Our Team
chef and sommelier / husband and wife
executive chef - JUAN LOPEZ LUNA
Born in Tlaxcala, Mexico, Juan is a first-generation immigrant who left his hometown at just 16 years old, searching for a better life north of the Mexican border. He first arrived in Jackson Hole, a beautiful ski town located at the foot of the Teton Mountain range in Wyoming. It was there that he began his culinary career, specifically at The Old Yellow Stone Garage, the once-mythical Italian restaurant focusing on Piemonte cuisine. It was at the OYG, where Juan manned the wood-fire pizza station, where he crossed paths with his now wife and business partner, Lindsay Brennan.
The couple spent a year travelling and working in Oaxaca, Mexico before arriving in Montreal, the hometown of Lindsay's family. Juan worked his way through the echelons of the former La Salle à Manger with Chef Samuel Pinard, was part of the opening team at Pizzeria Gemma with Michele Forgione and Stefano Faita, he then opened Farine, an Italian lunch counter, on Saint-Viateur in 2015. In 2018, his dreams came true when he opened Alma in the heart of Outremont, on Avenue Lajoie.
Today, Juan is a trailblazer of elevated Mexican gastronomy in Montreal and in Canada, sharing an expression of the cuisine from his home country using the highest quality heritage corn while integrating Quebec's local ingredients. Juan is also the chef-owner of Tinc Set, a wine and tapas bar located next door to Alma.
sommelier and wine importer - LINDSAY BRENNAN
Lindsay Brennan is a restaurateur and sommelier, as well as the founder of “Importations Vin i Vida”, an import company in Montreal that specializes in Catalan and Spanish wines.
Nominated for the 2021-2023 Lauriers in the Best Sommelier category, Lindsay imports electric wines from a group of Catalan and Spanish winemakers among the most precise and sought-after on the Iberian Peninsula.
At Alma and Tinc Set, Lindsay builds unique wine lists, composed of Catalan and Spanish wines from her friends, old vintages and often vintages exclusive to Canada.
The winemakers who are part of the Vin i Vida family guide the couple on their own journey and serve as a daily model of inspiration. The menu at Alma focuses on the vibrant flavors of Mexico, is inspired by the vibrant, maritime and sunny wines from Lindsay’s collection. Juan masters the balance of flavours in his dishes, always with the idea of elevating the wines and allowing the wines to elevate his cuisine. Together the couple creates intimate places where they can exchange and bring to life the artisan wines made by their friends.