Summer’s wrapping up. You’re eyeballing airline apps on your phone. A trek to New Orleans… mmm. Yeah. That sounds pretty good, right? Let those good times roll!
This holiday weekend, you can skip the airport security lines and head right to the fun at Canoe Place Inn. The venerable Hampton Bays historical inn (it opened in 1697!) has a pretty lovely lagniappe and then some, scoring a NOLA-in-the-Hamptons night with celebrity chef Nina Compton.
The three-course meal — tomato and crab salad with coconut dressing, Maine lobster and clams and summer tres leches for a sweet summer finish — will have Compton’s special Southern touches in the mix.
“I am very excited about adding some Creole flavors to East Coast seafood. We love lots of spices when we have a seafood boil in New Orleans and also adding Poche’s smoked sausage is a must,” says Compton. “As we close out summer, I think there’s nothing better than showcasing beautiful lobster, clams and summer fruit [and] enjoying a beautiful sunset.”
Compton rose to fame with her runaway rabbit of a restaurant hit Compere Lapin in New Orleans, which opened just about 10 years ago in the Warehouse Arts District to immediate raves and a James Beard Award. Her success buoyed two more hit restaurants — Bywater American Bistro and Nina’s Creole Cottage. Here, Compton did that most wonderful of cultural mash-ups that the Crescent City is famous for, dovetailing the food of her Caribbean heritage with the very original culture of Creole influences.
Indeed, while lobster and clams might sound like a typical if wonderful simple summery meal, Compton gave us a little insight into her plans for kicked-up kitchen wizardry this Monday night: “I am using traditional creole spices for the boil, cooking everything together, then smashing the potatoes and then frying until crispy, as well as tossing in garlic and parsley,” she says. The corn, too, gets the Compton touch: boiled and then brushed with jerk butter, mayonnaise, toasted breadcrumbs and lime. And the lobster? It’ll be swathed in coriander and jalapeño lime butter. Yum.
“We’re excited to elevate the classic lobster boil by collaborating with chef Nina Compton, whose Caribbean and New Orleans influences will bring a fresh and innovative twist to this beloved summer tradition,” says Union Square Events marketing manager, Camila Lobo-Guerrero. “Our commitment to sustainability and local sourcing shines through as we showcase the best of the region, with fresh seafood and locally sourced ingredients inspired by New Orleans’ vibrant culinary scene.”
And it’s not just the food that’ll jazz up your Labor Day. Along with Compton, New Orleans born-and-raised musicians Jeffery Miller, as well as Calvin Johnson, will be bringing their brass-based sounds west of the canal, too.
“I have done a few events with Union Square Hospitality Group over the years, and they have become family to me,” says the chef. “I am blessed to continue to work with them, especially at Canoe Place.”
Grab your seat for $150 here.
