As most New Orleans restaurants begin to close up shop in the evening, vendors under the Claiborne Avenue overpass begin prepping their wares for visitors grappling with limited late-night food options.
From Thursday to Sunday, dozens of vendors line the stretch of Claiborne between Esplanade and St. Bernard Avenue, serving up loaded seafood potatoes, catfish platters and countless New Orleans-style menu items on Styrofoam plates.
The block party-style food experience of mostly unpermitted vendors has grown substantially over the past year. It’s largely managed to avoid violent incidents and threats to public safety…