Last night at the New Orleans Jazz Museum hundreds of revelers and po boy enthusiasts crowded into the atrium of the vast building to watch Gary ‘Koz’ Gruenig and Vance Vaucresson speak on the history of New Orleans’ po boy scene.

Mr. Gruenig has been a central figure in local sandwich lore since his humble start as a floor sweeper at Gentilly’s Po Boy Bakery back in 1965. It did not take long for the young go-getter to become a partner in the restaurant before eventually opening his own hotplate and po boy joint in Harahan 20 years ago.

Vance Vaucresson is the scion of a family whose Creole sausage-making roots extend all the way back to New Orleans 7th Ward in the 19th century. Simply put, his St. Bernard Avenue cafe puts out the finest hot sausage po boy in the city.

There is no debate.

These two men are stakeholders and lynchpins in southeast Louisiana po boy culture and dedicated eaters have been known to fly hundreds if not thousands of miles to eat at their restaurants.

The crowd was riveted as each man took a star turn on the microphone talking about their storied lives feeding New Orleans and raising their families while running busy sandwich shops and butcheries.

As the talk drew to a close it was announced that Koz and his son Gerald were preparing to hand out po boys to the gathered throng. A cheer went up as James Andrews & The Crescent City All-Stars took to the ad hoc stage and began ripping through a set of Louis Armstrong tunes.

A queue quickly formed and suddenly dozens of ham and cheese po boys slathered with Blue Plate mayonnaise began being swiftly dispensed.

Dancers took to the area in front of the band whilst other folks sat cross-legged in the hallways to devour their sandwiches.

It was a wild scene led to even greater heights when baritone saxman Roger Lewis took a handful of swinging solos that recalled his days backing Fats Domino.

Following two hours of jollification another legendary evening of food and music was properly put in the rearview mirror.

And as is our custom, New Orleans was simultaneously the center of the food universe and the music universe.