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Nina Compton, chef/owner, Compère Lapin
Nina Compton’s brilliant culinary skills and passion for delivering good food and service have earned her wide recognition in the restaurant industry.
She first got noticed on the pre-opening team at Scott Conant’s restaurant at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, and then as a finalist on Season 11 of Bravo’s “Top Chef.” She earned rave reviews for both, which led to her being tapped to open her first restaurant, Compère Lapin in New Orleans, where she offers a unique blend of classic Caribbean and Creole with elegant French technique. The immediate success of Compère catapulted Compton to a leading position among the “new guard” in New Orleans’ storied culinary culture. After just three years in the city, she was awarded Food & Wine’s Best New Chef 2017 and the 2018 James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef in the South.
Continuing to build on her success, last spring Compton opened her second New Orleans restaurant, Bywater American Bistro, in a former grain mill. She has said she’s not focused on the future, rather trying to be in the moment, but if her past success is any indication, expect her momentum to continue.
