-Boy - Mahony's: The fresh mozzarella alone catapults this sandwich to the Top 10, but the handmade meatballs and red gravy are integral ingredients of the final product. The anise flavor in the meatballs provides a sweet overture to the final product.
8. #4 - Bud's Broiler: Onions? Yes. Double Meat? Yes. Chili or Sauce? Yes. (Wait, I said "or" - I have always been a sauce man myself, but I don't judge the chili lovers out there.) And if that wasn't enough, you can get this sandwich late at night.
9. Fat Kid Special - Liuzza's: Have you still not tried this yet? Panneed chicken breast topped with roast beef and gravy. How can that NOT be good? And if you wanted to be really fat, may we suggest putting fried pickles on top of all that. Dear God, my keyboard just went into cardiac arrest. Someone get me a bushwacker, STAT!
10. Italian Special - R&O's: Slices of Italian sausage and meatball, covered in red gravy, and topped with mozzarella. The seedy Italian style bread is unconventional for a po-boy, but it works. Plus, ordering a po-boy called the Italian Special makes it seem like you just put a hit out on that jerk from third grade.

Coming Tomorrow - the sandwiches we once loved, but now they are gone.