When Geronimo Lopez hired on in September as executive chef at the Pearl’s Hotel Emma, the move represented a homecoming of sorts.
While many San Antonio foodies came to know the chef through his Asian-Peruvian fusion restaurant Botika, which closed this summer, he spent decades cooking at hotels and resorts worldwide with stops in Mexico, Hawaii and Croatia, among other places.
Lopez, who originally hails from Caracas, Venezuela, will oversee Emma’s Supper restaurant, Sternewirth bar and Larder coffee shop along with the hotel’s banquets. He comes on board as Emma basks in the distinction of being one of just three Texas hotels to win Michelin’s coveted Two Key rating.
During a recent conversation, Lopez reflected on the changes he’s ushering in at Emma, his efforts to promote nutritious food and the continuing influence of San Antonio’s Culinary Institute of America campus, a place where he once taught. We also discussed his training as a boxer and what he wants to leave behind as a legacy.