The One 'Food' Geoffrey Zakarian Can't Live Without

Geoffrey Zakarian has been a part of the culinary landscape for over 30 years, according to his Food Network bio. And over the course of those three decades, Zakarian has done it all. The Iron Chef owns restaurants, he serves as a judge on the hit cooking competition show "Chopped," he has his own line of cookware, and he has even partnered with Norwegian Cruise Line to create seaworthy restaurants. You would think the co-host of "The Kitchen" would be ready to slow down and enjoy his accomplishments, but Zakarian always has something going on.

The celebrity chef is just like anyone who works hard, savors his downtime, and likes to eat and enjoy life. Food Network caught up with this foodie fan favorite to find out what his guilty pleasure was. Zakarian's answer is two things: hysterically funny and so Zakarian. You would think that the former Chef de Cuisine at New York's famous Le Cirque might choose his red velvet cookies he sells through Goldbelly, but those cookies are not the food item Zakarian can't live without. His is a much more adult meal and one that requires a glass.

A wine glass that is. Zakarian told Food Network he must have his rosé wine. This may seem like a tongue-in-cheek answer, but Zakarian is a real wine connoisseur. He curated a wine collection for QVC which included the beautiful George Phillips Cellars Sparking Brut Rosé. And in 2020, Wine Insiders announced that the "Chopped" judge would be the ambassador of the wine club. In a PR Newswire announcement, Zakarian shared, "One of my earliest jobs in the hospitality industry was as a bartender and I learned you can get remarkable wine at an affordable price." And it's this philosophy that influences many of his wine choices.

Moreover, Zakarian really drinks rosé. He shared a cocktail recipe (via Vimeo) for the perfect Easter Rosé cocktail that, he says, is "neither complicated nor expensive." It utilizes fresh basil, strawberries, a simple syrup, and rosé over ice with a splash of soda water. It sounds delish, and its pink color is also perfect for spring. Zakarian is known to be a rosé lover, and, per Trisha Yearwood's "Trisha's Southern Kitchen," he likes to bring a magnum along with him to share with friends. In fact, he is such a devotee to this wine, according to the Miami Times, that he hosts an annual "rosé soiree" during the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. Sounds like the party to crash!