Parkway Bakery & Tavern in New Orleans

After a recent trip (without kids) to New Orleans, I’ve decided that “family friendly dining” means something entirely different to people from the Midwest. In the South, it seems that families lay claim to food establishments. In some sort of rite-of-passage, people bring their children to a certain restaurant. The children grow up and come back with their kids. Repeat for a couple of generations, and you may even have your own table (equivalent in my mind to your own pew at church). Incidentally, if you happen to own the restaurant, you’ll need to have kids so they can keep it running (only to inherit the entire business some day).

Before my recent trip to the Big Easy, I consulted with my Who Dat? friends on a must-have food experience in their city. Skipping the bignets and café au laits, we went right for the po’boy.  The best way I can describe a po’boy is to say it is like a third-trimester submarine sandwich— stuffed with meat or deep-fried seafood and served on a French baguette. Po’boys are not for the faint of heart, vegetarians, or those of us with high cholesterol.  Remember, antacid is your friend.

Inside Parkway Bakery & Tavern

This Yankee stopped in at the Parkway Bakery & Tavern, claiming to be the oldest, most entertaining, po’boy shop in New Orleans. With a line wrapping halfway around the building on a Saturday afternoon, we had plenty of time to consult the menu and take in the atmosphere. By the time we reached the counter to order, I knew I wanted my po’boy dressed* and served with a basket of yam-fries and a cold bottle of old-fashioned Barq’s root beer.

Other local po’boy shops on our list included Domilise’s, La Bella’s (rumor has it, La Bella’s serves the best meatball po’boy in the city), Bobby’s Seafood (known also for a fresh catch, get your po’boy oyster dressed), and Dong Phuong Oriental Bakery (yes, a Vietnamese restaurant in on the po’boy craze).  There’s even an annual New Orleans Po’Boy Preservation Festival in November (S.O.S. = Save our Sandwich, no kidding!).

In New Orleans, family friendly doesn’t necessarily mean bathrooms with changing tables, special  kid’s menus, or even plastic “collector’s” cups. In fact, many of the places we considered encourage phoning in your order (arriving in time to meet it at the pickup counter). Throw some crayons in your purse or backpack and consider splitting a regular-sized meal between the kids and less-hungry adults. Whatever your expectation or your experience, chances are family-tradition and a family-recipe is somewhere in the mix.

* Not x-rated, dressing your po’boy means adding all the fixings’ (like lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mayo). Think of it as a Memphis-style BBQ.

Parkway Bakery & Tavern

538 Hagan Ave., New Orleans, LA  70119
www.parkwaybakeryandtavernnola.com
(504) 482-3047

Domilise’s

5240 Annunciation St., New Orleans, LA  70115
(504) 899-9126

La Bella’s

2118 3rd street, Kenner, LA  70062

http://www.labellascatering.com/

(504) 466-2000

Bobby’s Seafood

9013 Jefferson Hwy, River Ridge, LA 70123
(504) 738-2104

Dong Phuong Oriental Bakery

14207 Chef Menteur Hwy, New Orleans, LA 70129
(504) 254-0214

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