Brian Lopes was born and raised in Bellville, New Jersey, but his heart lies in Portugal. The son of immigrants from Gafanha do Carmo and Peso da Régua in the Douro; his fondest memories are of his summers spent in Portugal. Brian has spent time at kitchens in Spain working for the highly esteemed Parador Hotels. He has also worked at Aldea and Lupulo in Manhattan, the latter where he went on to become the junior sous for Gerorge Mendes. He was at a young age, awarded for Best New Restaurant in the LES according to Refinery29 Magazine and Eater. Brian leads the team at Lita as our Chef de Cuisine where he gets to share his love with Portuguese cuisine not only with our team but with all of you. When Brian isn’t leading the team at Lita you’ll find him spending time with his wife Denise and his two young children Kaiden and Maddox.