Lucas Moreira, the new and very young chef at Chez Loma in the heart of downtown Coronado, has joined the small town restaurant with the goal of a Michelin star.
“When I saw this place, it was like, ‘Wow!’” said Moreira, comparing the establishment to The French Laundry circa the 1970s. “I saw a lot of potential here.”
Moreira, 29, has been working as the executive chef at Chez Loma since Oct. 1.
“I’m kind of like feeling really like home here,” said Moreira. “People are taking me really well, so I’m excited.”
Moreira’s very first job as a teenager was at a two-Michelin-star restaurant in his home country, Brazil. Since discovering his love for cooking as a young boy, he has found himself across the American continents rubbing shoulders with some of the best chefs in the world.
“We’ve been changing a lot in the past month,” said Moreira in his second month at Chez Loma. “I’ve got a really cool staff right here helping me in the kitchen.”
Moreira says he carefully selects produce on a daily basis, as well as fresh bread and fish. This is followed by an hours-long preparation period, even on his days off, in the afternoons before the restaurant opens.
According to Moreira, the restaurant is revamping as a space he believes can bring elite culinary recognition to the award-winning French restaurant housed in the historical Carey-Hizar House in Coronado.
“We have a lot of loyal customers,” said Moreira. “Slowly, we are changing to see what’s the best for this restaurant.”
And while Moreira intends to influence the menu with his experiences at some of the best culinary destinations, he acknowledges that striving for consideration in the Michelin Guide will be a months-long process.
“Right now we are a really good French restaurant. You can come here and you’re gonna have a really cool experience,” said Moreira. “But in six months, I want you to have a crazy experience.”
Tailoring experiences
As the new executive chef, Moreira said he hopes to build connections in Coronado to get acquainted with each patron.
“It’s like a spa,” he added. “Come and people (at Chez Loma) are gonna take care of you for real in every aspect. … It’s about the experience.”
While Moreira looks forward to lining the menu with new signature dishes, his hope is to make every customer happy enjoying his creations.
“I want to know who you are to the point to impress you,” said Moreira. “You’re not just here to feed your hunger. You’re here to feed your life, your happiness. It’s way more than just the food, it’s the whole experience. I want to have that here.”
In the next six months, Moreira hopes to build connections with guests and inform his cooking, trusting that he can curate unique dishes for all.
“I want to do what I want,” said Moreira. “I don’t want a customer coming here and make a lot of changes in the dish. I want them to try my food. If you’re not happy with what I have on the menu, you can ask for the chef.”
Moreira believes building a strong team will help Chez Loma in its journey to the Michelin Guide.
“I need a really solid crew to be able to have these connections. Right now, I’m working so much. I’m prepping so much. I’m doing so much and I have no time to come in the dining area and talk to a customer,” said Moreira. “But as soon as I’ve got my team working properly, that’s the first thing I’m gonna do, to start building this relationship with Coronado Beach.”
Defining success
The Michelin Guide launched over a century ago and is considered the top culinary honor in the restaurant industry.
“To get a star is way more than just, like, believe you can get and make cool food,” said Moreira. “We’re applying the excellence.”
According to the Michelin’s website, the guide rates more than 30,000 establishments in over 30 territories across three continents.
The website says restaurants may receive one-to-three Michelin stars for the quality of their food based on five criteria: quality of ingredients, cooking techniques, the chef’s personality in the cuisine, mastery and harmony of flavors, and consistency across visits.
Moreira said the restaurant’s recognition is not something he can do by himself and is truly dependent on the work to build a strong team, central since his arrival.
“It’s a lot of pressure because this is my career,” said Moreira. “It’s a lot of pressure from outside and from inside. It’s a pressure I put on myself because I want to be better every day. You gotta be strong mentally.”
Moreira says he plans to venture into molecular cuisine with signature dishes.
For example, while working at Allmine, a restaurant in Oceanside, he created a lasagna that went viral on social media.
“It’s really easy to make something new good; it’s hard to make what everyone does better,” he noted.
Moreira, who knows how rough it is to be a chef, says it takes a lot to be a successful one.
“A lot of chefs consider success (as getting) a star,” said Moreira. “Being successful, for me, is make something really cool, be happy with what you do, and have someone to share this glory. In this case, it’s my family.”
Confidence as a culinarian
Moreira first moved to San Diego in 2016 and has worked in multiple restaurants across Southern and Northern California.
Moreira said his first job, at age 15, was at D.O.M., a two-star restaurant in Brazil that was owned by the father of a classmate.
“After that, I was like, whoa, I love to cook. That’s my thing,” said Moreira, who stayed one year.
Moreira then went on to attend culinary school where he decided cooking is what he wanted to do in life, then moved to the United States.
Moreira said his parents live comfortably in Brazil, and he had a falling out with them when he left home – pushing them away for a long time. But now they are reconciled, and family has given him strength and self-assurance as a chef.
“One thing I stand for is: Be confident,” he added. “Confidence drives me. … Even though I’ve made a lot of mistakes, I believe I’m the best.”
His parents’ support drives Moreira’s confidence to continue building his family’s legacy.
“It doesn’t matter what I’m doing here right now – I could fail, (and) they’re gonna support me still,” he said.
Since moving to the states, Moreira has worked at local Michelin-starred restaurants like Valle, 24 sons, and The French Laundry (three separate times) in the Napa Valley.
Looking ahead to Chez Loma’s menu offerings, Moreira said he anticipates steaks, lamb chops, seafood and even frog legs.
“I’m just gonna do my best and expect … the best. If it doesn’t work out, I’m gonna keep cooking. I’m gonna keep doing what I love to do,” said Moreira. “It’s all for my family.”
