Gerard Lopez, Chef

Gerard was born in Capestang, a small town in the south of France.  In his words, he grew up "hanging around" the kitchen - learning Spanish dishes from his father, a native of Madrid, and Algerian food from his mother, a French woman raised in North Africa.  Cooking, along with soccer, was the family's passion.  While cooking was central to GŽrard's life, he didn't initially view it as a career.  He was; however, never far from a kitchen.  After graduating from LŽ Coll�ge Lagratage in 1982 he spent the summer running a small pizzeria on a Mediterranean beach.  It was a project that taught him many things.  Opening a pizzeria also gave him a taste of the restaurant business that he would not forget.  When the summer ended, he went to work helping commercial builders finance their operations.  He continued in that field, living in BeziŽrs, marrying Launa de Monteiro in 1985.  His marriage paved the way for his permanent entry into the restaurant business.

Gerard began helping the family out on the weekends, waiting tables and occasionally cooking.  Little did he realize that casually assisting his in-laws on weekends would one day lead to a profound life change.  He decided to make his passion his career, quit his job and enroll in pastry school.  He also apprenticed at the best patisserie in BeziŽrs for experience.  In 1991 Nyep and her other son-in-law, Bob Perry, opened The Elephant Walk in Somerville.  The restaurant quickly became a huge success; the family wanted to expand but needed help.  After much thought, GŽrard and his wife agreed to leave France to again participate in the family business.

GŽrard first began work in Somerville as the restaurant's pastry chef.  Unable to suppress his love for savory food, he soon became Sous Chef. In 1994, he moved to The Elephant Walk in Boston.  In 1998 GŽrard designed the kitchen for the Elephant Walk that opened in Cambridge, Massachusetts and assumed the duties of Chef.

To cook, GŽrard believes, is to experience life at its fullest.  He brings to his kitchen the passion of a Spaniard, the sensibilities of a Frenchman and an international palate.

Gerard devotes much of his spare time to teaching cooking at a number of venues. Gerard is a participating chef in Saveur Magazine's "Saveur Cooks" culinary education program, and has hosted a successful and popular series of classes at the Elephant Walk. For several years he has been on the faculty at the nearby Cambridge School of Culinary Arts.