Award-Winning Chef Nina Compton Brings New Orleans' Compère Lapin to Miami

Miami will experience award-winning chef Nina Compton's culinary magic when her acclaimed restaurant, Compère Lapin, embarks on a monthlong residency at the Four Seasons Hotel in Miami.

Beginning Thursday, April 18, the hotel will welcome Compton and her acclaimed New Orleans restaurant, Compère Lapin, for a month-long residency from Thursday, April 18, through Sunday, May 19. Compton’s signature Caribbean-Creole dishes, such as a juicy fried chicken with aromatic coconut grits and fresh blackened lobster served with black-eyed peas and collard greens, will be on the menu, as well as many of her classic dishes updated with a Miami twist, which fans will only be able to experience during the residency.

Winner of the 2018 James Beard Award for "Best Chef: South" and a semifinalist for the 2023 James Beard Award for  "Outstanding Chef," Compton’s approach to cuisine is inventive, seamlessly blending the flavors of her Caribbean roots, her French culinary training, and extensive experience with Italian cuisine.
Born in Saint Lucia, Compton was inspired by her mother and grandmother to begin cooking, as they spent so much cherished time in the kitchen. "My grandmother and my mom were always in the kitchen — it was the most active room in the house," she explains. "At any point during the day, there was always someone in the kitchen. It was always the center point of conversation. Food was a big part of our lives."

And it was in that very same kitchen that she discovered her life's true calling — cooking for others.

"One day, when I was very young, I cooked a meal for my family, and they were so happy. That day, I told my mom, 'Mom, I think I want to become a chef,'" she says. "Seeing the smiles on their faces made me feel very confident that I could do this for other people besides my family."

With the guidance of her mother, she went on to work multiple roles at kitchens in Saint Lucia, where she learned cooking techniques, how to run a kitchen, and so much more. She thanks this longing to learn and her everlasting curiosity as a reason for her success. "Honestly, I'm still learning every day, and that's something that keeps me engaged and motivated," she says.
After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in 2001, Compton began her career at Daniel in New York City alongside chef Daniel Boulud. From there, she flew down to Miami, where she worked with Norman Van Aken at Norman’s, Philippe Ruiz at Palme d’Or at the Biltmore Hotel, and then Casa Casuarina in Miami Beach, where she rose to the rank of executive chef. Soon after, an opportunity would change her life — she became the chef de cuisine at Scarpetta at the Fontainebleau in Miami Beach. At the popular Italian restaurant, she worked alongside celebrity chef and restaurateur Scott Conant. The rest was history.

Then Compton fell in love with New Orleans, where she opened Compère Lapin in 2015. It soon garnered critical acclaim for her one-of-a-kind culinary style. Since then, the requests for reservations have been nonstop. The success of Compere Lapin led Compton to open a second restaurant, Bywater American Bistro, in the spring of 2018.

Now, nearly a decade after leaving Scarpetta, Compton can't help but feel inspired by the new energy she is feeling in the Magic City. "Since I left Miami almost ten years ago, Miami has grown so much in the culinary world," says Compton. "We have so many different restaurants and different chefs bringing amazing food to the city, so I'm really hoping people can enjoy and embrace this menu."

“Miami holds a special place in my heart, and my time there was instrumental in my growth as a chef,” adds Compton. “The opportunity to come back to a city I know so well and adore was kismet, and to do it with a brand like Four Seasons is a dream. I’m excited to be back and look forward to reconnecting with friends and family, colleagues, and fans.”
Miami-based fans of Compton are in for a treat, as unique tropical spins on classic Compère Lapin menu items will be on this limited-time menu that you can only find during the monthlong residency. "Some dishes will be inspired by Miami, while others are mainstays from the New Orleans menu," she explains. "It's a Caribbean-Creole menu, and [the food] and cocktails will reflect that. For instance, take the buttermilk biscuits we serve at Compère Lapin. In Miami, they will be served with mango butter and a pinch of chili salt. At Compère Lapin in New Orleans, we serve it with honey butter. Mango butter will be much more fun. Plus, we'll be featuring stone crabs, which are in season, as well."

Other starter highlights include a hamachi crudo prepared with passionfruit and yuca, a tuna tartare served with crisp dasheen chips, stone crabs accented with spicy aioli, as well as a seafood tower and a Caribbean chopped salad. Signature entrées feature Compton’s famous fried chicken with coconut grits and pickles, blackened lobster served with black-eyed peas and collards, and whole roasted snapper prepared with papaya and soft herbs.

But her Miami twist doesn't end with entrées and appetizers — fans of Compère Lapin are in for a sweet treat at the end of their meal. "So many desserts have been inspired by Miami. For instance, the coconut tres leches with guava sorbet, which I think is so Miami, will make people very happy." Other dessert options guests may include mango crème brulée and Bolivian chocolate cake with passionfruit ice cream.
The beverage program will feature an extensive wine list perfectly paired with Compton’s creations. Before dinner or after, the social setting of the bar and the outdoor terrace will showcase a lineup of brilliant and flavorful cocktails unique to the residency, such as "A Night at the Oloffson" cocktail made with Clairin Le Rocher, ginger-passion fruit, lime, a ginger-salt-chili rim and lime zest, and the "Tropical Vesper Riff" with coconut oil-infused gin, pineapple-infused vodka, Cocchi Americano, Velvet Falernum, and a lime peel.

Offering distinct lunch and dinner menus, Compère Lapin at the Four Seasons will be Compton's new creative playground to craft culinary experiences that meld the flavors of her Caribbean upbringing and love for French and Italian cuisine while highlighting Miami’s tropical influence.

Compère Lapin by Nina Compton. Thursday, April 18, through Sunday, May 18, at Four Seasons Hotel Miami, 1435 Brickell Ave., Miami; 305-381-3024; fourseasons.com/miami. Daily noon to 3 p.m. and 6 to 10 p.m.