NEW ORLEANS (press release) – In June 2015, James Beard Award-winning chef/restaurateur Nina Compton and husband/partner Larry Miller opened their first restaurant in New Orleans, a city the chef had fallen in love with during her run as a fan favorite on Top Chef. Compère Lapin quickly became one of the city’s hottest restaurants, earning multiple awards and accolades for Compton’s unique Caribbean influenced Gulf Coast cuisine. Seven years later, Compton, Miller and their team are celebrating this momentous milestone with a variety of new offerings, including the return of the CL Raw Bar, new summer dishes and tantalizing new cocktails.
“Talk about a lot happening in a short amount of time,” says Compton. “Ups and downs galore these last seven years. Through good and bad it’s been a wild ride but we’re grateful to be able to look back at what has been accomplished, especially with the challenges we faced. We’re blessed to still be here and do what we love and thankful for those who support us, saw us through the dark times and raised a glass with us during the high times.”
In honor of their anniversary, Compton and Miller are thrilled to announce the return of the CL Raw Bar, which Miller says sat empty due to the pandemic and supply shortage. Back on the menu are crustaceans, crudos and ceviches including Gulf oysters with a peach mignonette; marinated crab fingers with Vietnamese dipping sauce, peel-and-eat shrimp with secret sauce; and a selection of rotating ceviches and crudos including Cobia tartar with spicy aqua pazza and pickled summer vegetables. Shellfish platters, ranging in size, include chilled crab, chili-mango marinated lobster, peel and eat shrimp, and assorted local crudos.
Compton has also unveiled an array of new dishes including chilled corn soup; pan-roasted snapper with summer squash and tomato broth; fried chicken with black eyed peas and savory bread pudding and, for dessert, peach panna cotta with rum cake.
Long-time fans who rhapsodize to the uninitiated regarding Compère Lapin’s exceptional bar program will be thrilled to sample inventive new cocktails which include Last Stag – mezcal, Jägermeister, Luxardo Maraschino liqueur and fresh squeezed lime juice; I’m Not Dead – bourbon, house amaro blend, sherry and Cocchi Americano Bianco and Bottom Lip – rum, Bonal aperitif, Sfumato, carrot, papaya, pineapple, lemon and curry spice syrup; amongst others.
Compère Lapin is located in The Old No. 77 Hotel at 535 Tchoupitoulas St. in New Orleans. The restaurant serves dinner Wednesday – Sunday from 5:30 – 9 p.m. (until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday). Ample free street parking is available. For reservations and additional information, please visit www.comperelapin.com.
Follow Compère Lapin on Instagram & Facebook: @comperelapin
