‘Top Chef: Wisconsin’ season finale recap: After one final cook, who won the title of Top Chef?

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Top Chef" Season 21, Episode 14, the finale, which aired June 19, 2024.  

We’ve waited all season for this moment.

From the farmland to the lakes, the swanky dinner spots and beachside food traditions, the cheese, the sausages, the cranberries and more, the setting of Wisconsin challenged this season's contestants to push beyond their comfort zones to unleash the talent and creativity that it takes to be named Top Chef.

And tonight, after 14 weeks, a winner was crowned.

Was it Danny, the consistent contender with fine-dining flair? Or Savannah, the sweet Southern chef whose confidence and cooking prowess have skyrocketed near the end of the season? Or would it be Dan, the hometown hero who’s stayed true to his roots and risen above limitations from a disease that makes every cook especially challenging?

Read my full recap below to learn who won the title of Season 21’s Top Chef.

Highlights from “Top Chef,” Season 21, Episode 14:

Celebrity sightings: “Top Chef: Canada” host David Zilber, restaurateur and chef Bricia Lopez of Los Angeles’ La Guelaguetza, Michelin-star and James Beard Award-winning chef Carrie Nahabedian of Chicago’s Brindille, James Beard Award-winning chef Justin Pichetrungsi of Los Angeles’ Anajak Thai restaurant and chef/restaurateur/TV star Emeril Lagasse.

Where was the challenge set? Aboard Holland America’s Eurodam cruise liner

How did Dan do? Our hometown chef’s finale four dishes got many positive remarks from the judges. Find them (and how he fared) in the recap below.

The finale challenge reveal: Four courses of fabulous dishes

After saying goodbye to Laura in the first finale episode last week, the top-three contestants — Dan, Danny and Savannah — had one final cook ahead of them.

With the Holland America Eurodam cruise ship docked in Aruba, it was time for the chefs to learn what their final challenge of the season would be.

Host Kristen Kish and judge Tom Colicchio met them on deck.

“The three of you are this close to winning $250,000,” said Kish. “And it all boils down to this.” 

The final challenge would be deceptively simple, with the fewest parameters to date: “Make the best four-course meal of your lives,” Kish said.

It was an opportunity for the chefs to cook whatever they like and to create a meal that was reflective of how far they’d come in their journey as chefs.

But they wouldn’t be doing it alone.

After the finale challenge was revealed, out walked some familiar faces: eliminated contestants Amanda Turner, Michelle Wallace, Soo Ahn, Manny Barella, Laura Ozyilmaz and Kaleena Bliss were back, and each finalist could tap one of them to stand in as sous chef for their meal.

They drew knives to determine the selection order.

Dan was up first, and there was never any doubt who’d be working with him in the finale.

“I wanna pick all of you guys, but I’m going with my partner,” he said. “You know it.”

Without Dan even mentioning her name, Amanda stepped forward. She knew. There was no chance “Damanda” wouldn’t be back together again in the finals.

“I just wanna cook with somebody who I can just vibe with,” Dan said. “This is it. It’s you.”

Aww ...

Up next, Danny was ready to buddy up, too. He chose Manny as his sous chef.

“From day one, Manny and I have vibed really well, and we’re trying to have a party tomorrow,” he said with a laugh.

That left Savannah, who chose Michelle as her sous chef for the cook.

It had to be tough for Laura, Soo and Kaleena not to be picked, but, hey, they were able to stay on the ship and enjoy the cruise without the pressure of the kitchen — a pretty nice consolation.

Kish turned to the three pairs of chefs.

“I know exactly what it feels like to be right here,” she said, alluding to her finale cook before winning “Top Chef: Seattle” 12 years ago. “Have fun. And show us why you deserve the title of Top Chef ... I can’t wait to say it, for one.”

Her first season as host, it would be the first time Kish would announce who won “Top Chef.” A full-circle moment.

Menu planning and grocery shopping in Aruba

Partnered with their sous chefs, the finalists would have two hours to shop at markets in Aruba, with ingredients stocked on the Eurodam ship available to supplement.

On their way, each chef discussed their concepts and approaches with their sous chefs.

“Everything is pretty down to the T. It’s pretty precise how I want everything,” said Danny, surprising no one. His precision has been a through line this whole season.

But things were different for Savannah.

“I don’t have it down to the T, ‘cause I wanted to leave room for there to be inspiration and to adjust,” she told Michelle. All she knew was she wanted her dishes to reflect the places that informed and inspired her career as a chef.

“All about Savannah and her travels of learning,” Michelle said.

For Dan, who was inspired by his recent dinner with one of his icons, chef Masaharu Morimoto in last week’s episode, he knew he had just one chance to show who he is as a chef.

“My overall concept for this menu is to show who I am, right now, in this moment,” he said. “I want to live in this moment. It’s the culmination of so much work.”

The chefs scuttled around a few local markets to pick up ingredients. Because they’d be cooking on the sea, everyone was drawn to seafood.

But there was drama at the Daily Fish market, when Dan had asked for the sardines he chose to be cleaned, but a miscommunication left the counter worker fully cooking them, instead.

Sardines would have to be scrapped, but Dan didn’t let it shake him. He pointed to some small snappers in the case and asked for 12 as he pivoted dish ideas.

“At this point in the competition, I don’t want to let things irritate me or bog me down,” he said. “I just want to flow with it a little bit and just cook with my heart.” 

Bam! A surprise in the kitchen

The day before the finale presentation, the chefs had five hours to prep and cook their dishes.

“Remember when we thought other challenges were the craziest challenges, then they put us on a ship?” asked Amanda, her signature giggle cutting the tension in the kitchen on the cruise ship.

Sous chef Michelle was feeling the pressure. Savannah had planned a lobster-stuffed pasta for her second course, and as we learned on the first episode of the season, Michelle is not the most confident pasta maker.

“It's $250,000 worth of nerves, and all I can think is ‘execute, execute, execute,’” she said, doing her all to take Savannah to the finish line.

Manny was feeling the intensity, too. Taskmaster Danny’s meticulousness reminded Manny of his time working in fine-dining kitchens.

It didn’t help that he’d mistakenly used all the cantaloupe they’d purchased to make a juice, when Danny wanted to save some to make melon balls.

That threw a major wrench in Danny's dessert plans. But to bring back the acid he needed in his dish, he improvised a lemon relish.

And if the chefs weren’t feeling enough pressure, in walked Colicchio and “Mr. Bam” himself, chef Emeril Lagasse.

The contestants didn’t even attempt to keep their cool.

A chorus of nervous “hellos” flittered through the kitchen as the ultra-celebrity chef walked in.

He talked with each contestant about the dishes they were preparing, saying he was excited to try their food the next day.

“Emeril Lagasse’s gonna taste my finale meal. This is crazy,” Dan said. “I hope he tastes my food tomorrow and says, ‘Bam! This is great.’ But I don’t hope he says, ‘You could’ve kicked it up a notch,'” doing the most bless-his-heart Emeril impression he could muster.

Reflections during breakfast at sea

The next morning, the three finalists spent a pleasant breakfast reflecting on their journeys with Kish, Colicchio, Lagasse and judge Gail Simmons.

Danny said he had plans to open a seafood restaurant the following year. Savannah left her job as an executive chef to pursue her “Top Chef” dreams. And Dan, who’d tried out for the show 11 times before being cast, was excited he’d have a larger platform to elevate Kennedy’s Disease awareness and research.

Everyone at the table was aware of the weight of the moment to come, especially Kish, who said she wouldn’t get emotional before tearing up.

This was a long journey for her, too. Lagasse had judged her first and final episodes of “Top Chef,” and he’d sit with her at the judges’ table tonight.

But first, dinner.

The “Top Chef: Wisconsin” finale challenge: One last service

As the chefs finished their final prep before the meal, the judges took their seats at the ship’s Pinnacle Grill restaurant.

Kish, Colicchio, Simmons and Lagasse would be joined by Zilber, Lopez, Pichetrungsi and Nahabedian.

Talk about full circle: Dan had worked for Nahabedian early in his career, when he was 23 years old.

Even thousands of miles away from Wisconsin, he still has a connection at the judges' table.

He’d be the first to present his first-course dish.

The concept of his menu was inspired by chef Morimoto, who encouraged the final four chefs to live in the moment. Dan’s dishes would reflect who he is right now.

His first was a tuna tartare with ruby red grapefruit, Caribbean pepper puree, garlic chips and black garlic labneh, a dish filled with bold flavors that the judges appreciated, though they were a little put off that, texturally, the tuna and grapefruit were difficult to differentiate between.

Savannah’s menu would reference locations that brought back food memories and inspired her career, from her home state of North Carolina to Boston, where she briefly worked before returning home.

She served a saltfish fritter for her first course, with sweet potato puree, pickled mussel and habanero honey glaze. It was a balanced dish, with the judges loving the sweet and savory profile and nicely fried fritter.

Danny’s menu aimed to reflect significant food memories in his life while also highlighting the ocean.

His first dish was a scallop and habanero leche de tigre with breadfruit and nori tuile. The creative tuile mimicking a scallop shell was inspired, the judges said, but they agreed the dish could’ve used more salt.

For the second course, Dan served his impromptu snapper with braised pumpkin and smoked snapper dashi. Zilber said it was a “perfect, umami-ish song to seafood,” while Lagasse called it “simple, but executed perfectly.” He added he would be going in for another bite. 

Savannah’s spiny lobster agnolotti with lobster broth and smoked Marcona almonds, however, didn’t quite sing. The pasta dough was dry and brittle, and the almonds took away from the lusciousness of the dish.

Danny’s second course was a smoked mussels dish with plantains and cabbage, smoked mussel mayo and fines herbes puree. There was a lot going on with it, and Simmons said she found its construction made it cumbersome to eat. Still, the flavor was on point.

Dan brought out a judge favorite next. His third-course oxtail ragu with dumplings, tomato concasse and pikliz of cabbage, carrots and scallions was a winner all around.

It was a slip-up for Savannah, though, whose seared grouper with epis spice was nice, but the plantain mofongo entirely missed the mark (“it’s a mofong-no,” Colicchio said).

Danny had a rare misstep in his third course, too. A few of his lobsters weren’t cooked all the way through, but his salsa macha and chaaza sauce (served in a conch shell) worked together beautifully.

For the final course, Dan made a yogurt mousse with coriander olive oil, grilled pineapple and a salted phyllo crisp. The judges loved the smoky-sweet balance, as well as the toasty-salty crunch the tuile provided.

After the ice cream she’d planned came out a soupy mess, Savannah made a quick pivot to serve it as sauce on the side of her spin on hummingbird cake with banana, lime and pineapple granita, and rum-coconut sauce.

It was a happy accident, as the judges loved the sauce. It felt comforting, and Pichetrungsi thought the dish was “kindhearted, and Savannah has a kindhearted style about her food.” 

Finally, Danny presented his take on piragua con leche, a treat that reminded him of childhood, when his grandfather would pick him up from school and they’d stop for the classic Puerto Rican shaved ice before going home.

His version was served with a melon sorbet with avocado yogurt, candied seaweed and a condensed milk stamp. The judges thought the candied seaweed was a clever way to bring the ocean into his dish, while the lemon relish was the perfect end to his progression.

“What I love about it is you have an 8-year-old kid with his grandfather, walking down the streets of Brooklyn, and this is what you end up with,” Colicchio said. “That's the beauty of food.”

The judges’ deliberation

Back at the judges’ table, Kish, Colicchio, Simmons and Lagasse shared their overall thoughts with the contestants.

They gushed about the inventive breadfruit tuile in Danny’s first-course dish and raved about the sweet story and flavor behind his dessert. They loved Dan’s simple-yet-impressive snapper dish in the second course and praised his oxtail ragu. And though they hadn’t had hummingbird cake before, they said Savannah’s sweet treat was a standout.

Her pasta dish was pretty much a bust, though. The judges also pointed out how Danny’s lobster was undercooked and his second-course smoked mussels dish was tasty, but too tricky to eat. And while Dan’s “jammy”-textured tuna was intentional, the judges said they just didn’t get it.

No one nailed their cooks, but they did present thoughtful dishes with clear storylines that reflected how far they’d come in the competition. Each deserved to be standing where they were.

But only one could be named Top Chef.

Who won “Top Chef: Wisconsin”?

And the winner was ... Danny Garcia! The New York born-and-bred chef was a consistent frontrunner from the start. Inventive, passionate, intentional and always creative, he cooked technically impressive works of art that showed off fine-dining prowess and precision.

Over the season, he won four Elimination Challenges and two Quickfire Challenges, the “Top Chef: Wisconsin” contestant with the most overall wins.

He also won the most prize money this season: $53,000 in the regular season ... and that’s before his grand prize winnings.

Add $250,000 to that total now that he’s been crowned Top Chef. (His total of $303,000 is the most money anyone has ever won on “Top Chef.”) Garcia also will be featured in Food & Wine magazine and will make a special appearance at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Colorado.   

But above all, he'll forevermore carry the title of Season 21’s Top Chef.

Congratulations to Danny! And though we here at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel sure would’ve loved to see our hometown chef, Dan, walk away with the title, we’re so proud of how he represented Milwaukee and Wisconsin this season.

But there are no hard feelings from Dan. He'll will host Top Chef champ Danny and his pastry chef wife, Sumaiya Bangee, for a guest dinner at EsterEv on August 6. The dinner is sold out, but you can join the waitlist online at exploretock.com/esterev.

And that’s a wrap from Wisconsin! Thank you to everyone who followed along with my “Top Chef: Wisconsin” recaps this season. It was so fun to share the sights and stories from our state with readers both local and across the country. And if that’s you, I hope this season has inspired you to visit and get a taste of the incredible dining scene and quirky food traditions that are part of what makes Wisconsin so wonderfully special.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: ‘Top Chef: Wisconsin’ finale recap: Who won the title of Top Chef?