The Story Behind Ina Garten's 'Disaster' Of A First Date With Jeffrey

We can't possibly talk about Ina Garten without also talking about her husband, Jeffrey. Today we know the pair as the ultimate power couple, living a private life at their East Hampton home. You only need to see them once to get the feeling they've been together forever, and honestly, that's not too far from the truth.

According to Insider, Ina and Jeffrey have been married for 54 years, but were together an additional four years before tying the knot. In fact, the couple met when Ina was only 16, and Jeffrey was 18. Sounds like a fairytale, right?

While not even Ina and Jeffrey are immune to obstacles — the couple powered through Jeffrey's military stint and his frequent business trips to Tokyo, as well as Ina's dive into the world of TV cooking — through it all Jeffrey and Ina Garten have a successful marriage. Better yet, they can now laugh about the experiences they've shared, including what Ina describes as a "disaster" of a first date.

Ina and Jeffrey's first date 'disaster' is actually really cute

When asked about her first date with her husband Jeffrey, Ina Garten refers to the event as a "disaster." To be fair, we've all had that disastrous first date, but theirs is actually really adorable. Per Food Network, the two met in 1964 when Ina was visiting her older brother at Dartmouth. She already had a date planned with Jeffrey's roommate, but when that didn't pan out, Jeffrey started writing letters to her. She agreed to go on a date with him, and suggested a bar so he would think she was "cool."

Upon arriving at the bar, the couple was asked for IDs. Ina told People Magazine, "I had no idea that I needed a fake ID to get into a bar when I was 16." The pair instead drove to a coffee shop, and later that night, they had their first kiss. In the "Barefoot Contessa" star's mind, the date had gone so horribly and she didn't think Jeffrey would ever "want to take [her] out again." However, Jeffrey apparently found the whole thing endearing and the rest is history. Even more than 50 years later, she's still baking him cookies and Jeffrey is still making her coffee.