Inland Bays Oyster Week is almost here – a time to celebrate the saltwater soul of our region. And on Sunday, Aug. 3, we’re kicking it off the best way I know how: with a fresh spin on a Southern classic – the oyster po’ boy.
From 2 to 7 p.m. at the West Side Creative Market in Rehoboth Beach, I’ll serve this beloved sandwich as part of Soundbite Sunday, alongside freshly shucked oysters, crisp wine pairings, live music, and local art. It’s the launch party for what may become one of Delaware’s tastiest and most meaningful weeks of the summer.
The oysters featured in the sandwich and raw bar come from Nancy James Oyster Company, just past Dewey in the Delaware Bay. Raised with care in floating mesh bags, these oysters are deep-cupped, clean-shelled, and beautifully briny. While co-owner Jordan Nally won’t be at the market – he’ll be at Aqua in Rehoboth shucking oysters – we’ll proudly serve his oysters, freshly shucked and ready to enjoy raw or dressed.
This event also marks the kickoff of Inland Bays Oyster Week, a seasonal series celebrating our local oyster growers, chefs, and food systems. What better way to begin than with a sandwich rooted in working-class history and elevated by local craftsmanship?
The po’ boy has generous roots. It was born in 1929 in New Orleans, during a streetcar workers’ strike. Former conductors Benny and Clovis Martin, who had opened a small restaurant, served free sandwiches to their fellow strikers. As they arrived, the brothers would call out, “Here comes another poor boy,” and serve French loaves stuffed with fried seafood or beef and potatoes.
That sandwich became a bold, affordable, deeply satisfying New Orleans icon. It has always been a food of the people, built on flavor and generosity.
At its best, an oyster po’ boy balances crisp, hot oysters with cool, creamy textures and vibrant contrast. We coat our oysters in flour, breadcrumbs, and cornmeal and fry them until golden and delicate. They’re tucked into toasted baguettes and layered with house-made remoulade, ripe heirloom tomatoes, crisp local lettuce, and our signature pickle for bite and brightness.
It’s the kind of sandwich that’s best eaten with both hands – and the kind that demands a photo: crispy oysters spilling out of soft bread, drips of remoulade catching the light, a glimpse of tomato and lettuce tucked inside. A po’ boy, when done right, is visual storytelling. It’s messy in the best way – and meant to be devoured.
To complement the flavors, Rob Bagley from Breakthru Beverage will be pouring wine pairings, including a Sauvignon Blanc selected for its clean acidity and herbaceous lift – perfect alongside raw oysters and the richness of the sandwich.
This all unfolds at the DAC Creative Market located in West Rehoboth, where local artisans, musicians, chefs, and neighbors gather to share what they love. I’ll also be showing a few of my oyster-inspired lino-cut prints for sale, because food and art often share the same origin: story, season, and sense of place.
This isn’t just a sandwich. It’s the beginning of Inland Bays Oyster Week – a celebration of local waters, community resilience, and the flavors that connect us. Come hungry, come curious, and come taste the tide.
