Gustavo Lopez

• Lead daily back-of-house operations in a hotel restaurant generating approximately $2 million in annual revenue, coordinating culinary personnel, production priorities, service execution, and communication between kitchen and front-of-house teams.
• Independently directed high-volume restaurant services of up to 310 guests, managing station coordination, staffing adjustments, kitchen workflow, and food quality under pressure.
• Mentored culinary professionals on cooking techniques, food safety, and station organization to enhance team performance and consistency.
• Develop original seasonal menu items, signature dishes, restaurant specials, and limited-time culinary concepts.
• Strategically transformed surplus lobster inventory into revenue-generating specials, including lobster rolls with handmade buns and lobster mac and cheese, helping minimize food waste while creating additional sales opportunities.
• Developed signature grilled honey-chipotle wings that earned a permanent place on the restaurant menu, along with original grilled honey-walnut wings.
• Created seasonal dishes including mesquite-grilled New York strip with wild rice bordelaise, Duroc pork chop with chorizo jus, roasted half chicken with sage jus, vegetarian mafaldine with celeriac cream, and grilled white sweet potato with maple-cranberry wild rice chili crunch.
• Developed a three-course Restaurant Week menu featuring cantaloupe and heirloom tomato salad with stracciatella, confit pork belly skewers with wild rice glaze, and Cara Cara orange cheesecake with toasted milk ice cream.
• Created an original venison tartare for Dinner du Nord, executed for a 60-guest culinary event and incorporating mesquite-seared and raw venison, wild rice aioli, jammy egg yolk, pickled blueberries, and house-made rye crisps.
• Developed additional appetizers and specials including venison and wild rice arancini, smoked walleye and sweet corn fritters, and crispy cheddar potato balls.
• Facilitated banquet operations and private events, ensuring seamless execution of specialty dining experiences and high-volume service.
• Designed and implemented back-of-house operational systems including daily chef reports, inventory and production controls, shift handoff procedures, cleaning schedules, food waste logs, recipe documentation, and food safety checklists.
• Developed organized production plans and master prep lists to support seasonal menu rollouts and efficient kitchen execution.
• Standardize recipes, portions, preparation methods, station responsibilities, and service procedures to reinforce consistent food quality.
• Work with professional culinary equipment including mesquite grills, industrial smokers, Rational iCombi ovens, commercial rotisseries, stone ovens, and high-capacity cooking stations.
• Received recognition through Sonesta’s CARE program following exceptional guest feedback, including guests personally approaching the kitchen to compliment the dining experience.
• Received additional recognition from restaurant leadership for an original salad creation and culinary presentation.

• Supervised daily kitchen operations, coordinated production and service responsibilities, managed inventory, and maintained culinary quality standards.
• Independently created and executed 11 original plated desserts while maintaining Sous Chef responsibilities.
• Developed signature desserts including Pear Miso, Floral Symphony, and Under the Apricot Tree, which were featured in restaurant promotional materials.
• Created original pastry compositions including brûléed sweet corn flan with house-made dulce de leche and smoked pickled grapes, as well as elderberry Baked Alaska with elderflower Italian meringue.
• Produced scratch-made ice creams, sorbets, custards, creams, sauces, cakes, brioche, ladyfingers, and other artisan pastry components.
• Developed handmade pea and Big Woods Blue cheese caramelle with house-cured pancetta and chanterelle mushrooms.
• Created savory dishes including pan-seared walleye with mole verde and wild rice pilaf.
• Developed an original little gem wedge salad with habanero ranch and toasted corn husk vinaigrette.
• Directed expo operations, managed ticket coordination, monitored presentation and portion consistency, and supported kitchen workflow during service.
• Worked with regional ingredients and local producers, including Wild Acres poultry and Baker’s Field stone-milled flour.
• Contributed to recipe standardization, seasonal menu planning, staff development, inventory procedures, and production organization.

James Beard Award — Best New Restaurant, 2022

• Supported restaurant operations centered on Indigenous North American culinary traditions and ingredients.
• Worked across grill, plancha, and sauté stations, maintaining consistency, timing, and professional execution during service.
• Prepared proteins including bison, venison, elk, duck, and freshwater fish.
• Worked with regional ingredients including wild rice, native plants, seasonal vegetables, and mushrooms.
• Applied live-fire cooking, grilling, roasting, searing, and scratch sauce preparation techniques.
• Expanded culinary knowledge of Indigenous ingredients, seasonal sourcing, ingredient provenance, and regional North American food traditions.

• Worked across seafood, grill, sauté, and pizza stations in a private club environment.
• Prepared and cooked a wide variety of fish and shellfish, developing extensive hands-on experience in seafood handling, cleaning, preparation, cooking, and presentation.
• Executed seafood dishes using grilling, pan-searing, sautéing, roasting, and classical sauce preparations.
• Prepared artisan pizzas using house-made doughs, sauces, and specialty ingredients, maintaining consistent dough handling, shaping, baking, and presentation.
• Contributed original pizza ideas and flavor combinations incorporated into the club’s menu.
• Produced fresh pasta, specialty sauces, cured meats, and scratch-made culinary preparations.
• Assisted with meat fabrication, portioning, production planning, and station readiness.
• Trained incoming cooks in preparation standards, technical procedures, and professional plating.
• Supported banquets, private club events, and high-volume dining services.
• Developed versatility in balancing refined cuisine, seafood preparation, artisan pizza, and large-scale kitchen operations.

• Produced hundreds of baked products daily while maintaining recipe accuracy, product consistency, and presentation standards.
• Managed ingredient scaling, dough mixing, portioning, baking, decorating, and finishing procedures.
• Strengthened skills in standardized production, time management, quality control, and high-volume commercial baking.

James Beard Award — Best New Restaurant, 2025

• Executed refined French-inspired cuisine across garde manger, sauté, grill, and pastry stations.
• Applied classical French cooking techniques including reductions, emulsions, sous vide preparation, and traditional sauce work.
• Prepared intricate dishes featuring foie gras terrines, venison tartare, seafood, shellfish, and carefully composed culinary components.
• Executed fine-dining preparations with an emphasis on technical accuracy, timing, flavor balance, and detailed presentation.
• Produced refined plated desserts and specialty pastry preparations, enhancing guest experience through artistry and flavor.
• Engaged in direct guest interactions and tableside presentations, showcasing dishes and detailing ingredients and preparations to elevate dining experience.
• Strengthened technical discipline and refined plating standards, enabling consistent performance in high-pressure fine-dining environment.

• Executed fine-dining preparations within a demanding professional kitchen, emphasizing precise technique, consistency, and attention to detail.
• Produced artisan breads including sourdough, brioche, focaccia, pumpernickel, rugbrød, and specialty rolls.
• Applied traditional fermentation methods using natural levains, biga, poolish, and enriched dough techniques.
• Supported large-scale artisan bread production, including batches of up to 400 sweet rolls.
• Handcrafted fresh pasta including ravioli, tortellini, cappelletti, mafaldine, and squid ink spaghetti.
• Prepared classical charcuterie including terrines, pâtés, rillettes, sausages, and cured meat preparations.
• Worked with premium seafood, shellfish, seasonal produce, and high-quality specialty ingredients.
• Applied advanced culinary methods including sous vide, vacuum compression, emulsification, and precision-driven plating.
• Participated in special culinary events and professional collaborations involving internationally recognized chefs.
• Developed the discipline required to maintain exceptional mise en place, technical consistency, and refined execution in a high-standard fine-dining environment.

• Prepared artisan breads and enriched doughs including baguettes, challah, teleras, and specialty baked products.
• Worked with preferments, dough fermentation, shaping techniques, proofing, and professional baking procedures.
• Strengthened foundational knowledge of artisan baking, fermentation, dough handling, and consistency in bread production.

• Prepared traditional Japanese dishes including sushi, sashimi, ramen, and hot kitchen preparations.
• Worked with fresh fish and seafood, developing precision in ingredient handling and Japanese culinary preparation.
• Expanded technical knowledge of Japanese flavor profiles, knife work, broth preparation, and composed dishes.

• Executed traditional Jamaican-inspired cuisine with an emphasis on bold seasoning, jerk marinades, and charcoal cooking.
• Prepared and butchered proteins for grill and hot-line service.
• Assisted with training cooks, organizing prep responsibilities, and maintaining consistent production.
• Developed experience in Caribbean culinary traditions, live-fire cooking, marinades, and kitchen leadership.

• Supported Greek cuisine production, daily kitchen operations, and high-volume service.
• Coordinated food preparation, ingredient ordering, catering requirements, and ticket execution.
• Assisted with team organization and operational responsibilities.
• Strengthened leadership skills and experience in Mediterranean culinary traditions and catering production.
• Made pita bread, sauces from scratch.
• Cooked dishes such as spanakopita, loukaniko, dolmathes, souvlaki.

• Executed high-volume fried chicken and restaurant food production.
• Maintained consistent preparation, portion control, cooking procedures, and food safety standards.
• Developed speed, production discipline, efficient workflow, and quality control in a fast-paced kitchen.

• Prepared scratch-made Mexican cuisine, traditional sauces, tortillas, desserts, and composed dishes.
• Worked with a range of Mexican ingredients and cooking methods.
• Strengthened knowledge of authentic Mexican flavors, traditional preparation, and refined presentation.
• Used chicatana ants, made barbacoa from scratch.

• Supported restaurant operations including buffet service, catering, grilling, and large-scale food production.
• Assisted with inventory, kitchen organization, food preparation, and culinary staff training.
• Worked with smoking, confit, grilling, and traditional kitchen techniques.
• Developed important foundations in teamwork, kitchen efficiency, food preparation, and professional culinary operations.