"Starting this Saturday, Nina Compton’s Bywater American Bistro (or BABs) — which opened just a few weeks ago — will begin serving brunch. The restaurant, at 2900 Chartres Street, will serve the mid-morning/afternoon meal from 10:30 until 2pm on both Saturdays and Sundays. Compton and chef/partner Levi Raines (who was previously chef at Compton’s Compère Lapin and served as inspo for BABs) have packed the brunch menu with the kind of fare that the James Beard award finalist is known for. Brunch appetizers at BABs include chicken liver parfait with berries and rye granola and a smoked tuna toast with cream cheese. The star of the appetizer section will probably be breakfast corndogs, served with cane syrup. The rice and eggs menu section features dirty farro with Crystal hollandaise and a rice porridge with hogs head broth and spicy shrimp. More traditional-feeling brunch dishes include French toast with rum caramel and banana, a hot sausage and cheese biscuit, and smoked brisket with a soft scramble. There’s even a “proper breakfast” option — inspired by Compton’s time in England — featuring a full English fry-up (with a requisite Cajun twist), complete with eggs, boudin noir, baked beans and rosti potatoes. Desserts include a banana split and Nutella flan." - Stephanie Carter