Phillip L. Lopez

Coming Up

In a kitchen like Citronelle, the work is measured by repetition, timing, and the ability to hold standards under pressure. For Lopez, that first kitchen appears to have set the terms for what followed: slow accumulation, clear expectations, and a career built through sustained practice rather than shortcuts. He went on to serve as Executive Chef at Restaurant Rambla in New Orleans, Louisiana (from 2010), moving into a role defined by leadership and day-to-day responsibility. From there, he became Executive Chef at Root in New Orleans, Louisiana (from 2011), continuing a progression that kept him in charge of the line and accountable for the kitchen’s direction. By the time he stepped into the role of Executive Chef / owner at Square Root in New Orleans, Louisiana (from 2014), Lopez had moved into chef-ownership, where the same hand has to manage both the food and the operation. That progression ultimately led him to become Corporate Executive Chef at Galatoire’s Restaurant in New Orleans, Louisiana, a position that places him inside one of the city’s most recognizable dining institutions. Today, Phillip is Executive Chef of Galatoire’s (since 2018), a title earned through years of work in kitchens that demand consistency, control, and a clear point of view. The career arc reads as one of accumulation and refinement, with each stage extending the scope of his responsibility.

Where They Are Now

In his current role as Executive Chef of Galatoire’s (since 2018), Phillip L. Lopez is working at the junction of legacy and daily service. The job implies more than oversight: it requires judgment, continuity, and the ability to keep standards intact while the room keeps moving. With experience that includes Restaurant Rambla, Root, and Square Root, the present role reflects a career that has moved from line discipline to broader culinary management without losing its sense of procedure. What is notable in his path is the way each stage reinforces the next. The work is not about arrival so much as maintenance — holding a kitchen together, keeping the standard visible, and pushing it forward without breaking it. Lopez’s current position reflects that kind of maturity, the kind that comes from years of repetition, accountability, and command.

In Their Words “My job everyday consists of me trying to come as close to perfection as possible. The day I reach perfection is the day I am no longer a Chef! I am an Icon!” The quote frames cooking as a practice of continuous revision. The target is never fixed; it is approached through daily work, not claimed in advance. In that sense, the statement speaks plainly to the trade: a kitchen survives on standards that are pursued, not announced.

Honors

Phillip's honors include Top 10 Best Restaurants New Orleans, Top 50 Best New Restaurants in the US, Chef of the Year (2012), Rising Star (2012), Best New Restaurant, and So Hot Right Now Restaurant. Taken together, these honors track the recognition that followed the work. Top 10 Best Restaurants New Orleans and Top 50 Best New Restaurants in the US place his kitchens in local and national view, while Chef of the Year (2012) and Rising Star (2012) mark a strong year of peer-level notice. Best New Restaurant and So Hot Right Now Restaurant round out the record, pointing to a body of work that has been watched as it moved and judged on the strength of its execution.