Chef Ignacio Lopez brings a lifelong passion for food, cooking and serving guests’ needs. His career is marked by accepting and excelling in culinary positions where he has been able to serve the needs of guests in markets that range from casual dining to ultra-luxury.

He began cooking professionally at the age of sixteen. After cooking his way through fine-dining kitchens in San Diego, he eventually landed his first Executive Sous Chef position at the exclusive Fairbanks Ranch Country Club working under Executive Chef Francis Perrot. He has worked under other legendary chefs including Francis Perrot, Jeff Jackson, Joachim Sandbitchier, Timothy Au, Kerry Neff and Jean Pierre Dubray. He learned many skills working under each chef; most notably market-to-table food service, which he has continued to use at each restaurant he has worked.

After working in different restaurants and resorts from New Hampshire to Connecticut to California, he made his way back to the East Coast in 2011. He worked as Executive Sous Chef and Chef at some great Boston-area restaurants such as L’Andana, Exchange Street Bistro, Beat Brasserie and Tuscan Kitchen before coming to The Merchant.

Lopez brings an unassuming cooking philosophy that is grounded in the simplicity of market-driven, seasonally-inspired menu items, placing emphasis on the quality and freshness of New England ingredients.