The Truth About Gabe Erales From Top Chef Season 18
As food enthusiasts will tell you, the 18th season of Bravo's Top Chef is coming April 1 with a diverse group of participants who are set to compete against each other for the top prize. According to Food & Wine, the show's new season will include its usual personalities such as Padma Lakshmi, Gail Simmons, and Tom Colicchio, along with renowned guest judges such as Tiffany Derry, Melissa King, Edward Lee, Brooke Williamson, and Amar Santana, among others.
One of the talented participants who'll be battling for the top prize is Chef Gabe Erales. The El Paso, Texas, native comes equipped with a robust foundation and plenty of experience. Erales specializes in Mexican dishes and is rather skilled: He worked as an executive chef at Comedor Restaurant. The eatery, located in downtown Austin, Texas, earned recognition and was called the "Best New Restaurant" by several publications, such as Esquire Magazine and Texas Monthly.
Gabe Erales is a solid contestant
As illustrated by Food & Wine, Gabe Erales was drawn to cooking when he was still a teenager, and he worked gigs in restaurant kitchens until it was time for him to go to college. He earned his degree in mechanical engineering but knew that cooking was his first love. Erales ended up studying at Le Cordon Bleu in Austin and then picked up more skills working with experienced chefs like Miguel Ravago, Rene Ortiz, and Jesse Griffiths.
What's more, Erales has international experience, too: He's spent time at the renowned restaurant Noma in both Denmark and Mexico. He is particularly passionate about building long-lasting bonds with local farmers and supporting them. Erales makes it a point to collaborate with farmers from several regions of Mexico and source produce from them. Gabe is pretty excited about Top Chef. He took to Instagram to share the news with his fans and wrote, "Excited and honored to share the news that I will be competing alongside some incredibly talented friends and Chefs on the upcoming season of Top Chef. Pack your knives for Portland."