At The Table With: Nina Compton
Don’t miss the Ladies Night NOLA series kicking off at Compere Lapin in collaboration with Queen Trini Lisa on July 27.
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Q: James Beard Best Chef South, Top Chef, Food & Wine Best New Chef, a cookbook, and you're still on the line during service. What keeps you in the kitchen?
A: I do what I love. For me, being in the kitchen, getting to create memories for people, not just creating food, is a really important part of what I do and why I get up in the morning.
Q: Les Dames is about women lifting up other women. Which women shaped your early career?
A: Leah Chase was very intimidating when I moved here. She's such a legend. When she told me you have to make it as a woman, you have to make it as a woman of color, I felt this immense pressure. I want to make sure I continue on that path.
Q: You've said this restaurant is a journey. Walk us through it.
A: I'm from the Caribbean, the island of Saint Lucia, and now I've lived in New Orleans almost 11 years. It's basically a journey of me growing up in Saint Lucia, living in Jamaica, living in Miami, and now ending up in New Orleans. All the places I've lived, I'm drawing influence from, and it becomes part of the menu.
Q: Why does a community of women in this industry matter to you?
A: I strongly believe in women in any industry being empowered and being supported. We're all sharing information, supporting each other, exposing ourselves to new things. It's a really important program to be part of.
Q: Which women in Les Dames do you look up to?
A: There's a lot of women in that group I admire, because they're not only business owners or entrepreneurs or women leading the charge. They're also moms. They're also good friends. They're also nurturers. They also inspire us. I tip my hat to those women, because it's a lot.
Q: The art here is stunning. Who's behind it?
A: His artwork is inspired by the French countryside. We've used him since the opening. (The pieces are by James Michalopoulos, one of the most recognizable painters in New Orleans, who splits his time between the city and Burgundy, France.)
Q: What are we tasting today?
A: It's our tuna crudo. We get local tuna from the Gulf that we pound very thinly, carpaccio style. It's dressed with a mango chow, which is a Trinidadian snack marinade: ripe mango marinated in garlic, vinegar, a little bit of chilies. Then avocado mousse and taro chips on top. It's meant to be a very light dish for the summertime.
Don’t Miss: Ladies Night NOLA, a collaborative summer series celebrating the women shaping our city's vibrant hospitality scene. The series will bring together women in hospitality every Wednesday through the end of September. It kicks off Monday July 27 at Compère Lapin, in collaboration with Queen Trini Lisa.
Each venue will put its own spin on the experience through specialty cocktails, wine offerings, bites, collaborations, entertainment and more.
August 5th @ Vyoone’s from 5:30PM - 7:30PM
August 12th, a collaboration with Ayu Bakehouse x Mister Mao from 5:30PM - 8PM
August 19th, a collaboration with Rosedale x Porgy’s from 5:30PM - 7:30PM
August 26th @ Dolfy’s from 5:30PM - 7:30PM
September 2nd @ Peche from 5:30PM - 7:30PM
September 9th @ Dakar from 5:30PM - 7:30PM
September 16th @ Zasu from 5:30PM - 7:30PM
September 23rd @ Lil Dizzy’s Cafe from 5:30PM - 7:30PM
September 30th @ The Mosquito Supper Club from 5:30PM - 7:30PM
Interview by Dame Stephanie Forrer of Eat, Drink, Travel Y’all