Simple dishes shine at Bywater American Bistro, a New American restaurant from chef Nina Compton, a James Beard finalist. Located at 2900 Chartres St. in Bywater, the fresh arrival serves brunch, dinner, cocktails and more.
The kitchen is helmed by chef and partner Levi Raines, who was sous chef at Compton's Compere Lapin, a restaurant that melds Caribbean and New Orleans flavors in the Warehouse District.
The bistro says the cuisine is inspired by seasonally available ingredients and the "cultures represented in our area, past and present." The recently debuted brunch menu features a smoked brisket scramble, chicken liver parfait with berries and rye granola, rice porridge with spicy shrimp and pickled carrots, and more. On the dinner menu, look for fried Gulf oysters, rabbit curry over jasmine rice, and steamed red snapper with broccoli rabe. (See full menu here.)
Bywater American Bistro has already attracted fans thus far, with a 4.5-star rating out of 17 reviews on Yelp.
King R., who was among the first Yelpers to review the new spot on April 7, said, "Food, ambiance, service — all top notch! An absolute great experience. Everything was amazing. Even had the pleasure of meeting Chef Nina Compton's husband who stopped by the table to see how things were."
And Charles R. said, "Everything we tasted was first rate and beautifully plated. The staff-to-customer ratio is high and even though newly opened, everything went like clockwork. Cocktails were creative and the Portuguese red wine recommended by the sommelier was superb as was the Armagnac that finished the meal."
Swing on by to take a peek for yourself: Bywater American Bistro is open from 5 p.m.–10 p.m. on Wednesday-Sunday. (It's closed on Monday and Tuesday.)
