NEW ORLEANS

Some think of New Orleans as the most European city in the United States, others think it belongs to the Caribbean. As chef Nina Compton’s flagship restaurant Compère Lapin shows us, it’s possible to be both these things—and so much more. From jerk pork belly to classic Italian seafood pasta, every meal at this celebrated restaurant tells a story about how our histories and memories connect us, thanks to the James Beard Award-winning chef’s uncanny ability to weave together her island heritage and classical training with the fresh ingredients of the Gulf. No wonder Compère Lapin has been honored with numerous accolades, including Food and Wine’s “40 Most Important Restaurants of the Past 40 Years.”

INCLUDED IN THE FEAST

Compère Lapin

NINA COMPTON AND LARRY MILLER

While chef Compton runs the show in the kitchen, partner and husband Larry Miller is in charge of everything front of house, including the key role of selecting the bottles that help punctuate the stories on the plate. Women winemakers get top billing on the list, which is also notable for featuring fresh and juicy low-intervention wines, all of which are exactly what you want to drink with the complex flavors and perfectly executed dishes that are the story of both Compton’s lifetime of working in French and Italian kitchens and growing up in St. Lucia. Aside from her 2018 Beard Award, she outcooked all but one contestant on Season 11 of Top Chef and, in 2017, was named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs.

JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION

Winner Best Chef South

FOOD & WINE'S LIST

40 Most Important Restaurants

EATER'S MOST ESSENTIAL RESTAURANTS

America's 38

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WHY WE LOVE IT

Chef Nina Compton and Larry Miller are two of the best people you could ever hope to meet. Their love for hospitality is obvious from the moment you step into the restaurant and continues throughout the evening as locals and tourists alike break bread together.

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