Phillip L. Lopez

“I have the simplest of tastes. I am always satisfied with the best.”

— Oscar Wilde

TITLE

Corporate Executive Chef of Galatoire’s Restaurant

BORN & Lives

New Orleans, LA

Chef Phillip Lopez, a native of New Orleans, grew up in a military family, traveling extensively during his youth. His international experiences in Germany, France, Spain, Austria, and parts of Asia have greatly influenced his culinary palate. Returning to New Orleans in 2004, he now serves as the Corporate Executive Chef at Galatoire’s Restaurant. Renowned for his innovative and avant-garde cooking, Chef Phillip constantly pushes the boundaries of culinary techniques and flavors. His dishes often showcase unexpected combinations and presentations, challenging traditional culinary norms. His cooking is best described as creative, daring, and artistically inspiring.

BIO, AWARDS & ACCOLADES

Louisiana Cookin’ Magazine Chefs to Watch 2011:

Chef to Watch - Phillip Lopez

Eater New Orleans Awards 2012:

Chef of the Year — Phillip Lopez
So Hot Right Now Restaurant — Root

Starchefs Rising Stars New Orleans 2012:

Rising Star — Phillip Lopez

Food & Wine Magazine 2013-2015:

People’s Best New Chef Gulf Coast Nominee — Phillip Lopez

New Orleans Magazine 2012:

Best New Restaurant — Root

Times Picayune 2012:

4 Bean Review — Root

Bon Appetit 50 Best Restaurants in the US 2012:

Top 50 - Root

Gambit 40 under 40:

Phillip Lopez Executive Chef/Owner Root & Square Root

Times Picayune 2014:

4 Bean Review — Square Root

Times Picayune 2015:

Top 10 Best Restaurants New Orleans - Square Root

Phillip Lopez is the Corporate Executive Chef of Galatoire’s Restaurant in New Orleans, Louisiana.

He was the son of an Army family and spent his childhood living in Germany and traveling through France, Spain, Austria, Holland, India and parts of Asia. He began his culinary career in Virginia while still in high school. After working for some of the best chefs in South East Virginia, Phillip decided to move back to his birthplace of New Orleans in 2004. He landed his first culinary job in New Orleans with Chef John Besh. Being displaced to Washington, D.C. following Hurricane Katrina gave Lopez the opportunity to train under Chef Michel Richard, the highly celebrated culination behind Citronelle. Returning to New Orleans several months later, Phillip again joined Besh and eventually worked and managed five of his restaurants rising the rands to become John Besh's Project Chef, including Restaurant August, La Provence, LÜKE, and American Sector at the National World War II Museum. In 2010 Lopez then became the Executive Chef of Restaurant Rambla, a modern style restaurant with French and Spanish influences.

After being immersed and learning within the restaurant industry from the previous 17 years starting at age 14 and significant experience under his belt, Lopez opened ROOT in November 2011 to much acclaim. ROOT was named one of Bon Appétit's 50 Best New Restaurants; it was awarded "Best New Restaurant" by New Orleans Magazine; received the "So Hot Right Now" Eater Award for New Orleans; and earned an astonishing 4-Bean reviewby the Times Picayune, all before the first anniversary. ROOT and Chef Lopez have been featured in Southern Living, Fodor's Travel, Forbes, Wall Street Journal and FOOD & WINE, as well as many local and regional publications.

In 2014, Square Root opened in the heart of the trendy Lower Garden District neighborhood of New Orleans. Square Root centers around a reservation only contemporary Chef's table kitchen design, in which modern culinary techniques are the main attraction. As a progressive force for new ideas in food preparation, techniques, textures, and service Chef Phillip's concept behind Square Root earned him a pre-opening mention in Condé Nast Traveler and another 4-Bean review by the Times Picayune in 2015. Within that same year, Chef Lopez also developed the Test Kitchen space which sits adjacent to Square Root on the second floor . The space's primary focus is a research and development kitchen for all the chefs to explore but also provides a private dining space for fun casually elegant private dining events.

The year of 2016 & 2017 saw tremendous growth for Chef Phillip Lopez opening a modern Parisian bistro called Petit Lion within the Troubadour Hotel as well as the Monkey Board located on the rooftop of the same hotel.

Lopez has also been honored with numerous awards--the 2012 Eater Awards for New Orleans named Chef Phillip "Chef of the Year," StarChefs named him on of its "Rising Star Chefs" in 2012, Louisiana Cookin Magazine named him a "Chef to Watch," in 2011, New Orleans' Gambit Weekly honored Chef Lopez within their "40 under 40" list in 2015, and most recently OPA named Square Root & Chef Lopez within the top 50 Best restaurants in the country in 2016.