WHAT Shrimp po’ boy (with butter lettuce, tomato relish & aioli, on soft bun)
WHERE The Gabardine, thegabardine.com
PRICE $14
WHY An ideal balance of sweet and savoury, moist and crunchy
I’ve long wanted to dine at The Gabardine, and when I first launched this site, their shrimp po’ boy was recommended to me. So it was with excitement/trepidation that I ordered it when I finally got to lunch here. What if it wasn’t a sandwich everyone should eat before they die? In other words, I really wanted to like this thing.
Thank goodness, then, that I did. But on first look I was overwhelmed. I mean, look at the image above. The stuffings are spilling over, the thing is almost as big as my face. I made it more manageable by cutting it in half, and decided to let the shrimp fall where they may.
And they did, but the mess didn’t matter because this sandwich is GOOD. A soft, chewy bun soaks up the aioli and sweet tomato relish, which perfectly offsets the savoury, touched-by-spice baby shrimp. The sandwich is crisp and light, but not greasy. I was perfectly satiated at the end of the meal (and I cleaned my plate, great potato salad, too!).
Oh, and The Gabardine has a great drink menu. They don’t take lunch reservations, so I advise getting there as soon as they open to secure a seat.
