EVENTS: IDE ALL-STAR CULINARY BASH
instagram: @ilmalopez

pronouns: she/her/hers

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION: Stratford University

BACKGROUND: El Bulli (Catalonia, Spain), DB Bistro, Corton, Tailor, Café Boulud, Le Bernardin (NYC)

CURRENTLY: Piccolo + Chaval

WHY SHE IS AMAZING: A native of Venezuela, Ilma Lopez grew up in the kitchen alongside her grandmother. After getting her start at Malabar in Caracas, she was accepted to the pastry program at Stratford University in Virginia. Today, Lopez is the Pastry Chef and co-owner of Piccolo and Chaval here in Portland, Maine. She is a veteran of some of the most demanding and rewarding kitchens in the industry, such as DB Bistro, Corton, Tailor, El Bulli, Café Boulud, and Le Bernardin. With a mastery of colors, flavors, textures, and spices—and a seasoned ability to work under pressure—Lopez makes classic dishes her own, with attention to micro-detail and thoughtful twists. For her work, Lopez earned a 2014 StarChefs Coastal New England Rising Star Pastry Chef Award. In 2018, she was selected as a James Beard Outstanding Pastry Chef Semifinalist for the second year in a row. Recently, she has been featured in the children’s book, Kalamata’s Kitchen and the Bon Appetit article as “One of the Most Talented Pastry Chefs in Town.”

LAST NIGHT ON EARTH SHE’S EATING IN:  Caracas, Venezuela