‘Top Chef’ Competitor Manny Barella on Balancing BBQ, Fatherhood, and the Roses and Thorns of Reality TV
Description
After trading law books for chef whites, Manny Barella’s journey from Monterrey, Mexico, to the “Top Chef” Season 21 stage has been a whirlwind. Now, the James Beard Award semifinalist and fan‑favorite contestant is channeling his heritage and hustle into his new Denver restaurant, Riot BBQ—a Texas-style barbecue concept with Mexican flavor. In this conversation, Barella opens up about the “roses and thorns” of how being on reality TV changed his life; the challenges of building a Mexican‑inspired barbecue concept from scratch; redefining work‑life balance as a new dad; and why true success means training and treating your staff well, and “buying back your freedom” without burning out.
This episode is brought to you by Campbell’s Foodservice—where giving operators more is at the heart of everything they do.
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