The Seattle Times - WHEN CHEF GABRIEL CHAVEZ opened his Capitol Hill restaurant, Chavez, two years ago, his goal was to serve unforgettable flavors from his childhood in Durango, Mexico: pungent peppers, corn tortillas, crispy gorditas, slow-cooked meats, smoky chipotle.
He and his three siblings learned to cook from their mother, Maria Veronica Arreola. Chavez recalls that she always put fresh meals on the table and never bought food on the street. “She’s a very patient woman,” Chavez says.
The family moved to Seattle in 1999. Chavez and his mother both worked at the original Boat Street Cafe, then he went on to Serafina and Cantinetta. Arreola had always hoped her son would have a place of his own.
He and his three siblings learned to cook from their mother, Maria Veronica Arreola. Chavez recalls that she always put fresh meals on the table and never bought food on the street. “She’s a very patient woman,” Chavez says.
The family moved to Seattle in 1999. Chavez and his mother both worked at the original Boat Street Cafe, then he went on to Serafina and Cantinetta. Arreola had always hoped her son would have a place of his own.