Tuscany-born Gabriele Bertaccini, or chef Gabe as he is better known, is one of Food Network’s up-and-coming culinary stars. He has appeared as a competitor, judge, mentor and co-host on a slew of shows, including Ciao House, 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing and Beat Bobby Flay. Learn more about chef Gabe, his early start in professional cooking, his world travels and his three beloved dogs.

History and Background

Gabe grew up in Florence, Italy, and learned to cook at a very early age. He began working in professional kitchens when he was only 13 years old, which is also when he started culinary school at the Buontalenti Institute of Culinary Arts, where he specialized in Italian cuisine and Tuscan cooking. After graduating, he went on to work at several prestigious restaurants across Italy before eventually moving to Paris, France, to further his culinary knowledge. Soon after, he made the leap across the pond to bring his talents to the United States.

Gabe first moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where he started his successful supper club, Culinary Mischief, with his company iL Tocco Food. The success of the supper club led Gabe to bring this event to London, Los Angeles, New York and Italy.

After attracting attention and success all over the world, Gabe caught the eye of television producers, and the rest, as they say, is history. He now calls Venice Beach, California, home along with his three Australian shepherds. When he’s not busy filming for Food Network or running his catering companies, Gabe can be found surfing, hiking and, of course, cooking.

Netflix's Say I Do

Gabe’s first-ever television appearance was on the Netflix reality series Say I Do, which premiered in 2020. The show starred three co-hosts and experts, Jeremiah Brent (design), Thai Nguyen (fashion) and Gabe (food), who helped one half of a couple surprise their partner with a dream wedding in only one week. While the show only ran for one season, it caught the attention of Food Network producers and launched Gabe’s television career.

Gabe’s Food Network Shows

Gabe first appeared on the network in 2021, competing against 15 other chefs on the discovery+ show The Globe. Since then, he has competed on numerous competition shows, serving as a contestant, judge, mentor and co-host.

House Hunters International

In preparation for the premiere of Ciao House, Gabe appeared on an episode of the long-running House Hunters International on HGTV to help select the villa in Tuscany, Italy, where the show would be filmed. He returned for another appearance to select the villa that would be used for the second season, this time filming in Puglia, Italy.

Ciao House

In 2023, Ciao House premiered on the Food Network. The show is co-hosted by Gabe and fellow Food Network chef Alex Guarnaschelli. Gabe and Alex mentor and judge 10 accomplished chefs, who are invited to live and compete together at a villa in the Italian countryside. Every week, they are challenged to master Italian cooking under the watchful eyes of the judges. The second season of the show, which aired in 2024, followed a new cast of hopeful chefs set in the beautiful countryside of Puglia, Italy.

Alex vs America

Gabe has appeared as a judge alongside his Ciao House co-star and Iron Chef champion Alex Guarnaschelli on Alex vs America, a competition show where professional chefs try to take down Alex in a series of cooking competitions using specific ingredients. Gabe’s first appearance was on Season 3’s episode “Alex vs Chicken,” and he appeared again in Season 4’s episode “Alex vs Mediterranean." IAlex beat out her competition with a chicken piccata dish in Season 3 and a Mediterranean lasagna in Season 4.

Beat Bobby Flay

Gabe appeared in Season 36 of Beat Bobby Flay, a competition cooking show that pits accomplished chefs in their own right against the esteemed Bobby Flay. For the competition, he reunited with his co-host from Ciao House, Alex Guarnaschelli, to cheer on an up-and-coming chef from Cleveland, Ohio, who did, indeed, beat Bobby Flay.

Beat Bobby Flay (Holiday Throwdown)

Gabe also appeared in Beat Bobby Flay (Holiday Throwdown), a winter holiday-themed version of the show that pairs up the chefs in multiple rounds of competition. On this episode, Gabe competed against renowned chef Marcus Samuelsson to win the first round of the competition, then lost in Round 2 to Maneet Chauhan. He then came back for the third and final round after being paired up with none other than Bobby Flay, where the dynamic duo took the win after wowing the judges with their Indian samosa feast.

24 in 24: Last Chef Standing

Gabe was one of 24 chefs who competed in Season 2 of the cutthroat competition cooking show, 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing. On the show, the chefs compete for 24 hours straight in 24 challenges that test them to the limits of their culinary abilities. In the first challenge, Gabe and his partner, Nini Nguyen, won the shellfish competition with an unbeatable scallop dish. Over the course of the next many hours, Gabe cooked up a storm, impressing the judges with dishes ranging from ricotta gnocchi to cookie dough ice cream and oysters Rockefeller. Ultimately, Gabe was eliminated after completing an impressive 17 challenges in nearly 20 hours.

Worst Cooks in America: Talented & Terrible

Gabe currently hosts Worst Cooks in America: Talented & Terrible alongside beloved late host and chef Anne Burrell. The show will feature the same shenanigans fans of the original Worst Cooks in America are used to, but with a cast made up of a wide variety of professional performers who all share the common flaw of being absolutely unable to cook.

Fun Facts About Gabe

• Gabe’s birthday is December 16, making him a Sagittarius.
• Gabe was the personal chef to an Italian royal family and has also cooked for many celebrities, including creating a vegan meal for former President Bill Clinton!
• Gabe was the first chef from Arizona without a physical restaurant who was selected to be a part of the James Beard Foundation’s Taste America dinner.
• Aside from a culinary degree, Gabe also holds two undergraduate degrees, one in international marketing and another in public relations and journalism, as well as a master’s in media and mass communication.
• Gabe previously worked as a food writer and columnist for several publications like Food & Wine and Green Living Arizona.
• Gabe lives in Venice Beach, California, with his three Australian shepherds named Miele, Perla and Summit.
• Gabe’s favorite flavor of gelato is pistachio!

Gabe's Companies

Gabe founded his catering company, iL Tocca Food, in 2008. Through iL Tocca Food, he launched the extremely sought-after underground supper club series, Culinary Mischief, in Phoenix, Arizona. The concept featured six courses, six wines and only 30 people per seating. The secret location for each dinner was released only one hour ahead of the seating. The concept became so popular that Gabe soon expanded to Los Angeles, New York, London and Italy. In 2016, iL Tocco Food was named one of the top five culinary event companies in the country by Food & Wine.