Convenience Store Pop Ups Now Trending In Bywater?

Seems like only yesterday the idea of getting a bowl of vegan soba noodles at a quick-stop for cheap cigs, beer, and questionable curbside transactions would seem laughable and/or rather cringeworthy, but folks, it's happening. Call it gentrification, or a well-intentioned improvement on take-out, or what have you, but there seems to be a budding trend happening in the Bywater with pop ups finding new homes in convenience stores. And while the area isn't a stranger to pop ups the fact that food stores along St. Claude Avenue are now branching out from the ubiquitous fried food counter could very well indicate an ongoing transformation to the corridor.

1.) Garage Pizza
Where: Inside Mike's Food Store at 3708 St. Claude
The sitch: Specializing in gourmet pizzas and vegetarian cuisine, Garage Pizza has a fully functioning website with a menu (astounding). There are burgers, calzones, pastas, appetizers including crab cakes, and vegetarian options ranging from soba noodles to something called tempeh delight. There is an art gallery opening up nextdoor, so you know, they may be hoping to pull in some business from the artsy nightcrawler folks. Now open weekday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. (504) 214-5177

2.) Tallulah's & Stuffs
Where: PNT Grocery Store (now a Hank's) at 3340 St. Claude
The sitch: Also with a website and vegetarian options, Tallulah's & Stuffs seems to be run as two pop ups in one. Tallulah's is doing a weekly rotation of eclectic comfort food... think burgers, Indian specialties, and soups that are the must-try, including this week's Italian wedding soup. Stuffs does full on comfort breakfast. Open Wednesday to Saturday 12 to 7 p.m. and Sunday 12 to 4 p.m. Update: hours are actually from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Know of another pop up, be it in a restaurant, food store, or anywhere else? Been to one of these pop ups and had a good or bad experience? Leave a comment or email us on down the tipline.

· Garage Pizza [Official Website]
· Tallulah's & Stuffs [Official Website]
· Pop Ups [-ENOLA-]