Bricia Lopez

Bricia Lopez is a Mexican-American restaurateur and author. Lopez is the co-owner of Guelaguetza, an Oaxacan restaurant in Los Angeles, California in the United States. Lopez is one of America's foremost authorities on Oaxacan culture and cuisine and is credited with helping to popularize mezcal in the United States. She also co-hosts the Super Mamás podcast with her sister, Paulina Lopez.

Bricia Lopez
Lopez interviewed in 2015
Born
San Pablo Villa de Mitla, Mexico
NationalityMexican and American
Occupation(s)Restaurateur, author
SpouseEduardo Maytorena III
Children2

Early life and education

Bricia Lopez was born in San Pablo Villa de Mitla in Mexico. Her father made mezcal and operated a mezcal store. As a child, Lopez worked in the store, selling mezcal.[1] At the age of ten, she migrated, with her parents, to the United States. Her parents, Maria Monterrubio and Fernando Lopez, opened Guelaguetza, a Oaxacan restaurant in the Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles in 1994.[2]

Career
Oaxacan-themed mural and slot machines at Mama Rabbit.

Lopez and her sister, Paulina, and brother, Fernando, took over ownership of Guelaguetza after their parents retired.[2] The late L.A. Times food critic Jonathan Gold called the restaurant "The best Oaxacan restaurant in the United States".[3] In 2015, she co-created the podcast Super Mamás with her sister, Paulina.[4] In 2019, Lopez opened Mama Rabbit at the Park MGM in Las Vegas, Nevada.[5] It claims to have the largest tequila and mezcal selection in the United States, with over 500 offerings.[1] That same year, the cookbook Oaxaca: Home Cooking from the Heart of Mexico, written by Lopez and Javier Cabral, was published.[4] It is the first cookbook published to be written by an Oaxacan person.[6] The book has been named one of the top cookbooks of 2019 by Mother Jones, the Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post.[7][8]

Personal life

Lopez lives in Montecito Heights, Los Angeles. She is married to Eduardo Maytorena III. They have a son, Eduardo Santiago Maytorena IV. They also have a dog named Diego.[9]

Lopez's favorite meal of the day is breakfast. Two of her favorite Los Angeles restaurants for breakfast include the Olympic Cafe and the Ace Hotel Los Angeles. Ray’s and Stark Bar, at LACMA, is one of her favorite lunch restaurants. Favorite dinner restaurants of Lopez's include Scopa Italian Roots, Republique, Sotto, Bäco Mercat, Sushi Gen, Hama Sushi, and The Stocking Frame. Her favorite Los Angeles coffee shop is Café Demitasse.[2]

Further reading
  • Lopez, Bricia and Javier Cabral. Oaxaca: Home Cooking from the Heart of Mexico. New York: Harry N. Abrams (2019). ISBN 141973542X
  • Lopez, Bricia and Javier Cabral. Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling. New York: Harry N. Abrams (2023). ISBN 9781419762888

References
  1. Trejo, Natalia (30 September 2019). "Mama Rabbit Bar's Bricia Lopez on thriving in the mezcal industry". HOLA! USA. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  2. "L.A. Story Spotlight: Bricia Lopez". Discover Los Angeles. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  3. Lam, Francis (2019-12-03). "Bricia Lopez feels a deep sense of responsibility for her family restaurant, Guelaguetza". www.splendidtable.org. Archived from the original on 2019-12-25. Retrieved 2020-04-28.
  4. Shatkin, Elina. "How To Shop A Oaxacan Market Like A Pro — With Bricia Lopez Of Guelaguetza". LAist. Archived from the original on 18 December 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  5. Divalentino, Ariana (2020-01-08). "Meet Bricia Lopez, the L.A. Restaurateur Who Fueled America's Mezcal Obsession". VinePair. Archived from the original on 2020-01-08. Retrieved 2020-04-28.
  6. Montoya, Yvette (30 October 2019). "Bricia Lopez is Bringing Oaxacan Home Cooking from Her Family to Yours". HipLatina. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  7. Philpott, Tom. "The 6 books that changed the way I cooked in 2019". Mother Jones. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  8. "11 cookbooks that inspired us in 2019". Washington Post. 9 December 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  9. "MEET BRICIA". Super Mamas. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
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