S3: E5: Balancing Ambition in a Culinary Portfolio with Nina Compton

January 27th, 2026  |  39 mins 38 secs

family business, james beard award, new orleans, nina compton, restaurant, st. lucia, top chef

Today we have an opportunity to chat with my friend, Chef Nina Compton, the owner of the acclaimed Compère Lapin in New Orleans. Nina's journey from cooking Christmas dinner for her family in St. Lucia to competing on Top Chef and winning the James Beard Award for Best Chef: South is remarkable. But what makes her story particularly interesting from an ownership lens is that she and her husband, Larry, have thoughtfully built a portfolio of projects, all while trying to live a life worth living. On today’s episode, Balancing Ambition in a Culinary Portfolio with Nina Compton.