People going to the Caribbean dance club My Riddim Club on North Claiborne have been clamoring for a nearby late-night food option, and the owners of the club are preparing to meet that demand by opening a takeout spot next door called Riddim Caribbean Kitchen at 1735 N Claiborne Ave. An opening date has not been set.
Co-owner Carlin Valencia recently told What Now New Orleans that she and her husband had owned a restaurant called Gari Mix in New Orleans East about 13 years ago. While that restaurant sold both classic New Orleans dishes and food from the couple’s native Honduras, Riddim Caribbean Kitchen will mostly focus on the former. With many different kinds of people coming to the club, Valencia said classic New Orleans food will appeal to everyone.
“We have a little bit of everything at the club,” she said. “We have African, Spanish, and a little bit of American customers coming in.”
Valencia added that she and her husband are Garifunas, which are people from Honduras who are descendants of Afro-Caribbean and indigenous Caribbean peoples. She said the new takeout spot will occasionally have a menu that features traditional Honduran and Garifuna dishes.
