'Top Chef: Wisconsin's Manny Barella Talks Through His Many Bouts with the Bottom
Top Chef is back in the kitchen! Every week, Parade's Mike Bloom interviews the latest chef told to pack their knives and leave Wisconsin.
After the premiere of Top Chef: Wisconsin, Manny Barella seemed like the one to beat. He made an immediate impression when he won the first challenge of the season, allaying any imposter syndrome he may have. But the former law student quickly found himself on the defense, as his journey is mostly noted for all of his appearances in the bottom. Despite starting off strong, Manny bit off more than he could chew in the cheese challenge, an unfortunate streak that put him in the bottom during half of the Elimination Challenges. Despite constantly on the brink of elimination, Manny was adamant to put his head down, cook his best, and honor his Mexican roots.
That all culminated in the last challenge in Wisconsin, as the "cheftestants" were tasked with cooking a dish to honor their journey. Manny looked at the opportunity as a second chance, making a dish he ultimately spurned during the previous fish boil challenge, while highlighting the importance of remembering where you come from. Unfortunately, while Manny showed off his incredible palate in the blind taste test challenge earlier in the episode, his taste of what the judges wanted were off. He was criticized for not relating his dish to his time on the show. What truly sunk his chances, though, was sending out raw fish to a couple of diners, most notably head judge Tom Colicchio. And so Manny's sixth brush with elimination was his last, ending his tumultuous season.
Read on to hear Manny's thoughts on his time in the game.
Related: Everything You Need to Know About Top Chef Season 21
How did you end up getting onto Top Chef, and what was your preparation to get on, if any?
It all started with a producer DMing me on Instagram. From there, I was fortunate to move through the interview process and secure a spot. I prepared by studying past seasons and by putting myself through challenges. Once I found out that we’d film in Wisconsin, I tried to study and learn everything I could about the location, the history, what’s made there, what’s grown there, and of course the people who live there, so that I could think about how the details would play into challenges.
Talk to me about your reaction to winning the first challenge of the season. How did that inform how you approached the competition?
Top Chef is an intimidating space to enter. I went into the first episode with the same thought that everyone has: Don’t be the first to go home. I’d set that bar for myself, so to win the challenge was unbelievable. When I watched the first episode, I saw the genuine surprise and joy on my face at Judges’ Table. It was surreal. I feel like a lot of chefs go into the show with a bit of imposter syndrome, myself included. Winning the first challenge served as a bit of a mind reset. I could lean into my heritage and my flavors, and they’d belong on this stage.
Talk to me about your relationship with your fellow "bottom" brother Kévin.
This entire crew is my family, but Kévin is my brother for life. I think a lot of the reason we really clicked is because we have a shared immigrant experience . We’re both hustling to make a better life, a better living in this country, and we both know what it’s like to be somewhere completely new, different, and at times completely overwhelming. Kévin and I had a common language and common purpose, and we learned over the years to adapt, pivot, constantly side shuffle as we’re embracing America and the culture. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that we have the same dark humor.
We see you're told you're too ambitious in the cheese challenge, but went too safe in the fish boil challenge. How tough was it to deal with the judges' feedback this season?
My strategy always was that I tried to take each challenge and adapt to it without thinking of the previous one. Each time was something new, and I had to try to approach it with a clean slate. In this case, cheese is not my strong suit (maybe that’s where Kévin and I disagree the most), but I really tried to stretch myself and be challenged. I went outside my comfort zone, and in this case, it didn’t pan out. So even though I tried to approach each challenge with a fresh eye, the next one I pulled back, went too safe and just didn’t hit it on the fish boil. But I’m grateful, because every time, as tough as it was, I learned so much from the judges’ feedback.
What were your feelings during all the close calls with elimination? Was it ever something you developed an immunity to from all your times at the bottom?
I am a competitive person. So to keep placing in the bottom was not something I ever got used to or was okay with. I am also a person who strives to keep learning. So I made it my mission to use every single setback on this show as a way to learn something, file it away for the future, and keep working to improve every time. Something I learned long ago, they say every failure is an opportunity for growth, and I truly embrace that.
At one point, Kristen commented that you had made a lot of similarly structured dishes ("the sauce, the thing, the meat"). Was that something you noticed, and what was your reaction to that comment?
I actually didn’t notice until they said it! And, honestly, I have to say they’re not wrong. Kristen cued in on my style early on, so she noticed and said something. My silver lining is that this comment means I was in the competition long enough that the judges really got to know and easily identify my style. It’s my privilege that they got to know me that well!
Let's get into the challenge that eliminated you. What made you decide to make a dish reaching back to your roots? And how do you respond to the critique that it didn't connect to Wisconsin?
Looking back, I think I came at the challenge the wrong way. I was focused on creating something to represent redemption in my journey. I was really zeroed in on my frustration and disappointment with the fish boil challenge. So I wanted to really take a chance and revisit something I’d failed at, to see if I could apply what I learned and show how I’d grown. I took a huge risk, and it didn’t pay off this time!
What was your reaction when you were informed that a few of the diners had been served raw fish? Given the Quickfire, did you still hope to avoid elimination?
Of course, I was incredibly disappointed to hear that something I served in this competition wasn’t cooked properly. That goes against all of my training, my work ethic, and my love of hospitality. But it’s easy to forget time is not your friend in these situations. It’s not like when I’m at my restaurants, where I can go back, take my time if needed, and double check everything. Time got away from me here. I sent up a little hopeful prayer and decided to give it a fighting chance rather than give up and not serve anything at all.
You mentioned at one point you wanted to be in the conversation of Mexicans who left Mexico and killed it. In the end, how do you think your time on Top Chef will reflect back to your roots?
Everything I do in life comes back to my heritage and how I was raised. And in Top Chef I stayed true to my culture, my values, and my love of cooking and hospitality. Even though I didn’t come out on top, I am so thrilled with this life-changing and incredible experience, the lifetime friends I made, the dishes that were successes and the challenges I learned from. It will all make me a better chef and person in the end. Regardless of winning, I'm one of a few first-gen Mexicans in Bravo's Top Chef. I consider that a huge accomplishment itself and appreciate the continued positive representation of Mexico and visibility for our culture.
Next, check out our interview with Michelle Wallace, who was eliminated in Top Chef: Wisconsin Episode 11.
