At the end of March I had the opportunity to attend the inaugural events Top Taco and Bourbon Festival in New Orleans. I had never been to the city and I was so excited to see and EAT everything New Orleans had to offer. Once the trip was book I immediately made sure I had a reservation at Compere Lapin. That’s the restaurant inside the Old No. 77 Hotel, where I knew I would find former Miami chef, Nina Compton, who I had been missing since she moved to New Orleans just over two years ago.

Nina was the Top Chef, Season 11 Runner Up and Fan Favorite and always one of my personal favorites. She was previously at Scott Conant’s Scarpetta in the Fontainebleau before she made her way to New Orleans. Since then she’s been nominated for James Beard Best Chef in the South 2017 and was just named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs in America 2017. As a fan who is so happy for her New Orleans success I was really pumped to see and taste what she’s been up to lately.