Season 21 of “Top Chef” was the venerated food competition’s first without longtime host Padma Lakshmi. Nevertheless, the show adapted without her, and will culminate on June 19 with a finale set aboard a cruise ship in the Caribbean. Out of 16 chefs who competed in Wisconsin, judges Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons and Kristen Kish — a former winner who stepped into Lakshmi’s role — have narrowed the field to just three contenders: Dan Jacobs, Savannah Miller and Danny Garcia.
All three finalists have compelling narratives and impressive track records both on and off the show. Jacobs is a Wisconsin local who’s spoken candidly about his experience with Kennedy’s Disease, a rare muscular disorder that led him to periodically use a cane throughout filming. Miller, a North Carolinian with a background in Japanese cuisine, came in as an underdog but quickly amassed a string of wins. Garcia stood out for his delicate, elegant compositions, which fellow New Yorkers will soon have the chance to sample at a new restaurant near Madison Square Park.
The last episode of any “Top Chef” season is traditionally a chance for contenders to cook a meal that showcases their talents, without requirements or restrictions. But before they get to that point, the chefs have to face down a gauntlet that includes both notorious series staples like Restaurant Wars and more location-specific hurdles like a lakeside fish boil, complete with a kerosene bomb. Ahead of the finale, Jacobs, Miller and Garcia spoke with Variety about how they prepared, getting feedback from Tom Colicchio — and the pleasures of staying in the moment.
How did you spend the break between filming in Wisconsin and that final stretch of episodes in the Caribbean?
Dan Jacobs: I mean, I have two businesses, so I was trying to just concentrate on playing around with ideas, and using Caribbean ingredients. But then the restaurant happens, and suddenly you’re back into the daily grind of doing things. It was weird, because I couldn’t fully get back involved in the restaurants, because I knew I had to leave again in six weeks.
Savannah Miller: For me, I was lucky enough to have a lot of time to focus on studying. So honestly, it was just a lot of ordering books off Amazon about Curaçao and the Caribbean in general, and practicing some things that hopefully I get to cook in the finale. I was really trying to nail down that menu. It was just like going back to school for six weeks.
Danny Garcia: I was kind of in the same boat. I came home, and I got lucky enough to be in New York, where there’s a huge Caribbean population and community. I spent most of my time in Little Haiti and Little Havana, just going to different grocery stores and different farmers markets that import ingredients from the Caribbean, and really learning as much as I could about the different ingredients that I wasn’t already familiar with — getting my hands on as much seafood that’s specific to that region that I wasn’t really familiar with. I really gave myself a crash course on Caribbean food, and specifically the cuisine in Curaçao. Using as much time in our kitchen to be able to practice on food, really dialing in dishes and dialing in that final menu.
While all of this is going on, I assume you’re also not really allowed to say to people around you, “By the way, I was just on ‘Top Chef’ and I’m going back to ‘Top Chef.’” How was that handled?
Jacobs: I told people I was on “Naked and Afraid.”
Did they buy it?
Jacobs: No!
Miller: I was not in the restaurants every day, so it was pretty easy to hide. But I had told people months earlier that I was going “up north.” I just kept it really vague — to go work with a mentor. So they thought that I was, like, in Vermont somewhere. It was pretty easy.
Garcia: People thought all sorts of things. I think people thought I went to jail for a little bit. It was funny. Most of the team was just thinking that I was incredibly psychotic, just prepping or creating dishes for the new restaurant that we were opening. They were like, “Wow, you’re really taking this seriously! You have a lot of time before then, but you’re really diving into these specific dishes.” But no one really knew what was going on. It was kind of funny to be able to bounce around them and have been thinking one thing while doing the other thing.
What’s it like to cook on a cruise ship? Because that seems to be a very specific kitchen experience.
Garcia: You’re used to being in kitchens that are our own, and then we got used to being in the “Top Chef” kitchen. Being in a kitchen that moves is quite challenging. Using a scale in a kitchen that’s rocking back and forth is pretty impossible. The little things that you take advantage of, just being in a regular kitchen — it’s pretty daunting.
Jacobs: Everything’s induction, even though we broke the rules right away and started fires. So that was something you had really had to get used to. The constant movement of the ship — the whole ship was moving from side to side. And like Danny said, you tried to scale something and it went from 70 grams to 180 grams and 240 grams to four grams. It was like one last “Top Chef” twist.
Along with fourth place finisher Laura Ozylimaz, the three of you got to have dinner prepared by Chef Masaharu Morimoto. What did you take away from that dinner in terms of inspiration or advice?
Miller: I feel like that was a once in a lifetime experience. One of the great things about “Top Chef” is that you get to come across these people. I still can’t believe that he cooked for us. He said something along the lines of, “Only this one time.” Meaning, if I serve you the same meal, even tomorrow, it won’t be the same as right now. For me, I was like, “OK, I’m gonna take this day and this moment and make it the best that I possibly can.” Because it won’t be happening again, just like it is right now.
Jacobs: I as well took a lot of inspiration from that, from what he said. I had to pivot quite a bit on my final meal, just out of necessity. And it was one of those things where it was like, “All right, this is who I am right now, in this place in time.” It was really funny too, because [production]] wanted us to talk about stuff. And I was like, “No! I want to enjoy this meal with Morimoto cooking! This is the only time Morimoto’s gonna cook for me and three of my friends.”
That’ll never happen again, probably. It was one of the coolest experiences I think I’ve ever had in my life.
Garcia: It was an incredible experience to have that moment with him, and to have him take the time and give us his insight on the way he sees food, understand the way he sees life: to live in that moment and then not take those moments for granted, but rather really be in those moments and embrace them.
The alumni pool of the show at this point is obviously quite large. Had any of you talked to other people who’ve gone through this process? What did they tell you to expect out of it?
Garcia: I myself know a handful of previous cheftestants, and people who have been on the show. Everyone prepares differently, but everyone across the board said it’s a mental game. As much as it is a physical cooking competition, it’s very much a mental game.
That was very much at the forefront of what everyone was saying, to be prepared for and be able to wrap your head around long days being away from your family, not being able to speak to them. I think for us as chefs, it’s almost like the cooking is the easy part.
Jacobs: I was lucky enough to have a handful of friends who had been through this process. It was encouraging. It’s funny, because I think only people that went through this really, truly understand it, what it was like. I’d gotten advice before the show a little bit, but definitely after the show, how to navigate things. I think Tom said you’ve just got to learn to say no to some things. That’s something I’m still learning. But it’s definitely a process.
Also, the alumni support has been there 100%. This weekend in Aspen [at the Food & Wine Classic] really showed that. Bumping into people, people reaching out like, “Hey, if you ever need anything, here’s my cellphone number.” It’s a testament to our industry, too. That’s just the way chefs are. Everybody wants to pass on knowledge, and I think that’s a beautiful thing.
Miller: I didn’t really know anybody, so I don’t have a good answer for this one. [laughs]
Is there any aspect of the competition that caught you particularly off guard?
Miller: There’s always going to be some things that are surprising if you’re doing something that you haven’t done before. I’ve watched the show for a long time. For me and a lot of other people, “Top Chef” is the show for chefs. You always hope that it’s all as authentic as it seems when you’re watching it at home. And for me, it was really nice to confirm that. They put a lot of hard work into making sure that everything is extremely fair, and done right.
The judges are always eating your food at the prime time. They really take a lot of time to deliberate, and do their judging. They really care, and they want to mentor us as much as they want to run this production. For me, it was a really nice surprise to go in and realize that everything that I had hoped it was, it truly was.
Was there a particular piece of feedback you got throughout production that helped you move your craft forward?
Garcia: Tom’s advice: Everything that Tom said was really helpful and always thoughtful, but him telling us to have fun and not to take it so seriously. Not to take our food so seriously, and not to take ourselves too seriously.
Jacobs: I think you saw our best cooks were always when we were having a good time. Anytime that I feel like I cooked poorly was definitely when I was tight. Tom’s honest, like 100%. He said that the day that he can’t be honest with us is the day that he’s not going to do this anymore. You just knew when he was giving you feedback, when he was saying he liked it, you did good. If it was salty, it was salty. Tom doesn’t pull any punches.
Was there a particular challenge that, looking back, was the hardest for you?
Miller: The fish boil was difficult, I think, for obvious reasons. But also, even just going into it, I’m not the person who tends the fire on the beach. Just getting to a point where you’re realizing that like, “Oh, I’m gonna literally have to keep this thing going,” and there’s all these elements . Then I stabbed myself like an idiot. So I’m just dealing with all of that.
Jacobs: I’ll second Savannah. The fish boil, for sure. That was the most physically demanding challenge I think we had. I’m already kind of handicapped when it comes to physical stuff, and then having to run back and forth and tend your fire in the sand — you’re getting blasted with smoke the whole time. And then on top of it, I don’t really like fish boils! I really had to kind of get my attitude right. Instead of being negative about it, be like, “All right, I’m gonna try and make this different,” and be positive.
Garcia: I agree with all those points. The fish boil sucked, there’s no way around that. I would also say just Quickfires. Reactionary cooking isn’t necessarily what I do, or what I like to do. And so navigating 30 minutes and putting a whole dish together and making it taste good and be cohesive was always a challenge.
Dan, you’re obviously from Wisconsin, so maybe this question applies less to you. But I feel like the rest of the country isn’t necessarily as knowledgeable about Wisconsin food. Savannah and Danny, was there anything that you learned about Wisconsin cuisine that surprised you in a pleasant way?
Miller: It kind of reminded me of North Carolina, in a way. I have never really had positive or negative thoughts about Wisconsin. It’s just not something I’ve thought about in my life. But whenever I found out we were going, I think there were a lot of people who were like, “Wisconsin? What!” I remember doing the research and then showing up and doing these challenges.
I just felt like, this feels like home to me, in a way that some people might gloss over it. Maybe they don’t believe it to be a crazy culinary destination. But it’s just not true. As far as the agriculture and, obviously, the dairy, there’s just so much that it has to offer. We really got to see that. The Dane County Farmers Market in Madison was a huge eye-opening experience for me. I just think it’s beautiful, and has a lot to offer.
Garcia: I feel the same way. I didn’t necessarily have any feelings towards Wisconsin prior to going. It definitely wasn’t something that was on my radar. But once we got there, it was amazing. It was a beautiful place. The people were incredibly hospitable and kind and welcoming. The food was definitely more than just cheese. Cheese and beer is kind of like that surface level. But once you dive a little deeper, you’re able to see this really big bounty of delicious.
Jacobs: Guys, that’s so nice. It makes me feel real cool.
Dan, did you feel any hometown advantage? Or was there pressure to live up to the label?
Jacobs: There’s a hometown advantage. I knew cranberries were coming up. I knew there’s gonna be a sausage challenge. Dairy cheese. You kind of know what to expect just from being here. But the expectation, and the fact that I was the only Wisconsin chef that was there, really put a bit of pressure on me to make sure that I was going to excel in the competition. I wanted to do it in a way that showcased who we are as people here, and do it in a way that was fun and funny. I had a good time with it. So yeah, a little bit of both.
You know going in that, best case, you get carte blanche to cook your best in the finale. To what extent throughout the competition are you thinking about that final dinner? Are you holding anything in your back pocket, or is it more spontaneous?
Garcia: I think it’s more of what feels good in the moment, not forcing anything. Trying to fit a round peg in a square hole doesn’t feel good. I think the same is true in cooking. It’s just what feels good in that moment.
Jacobs: I felt the same way. You gotta be able to get a little spontaneous with it. I felt I cooked the best meal I could cook at that moment, in that time. For what that’s worth, the idea of cooking the best meal of your life is just insane to me. I can’t wrap my brain around that. That’s putting too much pressure on it. But just trying to be in the moment, I think, was the way to go.
Miller: Long before I ever started thinking about what I would cook, I’d started just thinking about how I could best tell the story that I was trying to convey. For me, every challenge was just, like: I want to make it to next week. So I think it took a long time for me to actually be like, “Oh, wow, I need to start figuring this out.” Because I was just so stoked every week to be like, “Oh, I get to do it again!”
This interview has been edited and condensed.
The season finale of “Top Chef” Season 21 will air on Bravo on June 19 at 9pm ET, then stream on Peacock the next day.
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