Chef Nina Compton is Caribbean native that was one of the top Top Chef contestants on the Bravo TV Channel. Although she didn’t get the top spot, her success lead to her recent endeavor: Compère Lapin. With her Caribbean roots and background in French cuisine, she’s created a menu that’s unlike any other in New Orleans. My fiancé and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary at Compère and it was impressive!
Refreshing cocktail.
Chive Biscuits. Honey Butter. Bacon Butter.
Conch Croquettes. Pickled Pineapple Tartar Sauce.
Marinated Shrimp. Roasted Jalapeno Jus.
Beef Tartare . Matsutake mushrooms. Cured egg yolk.
Roasted Beet Salad. Ricotta. Pistachio.
Left: Pici Pasta. Lobster. Summer squash.
Right: Curried Goat. Plantain Gnocchi. Cashews.
Roasted Banana Zeppole. Rum Caramel.
First, the bread was a chive biscuit that was flaky, buttery, and flavorful. To top that it came with two butters: a honey butter and a bacon butter. My favorite was the bacon butter. It’s amazing how they were able to infuse such a pure bacon flavor. I felt like I was eating a really good breakfast sandwich. Now, that’s just the bread!
For our appetizers, we ordered:
- Conch croquettes: these were delicately crispy on the outside and saucy on the inside.
- Marinated shrimp with Jalapeño Jus: I’m not the biggest fan of shrimp, but this was so well done. The shrimp was very fresh and nicely cooked and the sauce had a nice kick to it. What I love in Chef Nina Compton’s dishes is that she’s not afraid to spice things up! She chose the perfect city for her restaurant.
- Beef Tartare with Matsutake mushrooms and cured egg yolk: Smoky. Savory. Goodness. The tartare was one of my favorite dishes of the night.
- Roasted Beet Salad with Ricotta: This salad was no salad. It was so good it was like dessert to me. The Beets were sweet and perfectly roasted. Next, was the ricotta which was blended into a sweet icing-like texture.
For our entrees:
- Pici Pasta with Lobster and summer squash: The pasta was homemade and delicious. I loved that there were clear chunks of lobster throughout the dish.
- Curried Goat with Plantain Gnocchi and cashews: This was definitely the finale and I almost wanted to stop here and just savor that last bite of gnocchi. When you think about certain elements complimenting a dish, this has to be the perfect example. The savoriness of the goat curry coated the little gnocchis. Once you bite into the gnocchi, there’s this instant of a billion flavors all at once! First you get the savory curry, then you get a hint of white wine, then unexpectedly there’s the plantain sweetness. I’m so amazed.
Dessert:
- Roasted Banana Zeppole: This was a great treat in the end, but I definitely could’ve stopped with the gnocchis.
Everything was phenomenal! I love the Caribbean twist on the classically French cuisine. Chef Nina isn’t afraid of adding a lot of spice and I love that. We’re going to have to go back to celebrate our 10 yr 1 mo ! If you’re considering a dinner option this weekend, Compère is a MUST!
Rating: 5/5 spoons
