ODESSA, Texas — Chef Alejandro Barrientos -- Co-Owner and Executive Chef of the Curb Side Bistro restaurant in Odessa -- won the Food Network program ‘Chopped’ Tuesday night.
In claiming the title as the latest 'Chopped' champion, he also won $10,000 and gained quite the experience.
“Just to be on it, I was super hyped, it was super exciting, but actually winning it…every time somebody would get chopped and you kept looking at it like ‘OK, OK, maybe this is my turn, and then [I] actually won,’... I was beyond the moon," said Barrientos.
Given mystery ingredients on the show to cook with, Barrientos was able to create some interesting dishes, including one he coined for West Texas.
“Basically, I made an oyster Rockefeller," said Barrientos. "I called it a ‘West Texas oyster Rockefeller,’ paying homage to our ocean here in Odessa, and then I made a … taco and then I made a – I call it ‘nana-nana-banana fritter’ – for dessert.”
He and his restaurant have received love and support from all around.
“Even on our Facebook page I have people like ‘El Paso’s with you, Albuquerque, shoutout from San Antonio, Dallas, Odessa-Midland,’ …all our Facebook fans have just been blowing us up sending us love and support so it’s huge," said Barrientos.
The support is much appreciated, and he also mentioned how awesome it was to be able to represent the area while on the show.
“It was [an] amazing feeling and I love [that I] actually got to shoutout West Texas and Odessa and Midland, because I was all around these areas, so it was amazing to be able to be from here and then also represent us," said Barrientos.
Saying it was a dream come true to participate in one of his favorite shows, the chef is now back to his masterpiece.
“From the beginning when I started going into the chef world and cooking and the culinary arts, the end goal was always to have a restaurant," said Barrientos. "So we went from...a folding table to a food truck to a restaurant, so this is just a fruition. This is our blessing, so it’s just a huge, huge blessing.”
Barrientos is a native of Odessa, he received his culinary arts degree from Odessa College and now his journey has made him a ‘Chopped’ champion.
As for what's next in his cooking career after that progression, he said everything is on the table.