Edwin De La Rosa
Middle Child Clubhouse | Philadelphia
FEBRUARY 2024
After his father passed in 2016, Edwin De La Rosa quit his job in human resources and asked himself what kind of legacy he wanted to leave. He discovered that cooking was a form of therapy, connecting him with the memory of his father. He started his culinary career working at El Taller, Frobie’s Cafe, and LaRosa's in Massachusetts—where he had grown up since his family emigrated from the Dominican Republic.
De La Rosa, however, still wanted to learn more. After the pandemic hit, he packed his bags and moved to Philadelphia. He worked at El Poquito, before taking a job at Suraya in 2021. While there, he struck up a friendship with Chef Omar Tate, who invited De La Rosa to join the opening team at Honeysuckle Provisions, an Afrocentric grocery and cafe started by Tate and his wife, Cybille St. Aude-Tate. De La Rosa accepted, and during his time at Honeysuckle, the two friends embarked on a life-changing road trip to South Carolina, which reignited De La Rosa's desire to learn, particularly about the history and food of Black and Latin Americans.
Through Tate, De La Rosa met Rising Stars alum Matt Cahn of Middle Child who invited De La Rosa to join the team at Middle Child Clubhouse. De La Rosa leapt at the opportunity to incorporate Dominican flavors into Cahn’s American concept, and accepted an executive chef position, leading the restaurant's AM team. At Middle Child Clubhouse, De La Rosa’s menu tells a story. From the Duck Fat Cubano, inspired by his father’s favorite meal, to Olivia’s Buttermilk Pancakes, named after his daughter, the dishes on his menu encapsulate and celebrate his identity as a first-generation immigrant, a son, a new father, and an aspiring food historian.
