Who Won Top Chef Season 21? (SPOILERS)

Chef Danny Garcia won Top Chef in Season 21 — and $250,000.

He explained his plans for his prize money to Variety.

"My wife and I are looking to buy our first home," he said. "This is something I consistently said on the season, and that we’re still looking at doing: setting ourselves up for our future and finding our first home and establishing this next part of our journey."

The actual timing of his winning episode, however, was bittersweet: Jamal "James" Kent, the managing partner of Saga Hospitality Group — where Chef Danny currently works and in whose upcoming restaurant, Time and Tide, he will be the executive chef — passed away unexpectedly over the weekend, Grub Street reported.

"With the passing of Jamal, we are taking a brief pause to collect ourselves and grieve properly, and just be here for each other," he told Variety. "But we are going to continue his legacy. We’re going to continue building what we were building. We’re going to take Saga Hospitality to all the places that he wanted to take it, and beyond.

Manny Barella won the Elimination Challenge based on his green pozole with chicken and charred salsa verde. He has immunity from elimination in Episode 2.

The runners-up were Michelle Wallace and Danny Garcia.

There was no Quickfire Challenge in Episode 1.

Chef David Murphy was eliminated in the first episode.

He ended up in the bottom three of the Elimination Challenge based on his mushroom-stuffed gnocchi with speck and chicken liver gravy, mascarpone, and Calabrian chili. He then lost the final challenge based on his poached shrimp with sungold tomatoes, coconut cilantro broth, and green curry sauce.

The two other chefs in the bottom were Kenny Nguyen and Amanda Turner.

Chef Laura Ozyilmaz’s hop-infused rice pudding with berries stole the Quickfire challenge win and made her $5,000 dollars richer. 

The runner-ups were Michelle Wallace and Kévin D’Andrea.

The judge’s least favorite dishes from the challenge belonged to Kenny Nguyen, Danny Garcia, and Valentine Howell Jr.

Chef Rasika Venkatesa’s pretzel barley cake and pretzel granita with honey mustard sabayon blew the judges away, winning her the Elimination Challenge. She received a $10,000 prize and immunity in Episode 3.

The runners-up were Manny Barella and Kenny Nguyen.

Chef Valentine Howell Jr. was asked to pack his knives and go in Episode Two.

He ended up in the bottom three of the Elimination Challenge based on his beer and corn soup with pickled fresno peppers and toasted corn kernels. The judges noted that his soup’s consistency was closer to a sauce than a soup, which resulted in his elimination.  

Valentine went on to battle it out against the surprise 16th Cheftestant, Chef Soo Aan, in Last Chance Kitchen Episode 1.

RELATED: Who Won Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen Last Night?

The two other chefs in the bottom were Charly Pierre and Kévin D’Andrea. 

Chef Rasika Venkatesa's tart cherry cippolini onions, charred pepper relish and berbere spice won her this week's Quickfire Challenge, adding an additional $5,000 dollars to her bank account. 

The runner-ups were Savannah Miller and Kévin D’Andrea.

The judge's least favorite dishes from the challenge belonged to Charly Pierre, Kenny Nguyen, and Alisha Elenz. 

Chef Michelle Wallace won the episode with her Pleasant Ridge Reserve saag paneer with collard greens and curry potato fritter. This win grants her immunity in Episode 4.  

The runner-ups were Kaleena Bliss and Dan Jacobs.

Chef Kenny Nguyen was eliminated in the third episode. He was in the bottom three based on his gorgonzola crab Rangoon salad with Luxardo cherry relish and rice paper. The judges noted that his dish was too watery and didn't highlight the cheese enough.

The two other chefs in the bottom three were Kévin D’Andrea and Manny Barella. 

Chefs  Danny Garcia and Chef Rasika Venkatesa both won the Elimination Challenge this week.

Chef Danny's winning dish was a scallop mousse, zucchini, and green chartreuse. Chef Rasika's winning dish was a daal quenelle, pickled beets, carrot puree, and rasam.

They won $10,000 dollars to split, but the judges decided that Rasika’s dish was their favorite, earning her immunity in Episode 5. 

There was no Quickfire Challenge in Episode 4.

Chefs Alisha Elenz and Kaleena Bliss — who competed as a team in a challenge based on the duality of architect Frank Lloyd Wright — were both eliminated this week. 

This decision was based on Alisha’s aguachile with shrimp, cucumber, and lime, and Kaleena’s goat cheese cheesecake, sesame tuile, candied mushrooms, and spruce syrup. 

Chef Charly Pierre's fingerling potato with honey and tomato chèvre with roasted pepper creole sauce won him the Quickfire Challenge and made him $7,500 dollars richer. 

The runner-up was Laura Ozyilmaz.

The judges' least favorite dishes came from Michelle Wallace, Amanda Turner, and Kévin D’Andrea. 

Chef Dan Jacob's raw vegetables in "soil", steak tartare with chicken liver mousse, pickled shallots, and fried seed toast was the judges' favorite, earning him immunity in Episode 6. 

Michelle Wallace and Savannah Miller were the runner-ups.

Chef Charly Pierre packed his knives in the Supper Club Menu challenge based on his epis-rubbed fried trout, coconut epis sauce, and preserved lemon pikliz.

Tom critiqued his fish for being "really overcooked."

Chef Michelle Wallace's corn cake with mascarpone cheese, basil cream, and lemon zest satisfied the judges' taste for sweetness and left her $7,500 richer. 

The runner-ups were Chefs Kaleena Bliss and Amanda Turner.

The judges' least favorite dishes came from Chefs Manny Barella, Danny Garcia, and Dan Jacobs.

Chef Danny Garcia's chou farci with yuzu kosho foam stole the show, winning him this week's Elimination Challenge as well as immunity in Episode 7. 

Chefs Soo Aan, Dan Jacobs, and Savannah Miller were the runner-ups.

Chef Rasika Venkatesa was asked to pack her knives based on her crab and eggplant with mushroom conserva, dukkah, and garlic tahini. The judges critiqued the dish for lacking flavor.

The cheftestants had been tasked with creating a dish that exemplified Chaos Cuisine. 

Chef Michelle Wallace was also in the bottom.

Chef Danny Garcia's two dishes — grilled prawns with satsuma, habanero sauce, and flambé mezcal as well as his charred grilled branzino with charred poblano purée and avocado — earned him the Quickfire challenge win as well as $20,000 dollars. 

Kévin D’Andrea and Amanda Turner were the runner-ups. 

Chef Michelle Wallace's Polish sausage étouffée with creamy grits reigned supreme in the Battle of The Sausage, earning her the top spot this week. Despite winning this week's Elimination Challenge, Michelle will not be granted immunity for Episode 8 because immunity is officially off the table for the rest of the season. 

Kaleena Bliss and Amanda Turner were the runner-ups.

Chef Kévin D’Andrea was asked to pack his knives over his Italian sausage risotto with roasted parmesan emulsion and fennel.  The judges praised Kévin for having one of the better risotto dishes in 20 seasons of Top Chef, but felt there was just too much cheese.

Chefs Dan Jacobs and Savannah Miller were also in the bottom.

Chef Dan Jacobs' dishes led him to the win. They were: smoked walleye, labneh, potato cake, harissa; and maple crémeux, blueberry, pistachio, and caramel.

There was no Quick Fire Challenge in Episode 8.

Chef Kaleena Bliss was again told to pack her knives based on her melon and Dungeness crab agua chile, pickled bamboo, and furikake tostada dish. The judges noted that her tortilla was too greasy. 

Manny Barella was also in the bottom.

Chef Danny Garcia's cranberry-poached sea bass with cranberry panade won him the Quickfire and added $10,000 dollars to his bank account. 

Chef Savannah Miller's squash and maple jelly cake with Aronia berries, grapes, and plum jelly led her to the win. The Judges loved her dish's simplicity and how she allowed the food to tell a story. 

Chefs Amanda Turner and Laura Ozyilmaz were both asked to pack their knives in the May 15 episode. The judges came to their decision based on Amanda's elk tataki tartare, confit mushrooms, Pipián rojo, and duck fat tortilla as well as Laura's duck tamal wrapped in mustard greens with huckleberry sauce and haroset.

Michelle Wallace was also in the bottom.

Chef Savannah Miller's crispy corned beef and beet salad, crème fraîche, and pickled celery won the Quickfire and earned her $10,000 dollars.

Soo Aan was the runner-up. 

Chef Danny Garcia's sofrito boil, salsa verde, carrot slaw, French bean, and bonito salad won him the challenge and an advantage in the next Elimination challenge. 

Dan Jacobs and Michelle Wallace were the runner-ups. 

The cheftestants were tasked with creating a fish boil, a dish brought to America by Scandinavian immigrants in the late 1800s as an economical way to feed large groups of workers.

Chef Soo Aan's was eliminated after his dish — a pineapple curry fish boil, with fish sauce buerre blanc, twice-cooked potatoes, and crispy corn miso slaw — was critiqued for being too mushy. 

 Manny Barella and Savannah Miller were also in the bottom.

Chef Savannah Miller's lobster stir fry with red Fresno chilis, bok choy, and garlic with fish sauce and soy sauce won her the Quickfire and made her $10,000 dollars richer.

Dan Jacobs and Michelle Wallace were the runner-ups.

Returning from her win in Last Chance Kitchen, Chef Laura Ozylimaz blew the judges away and won her the challenge with her dessert: rose, sour cherry, pistachio, and honey sauces with clotted cream, sour cherry, and honey maraș.

Dan Jacobs and Danny Garcia were the runner-ups. 

Chef Michelle Wallace went home based on her dish of cured salmon, salmon mousse, beet biscuit, and pickled beets with capers as well as eggs with caviar, fig, and bacon jam, and her seasoned potato chips. She was critiqued for her beet biscuit being undercooked and the chips not being thick enough.

Manny Barella was also in the bottom.

This week's Quickfire challenge gave the cheftestants two opportunities to win. 

Chef Manny Barella won the blind taste test earning him $5,000 dollars. Chef Savannah Miller's fried dish — pork chop, faux Caesar with cheddar, and horseradish-kalamata olive sauce — was praised by the judges and earned her an additional $10,000. 

Chefs Dan Jacobs and Manny Barella's dishes were the judges' least favorite. 

Chef Savannah Miller's potato pavé, burnt onion, and cherry jam, chicken sauce reduction won her this week's Elimination challenge. 

Laura Ozylimaz was the runner up.

Chef Manny Barella was eliminated based on his snapper a la Veracruzana with creamy potatoes, and saltines, which was critiqued for being undercooked.

Danny Garcia and Dan Jacobs were also in the bottom.

This week's Quickfire challenged the cheftestants to make a dish using lionfish and gouda. 

Chef Dan Jacobs' lionfish tartare, orange and Fresno aguachile, and gouda frico won him his first Quickfire. 

Chef Danny Garcia's took home the win with his sea bream mousse, fines herbes salad, scotch bonnet, and green garlic spheres as well as his smoked rainbow trout, plantain pumpkin purée, and hazelnut lemon relish edged out his completion. 

He won an additional $10,000 and a 10-day cruise.

Dan Jacobs was the runner-up.

Chef Laura Ozylimaz was asked to pack her knives and go based on her two dishes: black bass recado negro, squash, and fried plantain; and grouper with guajillo pepper glaze, guajillo-xo emulsion, and pineapple broth. 

The judges noted that the banana leaves in her black bass dish weren't cleaned properly, leaving a bitter flavor.

Chef Danny Garcia's response to the challenge — for cheftestants to make the best 4-course meal of their lives — won him both the episode and the show. (There was no Quickfire Challenge on this episode.)

He made: scallop and habanero leche de tigre with breadfruit and nori tuile; smoked mussels with plantains and cabbage, smoked mussel mayo, and fines herbes purée; spiny lobster with salsa macha, squash, persimmon, and Chaaza sauce; and "Piragua con leche," a melon sorbet with avocado yogurt, candied seaweed, and condensed milk stamp.