
3

"A promising new food hall is taking shape at the intersection of Elysian Fields and St. Claude Avenues, expected to open with at least nine vendors sometime this spring; I noted the large, heavily built-out vendor stalls with full kitchens (ovens, stoves, fryers, and cold storage) rather than the tiny kiosks that have doomed other local halls. The offerings lean heavily on Vietnamese cuisine — including a stand for pho and vermicelli bowls and another for banh mi and Vietnamese desserts — alongside a centrally located sushi and poke bowl bar with counter seats, a juice and salad bar, a burgers-and-wings stall, and a Mexican stall, plus a full bar run by a separate vendor. The interior has been modernized with faux marble paneling on the larger-than-average stands, video menu screens, metallic light fixtures hanging from the warehouse ceiling, and two center bar areas topped with gold hanging plant boxes, while the exterior at 1101 Elysian Fields Avenue has been refreshed with colorful murals of people and plants; the project is awaiting inspections and is tentatively projected to open sometime after Mardi Gras." - Clair Lorell