Gabe Erales is the Executive Chef and Partner of Bacalar, a neighborhood restaurant in Austin, TX inspired by the cuisine of the Yucatán Peninsula. Born and raised in a small border town near El Paso, Texas, Erales’ parents moved to the U.S. from Quintana Roo, Mexico. Immersed in Mexican culture, Erales developed a passion for cooking early in his childhood and started working in restaurants when he was 15 years old. After graduating from University of Texas at Austin, where he received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering, Erales recognized that his passion ultimately remained rooted in the kitchen.

In 2010, he enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu and earned the prestigious Stephen Pyles Culinary Scholarship. Following graduation, Erales began his culinary career sharpening his skills in some of North America’s most lauded restaurants, working under Chef Jesse Griffiths of Dai Due and Rene Redzepi of Noma and Noma Mexico. In 2019, Erales joined the team at Comedor Restaurant as the opening Executive Chef; under his leadership, Comedor was named Best New Restaurant by Esquire and Texas Monthly.In 2021, Erales was crowned the winner of Bravo’s Top Chef Season 18, becoming the first

Mexican American to ever win the competition. He returned to the University of Texas at Austin in 2022 to pursue a certification in SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) and later returned to Denmark, Copenhagen to complete Rene Redzepi’s MAD Academy Business & Leadership program.

Looking to open his own concept, Erales partnered with Urbanspace CEO/Founder Kevin Burns in 2021, and together they created Bacalar, a restaurant showcasing the diversity of the Yucatán Peninsula by paying homage to the influence of the region’s many other diasporas including Spanish, Lebanese, and Caribbean. Inspired by the Mexican culture of his childhood, Erales looks to bring a unique perspective on Mexican cuisine to Austin’s visitors and locals alike. Here, his cooking is inspired by comida milpera, which draws inspiration from Mexico’s milpa agriculture system and honors an ethos of deep-rooted relationships with farmers, suppliers, and partners. Beyond his work inside the restaurant, Erales created a scholarship fund for the Culinary Institute of America in 2021 called Ninos de Maiz, providing Hispanic students with the support and tools needed to further their culinary education.