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Los Cabos Magazine #37 - Summer 2014

64 LOS CABOS MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2014 been one to rest on his laurels. If you don’t believe me, just stop by Café Canela, where odds are, he’s working on his latest tasty creation.—C.S. The Celebrity Canadian-born Tadd Chapman is a robust young man who’s charming, strong willed, and knows exactly where he is going. At 37, he already owns three popular restaurants in San José del Cabo. At 15, he wanted a car. His dad told him to get a job. Instead of one, Chapman got two, including a position peeling potatoes. He bought a beater of a car and launched his culinary career, going from dishwasher to prep cook to line cook. He took culinary classes in high school. On scholarship at Vancouver Island University Malaspina, he trained under several well-known chefs. And he went to work. Meanwhile, his father moved to Los Cabos, and on a visit Chapman saw an opportunity. After a series of buying, selling, and partnerships in various ventures, Chapman opened Habanero’s Gastro Grill & Tequila Bar, a neighborhood eatery, in 2004. Don Sanchez followed in 2010, then the Retro Burger Bar in 2012. Chapman has become not only one of the most notable chefs in Los Cabos but also a bit of a celebrity chef, having appeared on a food show in Los Angeles. Readers of a local magazine named him Los Cabos’ best chef in 2010, and he was one of three top chefs featured in Mexico Traveler magazine in 2012. But Chapman’s favorite honor came when an 8-year-old told him his burger was better than those at McDonald’s.—S.A.B. Titan of the Sea Baja Lobster Co. offers an extensive array of creative dishes and an elegant seaside perch; the outdoor dining area juts out over a scenic corner of the marina filled with charter boats and sailing vessels. It’s the perfect place to enjoy saltwater-sourced specialties like Grupo Mi Casa chef Edgar Román Chávez loves to experiment when adding new items to the Café Canela menu. steamed lobster drizzled in melted butter, paired with a creamy chardonnay from Baja’s Valle de Guadalupe. Baja Lobster Co. chef Eliseo A. Arbez is no stranger to luxurious surroundings or delicious seafood dishes. Arbez pre- Chef Tadd Chapman shows his culinary range with the vastly different Don Sanchez, Retro Burger Bar, and Habanero’s Gastro Grill & Tequila Bar. Francisco Estrada Courtesy Grupoi MiCasa


Los Cabos Magazine #37 - Summer 2014
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