Mischief managed

Zatarain's is picking up their litter.

The Zatarain's Crab Boil ads that were affixed to the curb cuts on N. Carrollton Avenue in Mid-City may be gone now, but they left a bad taste in the mouth of some New Orleanians — as well as City Hall, which says they were illegal. Though residents had been removing the stickers themselves, the remainder were taken up last night, according to Michael Morse, general manager of Zatarain's.

Morse said he wasn't aware that sidewalk advertising was illegal in New Orleans, and had not heard of other high-profile cases of companies doing so. Last week, a New Orleans-based software company called Meusu upset French Quarter merchants and residents with a sidewalk stenciling ad campaign, and in 2012, Coca-Cola ended up paying the city $10,000 after stenciling sidewalk ads downtown during the Final Four basketball tournament.

The whole point was to have some ads up during as much of Jazzfest as they could maintain them for. They made it through a full weekend, it looks like. So it served its purpose. Also.. this whole two-day news episode brought to you by Zatarain's.  Zatarain's: There's a boil around every corner.  Available at a grocery near you.