Chef Nina Compton, the Saint Lucia-born chef behind Compère Lapin and Bywater American Bistro, has reworked the latter into BABs, an Italian-inspired restaurant that captures the same spirit as Bywater American Bistro but boasts a new menu and updated décor. At BABs, Compton, a James Beard: Best Chef South winner, Top Chef competitor and prominent figure on New Orleans’ culinary landscape, maintains her signature style while infusing rustic ambiance into the restaurant, as well as a commitment to comfort-driven dishes grounded by meticulous technique that includes years of training in Italian cuisine.

Spaghetti Pomodoro Photo by Gabrielle Geiselman Photography

Nina Compton, photo by OffBeat/Elsa Hahne

Compton and her husband and business partner Larry Miller opened Bywater American Bistro in 2018. The couple’s first New Orleans restaurant, with a menu inspired by Compton’s Saint Lucian roots, Compère Lapin, had taken off, and, as Miller describes, the pair found themselves with too much talent in the kitchen. The search began for a space where Compton and Miller could open their second venture and allow their kitchen talent to bloom. Bywater American Bistro was Compton’s chance to show off her skills in high-end French and Italian fare and they soon settled into the Rice Mill Lofts on Chartres Street in the former home of Mariza.

The pandemic brought changes to Bywater American Bistro, and noticing customers’ interest in the restaurant’s pasta selections, the team decided to pivot into more of an Italian-based focus.

“We started thinking we might as well make the menu as much pasta as we can,” Miller said. “It’s great for us because making pasta in Nina’s therapy, so she’s a little more sane.”

For the menu, Compton takes inspiration from the time she spent cooking at Scarpetta in Miami where the cuisine reflects different regions of Italy. Menu highlights include Wagyu Beef Lasagna with fontina fonduta; Spaghetti Carbonara with andouille and black truffles; Blackened Octopus with sweet potato and coconut puree; and Cavatelli with shrimp and run down sauce—a favorite and carry-over from the original Bywater American Bistro menu. Branzino with puttanesca and soft herbs and Eggplant Parmesan with garlic breadcrumbs and basil round out the main courses, along with various rotating specials.

Miller said, “The way Nina cooks is very healthy and light, but you’re still going to leave full and happy.”

Photo: L. Kasimu Harris

The team also wanted to soften up the space, reworking the lighting above the bar, building a wine cellar, and making some structural changes in the kitchen, which was why the restaurant shut down for a month before reopening as BABs. The newly-renovated space exudes warmth and intimacy with touches like warm wood, ambient sconces and a variety of plants.

Because no Italian restaurant is complete without a perfect wine list, BABs has created a wine selection that is specially curated to pair beautifully with Compton’s menu, with bottles sourced from familiar and lesser-known grapes and regions.

The restaurant also includes a list of specialty cocktails by bar manager Rick Powanda and some non-alcoholic drink options, which Miller explained was important when constructing the cocktail menu. Selections include Da Vinci’s Strokes—an Amaro twist on the classic French 75—and includes Sfumato, grapefruit cordial, lemon and sparkling wine; Ms. Fizzle, a light and refreshing cocktail with Cardamaro, pineapple-infused vodka, orange cordial, lemon, Angostura bitters and egg whites; and the St. Elsewhere with London Dry Gin, Soursop-Guanabana liqueur and mango- infused Galliano.

Nina Compton. Photo by Elsa Hahne

BABs 2900 Chartres Street, 504-605-3827. Open Wednesday through Sunday from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.