‘Top Chef’ Winner Gabe Erales Posts Apology

Given his reputation and his future Austin restaurant – along with, perhaps, important factors in his personal life – Gabe Erales, winner of the just ended Season 18 of “Top Chef, ” Sent a lengthy apology on Instagram. Erales’ victory, after a successful season of Bravo show, has been mired in controversy since news of his dismissal from Comedor, the Austin restaurant where he served as head chef.

In a post on Friday, Erales wrote: “The past three weeks have been a period of trying for reflection and personal growth.” He said he needed “time with my family to begin the healing process before making a public statement.”

He went on to apologize to “my family, friends, staff, supporters, and “Top Chef” family,” and especially apologizes to his wife, who “has been by my side all the time.” for my career and my family”.

On July 1, during the show’s season finale, Erales won the “Top Chef” award, becoming the first Mexican-American to win in the 18 seasons of the Bravo show. It’s been an exciting season with chefs performing at the highest levels the Emmy-winning show has ever seen. It used to be was filmed safely in Portland, Ore., in the late summer and fall during COVID-19, and successfully weathered violent protests in the city as well as the Oregon wildfires.

The whole season was fun to watch and Erales, a father of four from Texas, impressed the judges throughout the competition, especially with his sauce – and especially with the preparation. mole, the foundation of his interpretation of modern Mexican cuisine. He beat chef Dawn Burrell in Houston and Shota Nakajima in Seattle in one of the toughest finals in “Top Chef” history.

But the next day, in an interview with Austin Chinese American, Erales admitted he was fired from the Austin Comedor restaurant in December, where he served as head chef. His contract termination occurred after returning home from “Top Chef”. He had an affair with someone who worked with him last summer, Erales said, and then because of performance issues, reduced her hours. One of Erales’ bosses at Comedor, Philip Speer, told Statesman that Erales was fired for “repeatedly violating the company’s ethics policy with regard to harassment of women.”

On Instagram, Erales describes the relationship as “a consensual relationship with a colleague.” He said after being fired, “I’m at the lowest point in my life – potentially losing my family while I’ve lost my job.”

“I deeply and sincerely apologize for the impact my poor decisions have had on those involved,” he continued. “My personal maturity will be an eternal apology in seeking forgiveness.”

In the comments on Instagram, Erales seems to receive support and positive feedback.

Since the interview with Statesman, Erales has remained silent to this day. Bravo also did not comment. Titles like Jezebel’s “Top chef’s great feeling collapses on his own” and Lainey Gossip’s “Top Chef Season 18: The Discomfort of My TV Comfort” continued to accumulate.

Based on Austin Eaters, Erales plans to open a new restaurant in downtown Austin called Bacalar in the fall of 2022, serving dishes from the Yucatan.

In the final slide of the apology, Erales looks to the future.