The Golden Girls Kitchen Tour Is Now Officially Selling Tickets
"Thank you for being a friend," goes the iconic theme song of the classic sitcom "The Golden Girls." The beloved series only ran from 1985 to 1992 but has remained popular for nearly forty years (per IMDb). So popular in fact that it's the 8th most streamed of acquired sitcoms (i.e. not Hulu/Netflix/etc originals) in January 2022 (via The Wrap).
The show centered on the lives of four older women, boy-crazy Southern belle Blanche, dry-wit Dorothy, ditzy Rose, and Dorothy's uncensored octogenarian mother Sophia, sharing their home and their lives in Miami, Florida. The show's enduring popularity has been linked to its treatment of women's issues, its unintended feminism, its refreshing and honest approach to aging, its focus on chosen family, and its inclusive treatment of queer guest characters (per the SF Chronicle). And it's just plain funny.
And now fans can get a chance to interact with the show in an immersive pop-up Golden Girls dining experience that's traveling the country this fall.
Take a trip to 1980s Miami
If you always dreamed of cooking up a meal with Blanche, Dorothy, Sophia, and Rose, now is your moment. The Golden Girls Kitchen promises to make visitors feel like they're right in the show (per LA Confidential Magazine). The pop-up is now on a national tour. After opening in Beverly Hills this summer, it's set to see New York, San Francisco, and Miami, before hitting Chicago next spring. Tickets are on sale now for all venues through event coordinator Bucket Listers. The New York location opens in mid-November.
What can fans expect for their $40 ticket? The inclusive limited menu includes Sophia's famous lasagna (with meat or gluten-free vegetarian variations), a bacon, lettuce, and potato sandwich or a vegan option of the same, a "Miami style" Cuban sandwich called Lanai, and the Rose Marie combo (broccoli cheddar or vegan butternut squash soup and salad combo). The NYC location will be hosting Drag Brunch Sundays from January through March.
During the 90-minute dining window, you can enjoy time and photo-ops in the replica kitchen, engage with the layout in Blanche's boudoir, and snap some Insta-worthy set-ups like a light-up "Thank you for being a friend" sign. You can relax and sip your drink from the Rusty Anchor Bar. Oh, and don't forget the cheesecake. There are four flavors to try and find out for yourself the reason they ate so much cheesecake on "The Golden Girls."