Oone of America's South's best and hottest chefs, St. Lucia native Nina Compton has just opened ShaSha Lounge: Social Aid and Pleasure Club in New Orleans. Featuring Compère Lapin, BABs (formerly Bywater American Bistro) and Nina's Creole Cottage in the celebrity chef dining room, ShaSha is the newest of Compton's three NOLA restaurants.
Winner of the James Beard “Best Chef: South” award and semi-finalist for the James Beard “Outstanding Chef” award, Nina Compton was born and raised in St. Lucia, the daughter of the late three-time prime minister of St. Lucia. Minister, Sir John George Melvin Compton. In the Compton household of seven, the kitchen was the center of activity and the young Compton wanted to spend as much time there as possible. Like her siblings, she was sent to England for her secondary education. When she returned home, she told her parents she wanted to become a chef. They tried to discourage her, but she insisted, so they arranged a two-year internship at a friend's hotel in Jamaica. We met New Orleans' busy chef.
What did you learn in the Jamaican hotel kitchen?
For me, the most important thing was to never stop learning. I thought I knew everything, then the chef told me the next step was for me to go to culinary school. I went to the CIA [Culinary Institute of America] in Hyde Park and, afterward, I decided to learn from the best: Daniel Boulud at his three Michelin star restaurant in New York: Daniel.
What is the most important thing you learned from Boulud?
It was excellence or nothing. He really insisted that the people around him be excellent.
You met Emeril Lagasse. What did he tell you?
He said, always engage people; when they approach you, always smile. People expect you, so you have to commit.
You moved to Miami to work at the iconic Norman's and, ultimately, Casa Casuarina, the former Versace mansion in Miami's South Beach, where you met your husband and rose from sous chef to executive chef. Wasn't that a very rapid development?
It was, but it's about paying attention, reading, researching and pushing yourself. I think that’s what people are good at; you learn from your mistakes and try to improve every day.
In 2008, Fontainebleau Miami Beach reopened and you joined Scott Conant at Scarpetta as sous chef. Then you were appointed chef de cuisine. How was it for you?
I was able to learn Italian cooking from the Maestro, who is very, very talented in what he does and how he is able to showcase food to that level.
You fell in love with New Orleans and opened your first solo restaurant, Compère Lapin, which became a successful restaurant included in the "Best Restaurants in America" and the "40 Most Important Restaurants of the Last 40 Years » from Food & Wine. » What makes Compère Lapin so successful?
Some of these flavors that I grew up with as a child are very unique to people who have never tasted them before. There are green figs and salt fish, conch croquettes, callaloo soup with spinach okra, nutmeg, coriander and chili flakes, and much more. We don't prepare food for everyone, we prepare food for you.
Why is NOLA such a great food city?
I think it's the most culturally rich city in the United States. There are influences here that are not found anywhere else in the country or the world. But it's really about the people who live here and those who came before us and instilled such strong cultural roots for us to carry on.
What is your comfort food?
I think, coming from the Caribbean, goat curry is probably something people can relate to. It’s definitely my comfort food.
In 2018, you opened Bywater American Bistro, recently relaunched as BABs this past January. Why did you change the name and what type of food do you serve?
This was always meant to be a neighborhood restaurant: casual, no frills. But the name was very long and I just felt like BAB, the shortened version, would be more fun. We focus more on Italian cuisine.
You opened Nina's Creole Cottage, a fast-casual concept offering affordable, heritage-inspired dishes that feature bold flavor combinations crossing the flavors of St. Lucia and the Creole flavors of Louisiana. Why did you open it and what is your favorite dish there?
Doing fast-casual is really a nod to pretty much everything I like to eat, but in a fast-casual format. My favorite dish is the Hot Fire Chicken because with each bite the flavor develops, which I love.
How to manage all these restaurants at the same time?
I don't know. I haven't figured it out yet.
You were recently named patron of Silversea's new ship. Silver Nova. What did it do?
I have always explored the many ways in which the cuisines of the world – particularly St. Lucia and the Caribbean – strengthen human connections and honor heritage, tradition and identity. I believe food and drink have the power to bring people together and serve as a unifying language.
How do you describe your cooking?
I'll just say it's fun. It's not meant to be too crazy, where people don't feel comfortable, but the more adventurous can enjoy many flavors.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Pig. I compared it to crunchy, salty gummy bears. I've tried to narrow it down and it's just not possible.
When you taste a dish, what exactly are you tasting for?
It depends. Every time we try a new dish at a restaurant, a lot of young kids say, "Oh, chef, I think it needs more acid or more lemon juice" or something like that. And my answer to that is, “Do you put lemon juice in your macaroni and cheese?” And they always say no. I think it's very important to have the balance of flavors to build in the dish, and to have a complexity that isn't limited to just one note. I like things to be salty or spicy or sour, not where it's just one flavor you taste.
You are the culinary ambassador of Saint Lucia. What are you doing to promote it?
I take visitors to my home island, St. Lucia, every year for a week [this year it's July 21-27, 2024, at the luxury resort Cosmos]. I focus on the history and technique of the island's gastronomy, but we also explore everything from markets to waterfalls. I try to show the special secrets that Saint Lucia has in store for me and make people understand the beauty of the island through my eyes.
Do you have any new restaurants on the horizon for the future?
I'm trying to retire.
What advice would you give to those who want to become a chef?
Do not abandon. Don't lose sight of your goal. Have fun. We spend too many hours in the kitchen not to have fun.
What is the most important thing about being a chef?
To rest. Take some time for yourself during the day, whether it's 10 minutes or an hour. And go outside. When I wake up in the morning, I make a cup of coffee, sit outside and either plan my day or disconnect for a second. My husband/business partner, Larry Miller, and I run the business together and talk about our day together. It helps to have someone.
Also, I think the most important part is to stay grounded. You really have to know who you are and be comfortable with whatever you're doing and not doing it for social media or anything like that. It's simply about how you project yourself to people.
What is the favorite meal you have ever eaten?
It could be eating grilled lobster on the beach or dining in Paris. It's really about time and place, not so much about food as about where I am and who I am with.
What’s the biggest mistake you’ve ever made as a boss?
Everybody makes mistakes. I try to look at this as a Bob Ross situation where they make happy mistakes. At the time we think it's terrible, but I think everything happens for a reason, in a very Seinfeld way. I think this all makes sense.
What do you want your legacy to be?
I want my legacy to be that Caribbean cuisine is unique. The Caribbean is very large and very diverse, with many cultures that people are not familiar with. If you venture to the Caribbean, I think you should definitely go to some undeveloped places. Don't go to tourist places. Go to off-the-beaten-path areas because sometimes it's the most authentic food you can understand on the island.
By Margie Goldsmith
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