Calgary chef Nicole Gomes is crediting her win on Top Chef Canada’s first all-stars competition to her mantra of always learning from your mistakes.
Gomes is the chef and owner of Nicole Gourmet Catering and co-owner of Cluck N’ Cleaver, a southern fried and French style rotisserie chicken take-out joint. She first competed on the show in Season 3 when she placed fifth.
Gomes took on Toronto’s Dustin Gallagher in Sunday night’s finale.
“It’s hard to say that I think I was slaying it the whole time, I think everyone was doing a really good job. It’s a really tough situation to be in. All the chefs are reputable. Unfortunately you can only have one winner.”
“You just put your head down and you do it. You have to trust what you know.”
Recapping the last episode of the season for Global Calgary, local food writer Dan Clapson said Nicole’s final dishes were all Italian.
“She actually has quite an extensive background in Italian cooking, a lot of people don’t know that about her,” he said. “She cooked a menu that had everything from lemon-accented arancini, carpaccio, tortellini and a seared-fish dish as well as a strawberry and vanilla panna cotta.”
WATCH: Food writer Dan Clapson joins Global Calgary to recap the finale of Top Chef Canada: All-Stars.
“Watching the judging panel go through her dishes they were pretty much blown away by every single dish, save the fish.”
“What Nicole has showcased is her extremely high level of technique.”
Gomes admitted she was worried her final dishes weren’t going to be enough to help her beat Gallagher.
“I kind of second-guessed myself through it as well because Italian is quite simple,” she said. “But I trusted the fact that I was confident I know Italian.”
“It wasn’t as fancy as Dusty’s,” she said. “Dusty’s food was amazing.”
“It’s kind of a risk to do something so simple.”
“I did have a really good feeling that he’d make it to the end,” she said of Gallagher. “He’s such a great competitor. He’s got a great spirit.”
“He wanted it just as bad and he cooked his heart out,” she added.
Throughout the season, Gomes hosted viewing parties at various Calgary eateries raising money for the Foothill Medical Centre’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
“I did it the first season – Season 3 when I was in it – and it was very, very gratifying,” she explained.
Clapson noted that not only did the viewing parties raise money for hospital, they also helped support local businesses.
“She really did a great job of supporting a few different Calgary restaurants and giving them the business,” he said.
When asked if she had trouble keeping her lips sealed and not spilling the beans about her big win, Gomes said it was “kind of exciting” to hold out from everyone.
Her win marks the first time a female competitor has won Top Chef Canada.