Bringing your culinary background onto a show like Top Chef can be a metaphorical “surf and turf.” Two important proteins exist on one plate, and it’s up to the chef whether they can make those ideas work in harmony or against each other. Nelson German came into the Top Chef kitchen with a steady calmness, wanting to blaze a trail with his Dominican heritage. And while he was able to able to keep up a good pace in the first few weeks, he hit a literal stumbling block while navigating the Mt. View Orchards. Nelson had an uncomfortable time in the mountains, hurting his knee while attempting to get the fruit for his dish. And to add insult to injury, his scallop did not land well, putting him in the bottom. After escaping elimination, Nelson took the words of the judges: Cook your own food. He hit a new altitude with his UFO-based pupusa, but it all came crashing down the next round. Partnered with Gabriel Pascuzzi, they attempted to bring steelhead trout and antelope together on the plate. Nelson overcooked the fish at the last minute, which ended up being a sticking point for the judges. Though they commended the work he, Gabriel, and all the chefs did that day, his mistake was enough to send them out. Read on to hear Nelson’s thoughts on his time in the game, and check out Last Chance Kitchen to watch him and other eliminated chefs fight for redemption and a chance to get back into the competition. What compelled you to apply for Top Chef, especially in the middle of the pandemic when things are so hard on the restaurant industry? I was blessed to have been approached by Top Chef. It was an unbelievable moment for me to get the initial call. Through the years, it’s been hard for me to step away from my businesses, but I knew that I couldn’t pass this opportunity up. It felt like a true “once in a lifetime opportunity,” and no matter what was happening, I was going for it. You came in wanting to represent your Dominican heritage in your cooking. How tough was that to do amongst everything Top Chef threw your way? I definitely wanted to really represent my heritage and showcase Afro-Latin cooking. I wanted to feel at home with what I was doing and always cook from the heart. It was really tough, though, as you come in with a vision of what you want to showcase and expect certain ingredients. But when you can’t find them, it throws you off entirely. You have to always think on your feet and try to stay within your initial game plan. You had a moment during the fruit challenge when you admitted you weren’t cooking your own food, which helped put you in the bottom. How much did that brush with elimination change how you approached the game? The orchard challenge really threw me for a loop. (Laughs.) When you are in the middle a lot, it really messes with your head. You start overthinking things and feel like you are doing something wrong. I went way outside of my comfort zone and went in a different direction. During the challenge, I knew the dish had no soul or love; it wasn’t me. It landed me way in the bottom, and I deserved to be there. That brush with elimination really woke me up, though. It’s never fun to hear such harsh criticism, but I took it as a big lesson and a wake-up call to just do you by cooking your food. Also in that challenge, you hurt your knee in the orchard, which was so severe you had to leave Last chance Kitchen after being eliminated. Can you talk more about your injury and how much that affected you moving forward? The orchard challenge, as beautiful as the setting was, really messed me up physically. When the clock starts, you have to just go, and I went a little too hard. I hit a hole on the ground with kitchen shoes on, and I tweaked my knees. It was hurting during the challenge but really got worse every challenge after that. As chefs, though we work through a lot of pain normally, it’s for the love of what we do. The feeling of we can’t stop no matter what, but it comes to a point where your body tells you no more and shuts down on you. What was your dynamic working with Gabriel as a partner? Gabriel and I got along really well. We had a good dynamic and fed off of each other. He knew I was really hurt after we visited the tribal sisters by the river. It was immensely painful, but we had a game plan to work around it. He’s a very talented chef with a great story. I enjoyed cooking with him, and I learned a thing or two about the beauty of Oregon-style cooking. Can you elaborate more on what happened right at plating with regards to the fish? Do you feel like you would have survived if you had just served the fish skin? So right around plating, my pain medication wore off. Both my knees start getting stiff and throbbing in excruciating pain. I start slowing down immensely and can’t think straight. Everything starts going wrong for me at this point, but I’m fighting through it. The fish is overcooked, but time is winding down. Unfortunately, we had no time to try something different, and we’re just hoping it was delicious enough to get us through. I don’t think serving just the skin would have been honoring the tribes who we had the pleasure to cook for. Were you surprised you and Gabriel were eliminated over Maria and Byron and Avishar and Chris? I wasn’t thoroughly surprised as everyone really cooked amazing dishes. We all showed why we belonged. But unfortunately, I made the biggest mistake, and it cost us. You have to bring your A-game on Top Chef; one slight mistake can be your downfall. How did it feel to follow up your elimination by jumping right into Last Chance Kitchen? That was a crazy twist! (Laughs.) We are all saying our goodbyes and hearing wonderful words from the other chefs. Suddenly, Chef Tom walks in and says, “Last Chance Kitchen starts right now.” Gabriel and I just shrug and say, “Alright, let’s do this.” (Laughs.) No matter what pain I was in, I wanted another shot. But unfortunately for me when I arrived I just couldn’t walk anymore. For the first time in my career, I had to bow out of an opportunity. Hopefully, you’ll see me again, and I get my Last Chance. Next, check out our interview with Kiki Louya, who was eliminated in Episode 4.
