Chef Scott Copeland showcases some of the delicious dishes available at The Chapman.
SCOTT COPELAND’S PASSION FOR COOKING began with his Greek grandmother’s extended visits, assisting her in the kitchen as she baked bread and prepared moussaka. Following a high school catering job, cook position in his college’s sorority house and realizing that maybe college wasn’t for him, Copeland left to attend culinary school in Baltimore.
27 years later, the James Beard Foundation recognized chef is at the helm of The Chapman in Winter Park. Prior to joining the team, Copeland served as food and beverage chef at The Villages and spearheaded the cooking class concept The Show Kitchen. Getting his start in the industry under the supervision of now-partner Chef Cliff Pleau at Walt Disney World’s California Grill and New York City’s 21 Club (now closed) changed his perspective on the industry.
“That was kind of my aha moment,” he says. “There’s more to food than just working on a hotline and making the same five dishes repetitiously every night; there was an art to it, and he really opened up my eyes.”
Now, Copeland has reunited with Pleau to deliver a Central Florida-inspired menu that pays respect to the neighborhood’s upscale, sophisticated style; even the name is an homage to Winter Park’s founders Oliver Chapman and Loring Chase (check out the connected Chase Lounge). Together, Copeland and Pleau aim to bring forth a “what’s good now,” movement: focusing on unique ingredients with spontaneous availability.
Copeland sat down with Orlando magazine to discuss The Chapman.
What do you think makes a great dish?
When it comes to dish composition, I look to inspiration from what’s in season. But I rely on the people that I do business with also. There are vendors that we do business with here that I’ve had a relationship with some of these people for 20 to 25 years. They’re kind of like, “hey, this is what’s going on right now,” so that kind of gets a little bit of a spark going.
What makes The Chapman stand out in comparison to other Florida-based restaurants?
Some of the dishes that we do. Our produce company that we get the lion’s mane from always reminds us that we’re the only one that orders these mushrooms…so I think that’s unique. I think that even though we could walk up and down Park Avenue, and a good majority of the restaurants have a crab cake, I don’t think that the crab cake is like ours. People tell me they’re like, “you know, we expected breadcrumb and all this filler,” and then there’d be a little bit of crab meat and it comes out and it’s just all this crab…But I think that our above and beyond service that we provide really is key.
The Chapman’s interior spills out onto Park Avenue.
What has it been like to reconnect with Cliff through this partnership?
I probably could have worked for him for several more years back in the day, but I’m kind of glad that I experienced that when I was younger and now as an older chef I think I appreciate it a little bit more. I really do enjoy the time that we spend with each other. He’s a great guy. He’s a great leader. He’s motivational…I tell my cook sometimes, “you guys don’t realize this man, the things that he’s done, you need to talk to him and appreciate what he’s done.”
What was the biggest lesson Chef Cliff taught you when you were a young chef?
Taste everything; it was drilled into our heads. It was like, you are chefs and you should be able to season everything for our guests so they don’t have to.
Guests rave about The Chapman Steaks, available in four incredible cuts including this on the bone 18 oz rib-eye.
What’s one of your favorite dishes at The Chapman?
The carrots, definitely. I love them to death.
How does The Chapman pay homage to the city of Winter Park?
“When we have new employees come to work for us, we do an orientation that consists of a good chunk of time talking about the history of Winter Park, because we want our employees to know that and to appreciate that and to pass that information on…But I think just like the feel of it, it’s not stuffy but it’s luxurious—it’s got that nice feel to it. I really feel like it fits in well with Winter Park and Park Avenue and the whole feel of it.”
The Chapman
500 S Park Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789 | 407-635-1967 | thechapman.com | @thechapmanrestaurant
We sat down with chef Cliff Pleau of The Chapman for our latest Table Talk.
The Four B’s
Chef Cliff Pleau shares his thoughts on his culinary journey and ambitions in Orlando’s culinary scene.
Cliff Pleau was appointed chief innovation officer of Artistry Restaurants in March 2025, following his collaboration on designing The Chapman’s menu in December 2024. Pleau, a Culinary Institute of America graduate and Augie Award recipient, formerly served as the executive chef of Darden’s Seasons 52 and Walt Disney World’s California Grill and vice president of culinary R&D for Bloomin’ Brands Inc. where he was in charge of menu innovation. Bigger flavor, brighter color, bolder image and better for you and the planet is his mantra and goal for The Chapman’s future. We spoke with him about how he seeks to apply his years of experience to these concepts.
How did you know you wanted to be a chef?
I just remember I was a little baby and I used to suck my thumb when I was four years old. My dad didn’t like that, so he put Tabasco on my fingers to get me to stop, but the bottom line was I liked it…But I started working young at Italian restaurants as a dishwasher and making pizza and I got the chance to get into culinary school right out of high school. I didn’t take any time off and was captivated by the idea that I could travel and also the intrigue around how many different things you could do in the culinary world.
What dishes do you recommend for a first-time guest at The Chapman?
The most popular has become the colossal crab cake…the citrus pie is fantastic for celebration. You can’t resist at least sharing it, put a couple forks into it, and we do a great job with steaks and fish, but the lion’s mane appetizer. If you’re not a crab eater, definitely don’t miss the lion’s mane. We put in there ssamjang, a Korean kind of a barbecue flavor with paste made from soybeans, but the fermentation in it causes a super umami reaction, which almost make your mouth water on the sides. You don’t recognize it, but we know it’s there and it works very scientifically.
How does The Chapman aim to create memorable experiences for guests?
We have the front doors and the whole wall opened up and we just spill out onto the street—there’s less formality. You can just come right through the wall and come on in. It’s your place, like your front porch. When you come in, no matter who you come to—a bartender or a server—they’ve been very carefully instructed on the way to just treat people like it’s your house. Give them a hug and welcome them home.
What is your larger goal as the Chief Innovation Officer of Artistry?
If we’re going to be a collection of restaurants, we really have to have a serious focus on the best food we can possibly do. It doesn’t have to be better than someone else, it doesn’t have to be crazy off the charts, but it has to be the best we can actually do. So, creating a team of chefs that all have the same mission in mind, to be collectively here to have fun but really take our craft pretty serious. But the goal would really be to have all boats in the harbor rise together, to have us all become a place where people can come for a great meal, no matter which one of the seven brands it is.