CHEF JAEL LOPEZ
Chef Jael Lopez has held leadership roles in some of NYC’s most prestigious restaurants: Eleven Madison Park, Cosme, and Atomix. These spaces provided the foundation of her disciplined, technique-driven approach, which is core to her chef identity. Outside of those walls, she began considering and developing her own culinary perspective, which ultimately led to the creation of Cenar.
In 2025, Chef Jael founded Cenar, her own dining concept, as a means to provide the conviviality and warmth she felt lacking in fine dining. Cenar is rooted in seasonality, personal memories, and whatever feels most Real to Chef Jael in the moment. Her menus draw inspiration from her Dominican heritage, the food she grew up eating around New York and New Jersey, and global influences that resonate with her palate.
Despite her impressive restaurant pedigree, Chef Jael considers Cenar her greatest culinary accomplishment. She continues to evolve the concept at Resident Hospitality, where she is a Senior Sous Chef and core member of the Operations team.
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Career Highlights
Cosme
Eleven Madison Park
Atomix
RESERVE A DINING EXPERIENCE WITH RESIDENT
PRIVATE DINING EXPERIENCE
Private dinners, corporate gatherings, birthdays, brand activations, and more — all planned with Michelin-trained chefs, exclusive NYC venues, and seamless full-service production.
What to expect when planning an event with Resident and our Michelin-trained chefs:
One-night-only menus created exclusively for your event
Chef-led presentation of each dish, ingredient, and inspiration
Hosted in iconic and exclusive NYC venues
Designed to bring people closer, one course at a time
*Subject to chef availability, we offer a broader roster of Michelin-trained chefs to choose from.
TICKETED DINING EXPERIENCE
A chef-guided, one-night-only menu served in intimate New York venues to a small group of guests. Not private — intentionally shared, and made memorable by the people you meet.
What to expect when attending a ticketed event at Resident:
A dining format crafted for connection, novelty, and convivial moments
A chef-guided, one-night-only menu shared by design
Not private — intentionally communal, powered by new connections
Intimate New York venues that spark conversation before the first course lands
*Subject to chef availability, we offer a broader roster of Michelin-trained chefs to choose from.
