Meet Nicolas Lopez

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nicolas Lopez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nicolas below.

Nicolas , so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?

Being the only person in the room who looks like me has been a common theme through out my life. At a young age I noticed I was different than most of the kids around me. I grew up in a multi cultural county so it was a variety of kids from different background but as a child of Hispanic and Black parents I felt alone in the world. Not many kids around me where biracial or if they where it wasn’t Hispanic and black like me. It also felt like I did not fit in either category. Not being black enough because of my hair and skin complexion and not Hispanic enough because I didn’t speak Spanish. My mom also wanted to instill in me that I’m a black man in America and would more often than not be perceived as so. So I wasn’t as connected to my Hispanic heritage growing up. I felt ostracized whether it was intentional or not even with in my family sometimes. I remember distinctly older family members treating us differently because we were mixed children who were raised “bougie” and brushed us off for that. As I got older and became more of an independent in spite of this I started to be in spaces more often than not as the only Person of color or person of my size being a large man as well. The looks and stares to this day still get to me on some occasions something I’ll never get used to, but with that being said I realized I belong in these spaces and will make it known that I deserve to be seen. In college I made my name known by starting a BSU(black student union) club for other students alike who didn’t fall under the umbrella of Hispanic or white who needed the support of community and guidance of others to keep them on track for completing college. For a year I fought to get funding and sponsorships for the club and had it fully up and running the following year. We had community outreach, business men and woman give lectures and events. I was given an honored award by my college the John Schaub Award for volunteer of the year. Once I left college I was motivated to always make space for myself no matter the climate or class of people around me. That my feeling of belonging is more important than others comfort. As I made my way through the ranks in the food industry I was type casted with the types of foods I should know how to make or assumed to be able to make. I used this as motivation to be more creative and show that what you think you know about me and my style and background will never be correct. I proved myself more than worthy to be in the higher ranks and have been given opportunity’s to have curated menus, secret items on menus and have articles and posts about my food. I use a lot of the negativity or assumptions in general to motivate me and keep my head held up high regardless of what room I’m in. No space is too good for me to join and be apart of as long as I have this chip on my shoulder and confidence I’ve used to push my way into all endeavors in life.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I like to say I’m a jack of all trades master of none; as cliche as it is. Through out my life Ive tried on many hats from construction, landscaping, to the arts of tattooing and commission pieces while I was in college I started my own art company ODDMIND( trademark pending) I used this as a coping mechanism to help deal with my grief and trying to find my way in the world after college. My art was my own style taking inspiration from other technique but more mine than anything else I worked a few art shows and sticker expos, a few people out in the wild have custom pieces and commission pieces in their homes today which warms my heart knowing I made someone’s life experience different because of what I created. I use art still as a way to work through my emotions but now that I’m in a different chapter in my life I switched up my life’s passion . Currently my life’s passion has been becoming a chef. As a kid I always loved cooking and food, it was my family’s way of showing love to each other and so I used it as my way of expressing my self and showing it to the world. I was never classically trained I learned most of my style and techniques from working under chefs or going out on my own and studying with the occasional trial and error or research and development. I’ve been in the industry 10 years now and have come along way, when I started I was a college kid trying to find his way in the world after dealing with a loss, no tattoos and no war stories. To who I am now the Sous Chef at The Alchemists Garden, covered in Tattoos and a life time worth of stories and friendships. At the decade mark I’ve found a new love in the industry and new goals to reach for its exciting knowing so many people can come in for an experience and leave with their life’s changed after eating our food it’s put me in a mind set of wanting to be the best. I’ve made it my goal to reach the Michelin Star guide and the James Beard Award within my life span as a chef. The Team I have around me and the guidance of our Head chef I believe the new menus and plates we create will be some of the best items we’ve ever made so I’m excited to embark on this journey.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

For me I would say staying grounded and never losing yourself in whatever passion project you have working. If you fully emirs yourself into it you come out changed and may lose the edge you had to start with. Next thing would be Staying relevant and up to date with today’s trends the mindset of if it’s not broke don’t fix it leaves a lot of people stuck in their ways and in capable of growth which in the art and food industry will more often than not leave you in the past. Lastly would be stick to what you know and push the boundaries. A lot of my success came from using recipes and techniques I know from family recipes and food I know and love that I changed to fit into other style knowing the ingredients may be different but the complex flavors and blending are always similar so never be intimidated by that. Some advice I like to use to this day is separate your work life and your real life. In my everyday life I’m a quiet and reserved person but in the industry you will be eaten alive so when I enter my kitchen I almost flip a switch and turn into Chef Nico someone who is loud and vocal someone who is in charge and runs the boards and sets the standards for the work day. When I first started I was so intimidated by the shouting and yelling and the fast paced monotony and would bring my life troubles with me but my current chef instilled in me the idea of leave your life at the door you’re here to escape and create when your in the kitchen. Another tip is never get comfortable in the position your in, comfortability is the death of growth. If I never took that step towards being sous chef and making the changes to be the leader I’d still be making the banana splits in the back of the kitchen. It may seem scary but knowing what you could’ve accomplished but didn’t should be even scarier in the long run.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

My Mom has been my hero since I was a small child I saw her over come everything and put her ego to the side and clawed her way to the top of her industry to make a good life for me and my siblings. She raised the three of us on her own and with the help of friends and family. Yes we struggled but we had a happy and fulfilling childhood. Knowing that she did all this and still was a success in the nursing field and an award winning cosmetologist gave me a goal to reach. Seeing her succeed in spite of all this made me a self reliant person and always want to give her back all the love and rewards I can as a success in my own right. She’s motivated me and kept me on the right path no matter what I faced and I thank her every day for being the strong woman she was and is that helped me be the capable man and chef I’ve become in this life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://alchemistsgarden.com
• Instagram: @odmnico

Image Credits

Sarah Kathleen