There is no more famous restaurant in all of Palmdale than Lee Esther’s, the staple Creole and Cajun restaurant renowned for its jambalaya, gumbo, and delightful assortment of Louisiana staples.

What can a catering chef do when business drops to zero as a result of the pandemic? Cook gumbo, of course. The upstart Pasadena-based Henry Parsons Project is turning out some seriously surprising New Orleans-inspired food, from deep chicken gumbo bowls to po’ boys and shrimp and grits. Get it while you still can, because who knows if this pop-up will last forever.

Husband and wife team Marcus Christiana-Beniger and Eunah Kang opened up this charming Big Easy transplant on the east side of Chinatown, where po’boys, muffaletas, and house made cochon de lait is smoked in-house.

The late Jonathan Gold shared good words about Stevie’s, labeling it the “best gumbo this side of New Orleans.” The locations have moved since opening in 1986, but recipes have endured, especially the peach cobbler.

Harold & Belle’s is celebrating 51 years in Jefferson Park. To mark the occasion, there’s a combination platter with a large gumbo, eight pieces of fried chicken, 10 fried catfish strips, jambalaya, a large order of red beans and rice, with potato salad. The combo even comes with Mardi Gras beads.

Open since 2013, Sal (or chef Sally) is pure Cajun, with a soul food menu that’s full of favorites with fried okra, croquettes and grits, and fried pickles as particularly tasty sides.

Owner and New Orleans native Nickey McKnight opened the Boujie Crab right when the pandemic began. Traditional creole favorites are throughout the menu, but McKnight twisted things up a bit by offering bowls with red potatoes, Cajun beef sausage, and Cajun corn can be topped with a protein of choice including snow crab, shrimp, and salmon.

Georgia’s Anaheim and Long Beach locations are open for takeaway and on-site dining. They’re also channeling Mardi Gras with a $15 hurricane for two filled with rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, and grenadine. Have one before trying “Nana” Gretchen’s jambalaya served over pasta or rice.