Give it up for … Chef Nina Compton of Compère Lapin is kicking butt and taking names with a double whammy! Not only is she a finalist for the 2017 James Beard Award “Best Chef: South,” she was recently honored in Food & Wine as one of the magazine's picks for 2017's “Best New Chefs.” Congratulations, Chef Compton! We're ecstatic that you chose our fair city for your flagship restaurant, and we couldn't be more excited to see what you have planned for the future.
535 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 599-2119, comperelapin.com
Movin' on up … Irish Channel restaurant Atchafalaya recently announced the departure of Chef Chris Lynch. Commander's Palace tapped Lynch as their new chef de cuisine to work directly under Executive Chef Tory McPhail. For the past four years, Lynch has garnered quite a following at Atchafalaya, earning brunch kudos far and wide, but he is ready to move on and broaden his horizons. As of yet, the owners of Atchafalaya have not named a replacement.
901 Louisiana Ave., (504) 891-9626, atchafalayarestaurant.com
Tiny bubbles … The Rampart Street side of the historic French Quarter welcomed Effervescence, a brand new champagne bar owned by Crystal Coco Hinds, sister of Kirk Coco (founder of NOLA Brewing). As its name suggests, the bar offers a wide range of sparkling wines, champagne, and still wines offered both by the bottle and by the glass. They also feature small plates created by chefs Brenna Sanders and Evan Ingram like caviar with crème fraiche, grilled octopus, and pommes frites. Effervescence is currently open evenings from Wednesday through Sunday.
1036 N. Rampart St., (504) 509-7644, nolabubbles.com
Come back soon! … Nick Detrich, managing partner and bartender extraordinaire, has left Cane & Table. Though he will remain managing partner of the popular French Quarter bar and restaurant, he is taking some time for himself to travel and explore new perspectives. Friend and bartender Matt Ray from Cure will be taking over as general manager at Cane & Table with every confidence from both Detrich and partner Neal Bodenheimer.
1113 Decatur St., (504) 581-1112, caneandtablenola.com
A meaty mystery … Whole animal butcher Cleaver & Co. inexplicably closed its doors last month. With no farewell or fanfare, the shop pulled its shade and posted a note on the door saying, “Effective immediately, the Baronne Street location will be closed.” The sign goes on to apologize and to encourage patrons to check their Facebook and Instagram pages for future truck and shop schedules, but so far, we've only seen the truck.
3917 Baronne St., (504) 227-3830, cleaverand.co
Bayou bound … Chef Carl Schaubhut just co-opened his second restaurant (the first being Covington's Bacobar) called DTB, or Down the Bayou, on Oak Street in a building that once housed a Super 10. After a huge remodel, DTB opened next to Simone's Market, touting “coastal Cajun cuisine.” Chef Schaubhut and his chef de cuisine Jacob Hammel are offering a menu with items like Mushroom Boudin Balls with eggplant and collard pickles, Fried Cornbread with ham hock marmalade, LA 1 Gumbo with shrimp boullettes, and Stuffed Chicken with garlic sausage and oyster mushrooms. The cocktail menu created by veteran bar chef Lu Brow features concoctions like the Fogerty with Buffalo Trace Bourbon, peach shrub, fresh peaches, and citrus. DTB is open Monday through Saturday for dinner with a Happy Hour from 3-6 p.m. at the bar.
8201 Oak St., (504) 518-6889, dtbnola.com
No beans about it … James Rice Farms recently announced the opening of their new rice mill in Prairie Ronde, a small farming community approximately three hours from New Orleans. Beth James and Rolando Sanchez formed a partnership to create Prairie Ronde Rice, a non-GMO single variety rice. Due to customer demand regarding food origin, James Farms saw this as a golden opportunity to offer farm-to-table, high-quality rice. For over three decades, James Farms has been raising crawfish and rice. For now, you can purchase Prairie Ronde Rice in New Orleans at Crescent City Farmer's Market or taste it at Carmo Café on Julia Street in the Warehouse District.
A new reign ... Local restaurant group Creole Cuisine Concepts recently named Jason Klutts as the new executive chef at French Quarter spot Kingfish Kitchen & Cocktails. Klutts comes to the position with over a decade of cooking in kitchens across the country, as well as local stints at Cure, Cane & Table, and Café Henri. “We are thrilled to have Chef Jason join us at Kingfish,” Marv Ammari, chief executive officer for Creole Cuisine, stated. “He is an innovative chef, and we are excited for him to bring his fresh, original ideas to the table … continuing to move our menu forward.”
337 Chartres St., (504) 598-5005, kingfishneworleans.com
