Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabe Erales.
Hi Gabe, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born and raised in El Paso, Texas, before moving to Austin to study Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin; as the 2nd youngest of seven kids, education and discipline were instilled in us early on. My parents moved to Texas from the Yucatan in the late 70s to provide us with a better education. I began working in restaurants at 15 to earn extra money in high school and support myself in college, but I quickly fell in love with the industry. After graduating from UT with a BSME and working in the auto and semiconductor industry, I began to miss being in the kitchen. I had concurrently enrolled in culinary school and graduated as the valedictorian at the Le Cordon Bleu Austin. After years of working two full-time jobs, I approached a point where my cooking career had begun to gain momentum, and I needed to decide a path at the fork in the road. I have been working in all of the top restaurants in Austin and helped open 4+ new restaurants. I left for Austin to go on stage in Copenhagen’s best kitchen in the world and later worked for the same restaurant during their residency in Tulum, Mexico. These decisions were life-changing and eye-opening for my cooking career. In parallel, I met the love of my life and welcomed our first child in 2012, my second child in 2015, and my third daughter in 2018. After leaving the engineering field, I was focused on my largest project to date, Comedor Restaurant, a modern Mexican concept that won many accolades and garnered much attention. After some time there and entering the pandemic, I was blessed with the opportunity to participate in Top Chef Season 18, where I became the first LatinX contestant to win the show. Shortly after, I began planning my next concept as Chef/Partner with Urbanspace Hospitality, Bacalar Restaurant, a Yucatan-inspired restaurant focused on the roots of my family’s origins in Mexico. Bacalar opened in the fall of 2023. During this same time, I also planned and developed a new upscale Tex-Mex Concept called Ometeo in the greater Washington, DC area with the Longshot Hospitality group. Ometeo opened in December of 2023.
Let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
The upward trajectory of my cooking career has only sometimes been a smooth road. My departure from Comedor Restaurant in December 2020 was caused by having an inappropriate intimate relationship with an employee outside of my marriage. I had failed as a leader, father, and husband. At this point in my career, I was falling victim to the attention and accolades that ultimately tarnished my biggest culinary accomplishment of winning Top Chef and being the head chef of arguably the best restaurant in town. I was using unhealthy outlets to face the stress and problems in both my professional and personal life. This was the rock bottom moment of my life. My wife was crushed and humiliated; her career was further impacted as she had to take personal leave from work to focus on mental health. We trusted our faith and worked together to rebuild our relationship and marriage. This task is complex and requires daily work, as does any other marriage. On a professional level, I reevaluated my approach to leadership in the kitchen and began taking steps to be a better leader for Bacalar Restaurant. I returned to Copenhagen to participate in a leadership program through Noma Restaurant and MAD. I also returned to my alma mater, the University of Texas, to complete a certification in SHRM (Strategic Human Resource Management).
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am best known for being a talented chef specializing in Mexican cuisine. I am also known for being the first Mexican-American to win the prestigious Top Chef title on Bravo’s Top Chef Season 18.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the COVID-19 crisis?
Before COVID-19, I worked two full-time jobs and had minimal time with my family, marriage, or to focus on myself as an individual. I was forced to slow down, and it allowed me to take a step back from my life to understand what I wanted and who I would be moving forward as a role model for myself, my wife, and my kids.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bacalaratx.com and www.gabeerales.com
- Facebook: @g_erales
Image Credits
Headshot – Kasandra Keyes, Restaurant Shots – Chase Daniel, Food – Jessica Attie
