Congratulations are in order for a member of theTop Cheffamily! Top Chefseason 21 winnerDanny Garciahas welcomed his first child with wifeSamaiya Bangee, who is a pastry chef. Hemade the announcement on Instagramwith a video of the tiny bundle of joy. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Danny Garcia (@chef.dannygarcia) "Amir Jamal Bangee-Garcia May 12, 2025," reads the caption on the video, which is set to the lovely lullaby-like tune "Butterfly" byJon Batiste. Their son's middle name appears to be a nod to Garcia's mentor,Chef Jamal James Kent,who sadly passed away suddenly in 2024from a heart attack. Chef Kent was also mentor toTop Chefseason 22 contestantVinny Loseto, who became emotional during one challenge, speaking about his mentor. "[Chef Kent] made me who I am. The last few challenges, I've kind of been cooking for him, which is probably not what you'd want. Naturally, if I'm doing myself, I'm going to impress him anyways," said Loseto. Garcia expressed a similar sentiment ina post written by Chef Kent's hospitality groupwhen Kent passed away. "Jamal was a generational talent. In addition to his exceptional formal skill in the kitchen, he was a uniquely supportive member of the restaurant community and was dedicated to mentoring and sharing resources with others. "In the words of @chef.dannygarcia: 'He had planted a bunch of seeds, and he took care of them, and wanted to see them grow and flourish. I was fortunate enough to be one of those seeds.' "Last night, we celebrated Danny'sTop Chefwin just the way James would have wanted: with a big group of family, spraying Champagne. Now we'll keep watering and caring for the seeds that Jamal planted. This fall, we'll open @timeandtidenyc – the restaurant that he and Danny built together." Garcia, who worked with Loseto under Chef Kent, returned toTop Chefseason 22 this year as a guest judge. The cooking competition series airs Thursday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo.
