Ina Garten's Be My Guest: Release Date, Guest Stars, And More - Everything We Know So Far
"Be My Guest with Ina Garten" is not only a new cooking show starring the Barefoot Contessa. According to the Food Network, it will be a "multi-platform series," meaning that the show will air a half-hour episode on Food Network each week, followed by an hour-long episode on the discovery+ streaming service and a podcast to cover anything that wasn't featured onscreen.
News of "Be My Guest with Ina Garten" first emerged in October, when Variety reported that a new show from the cookbook author was in the works. "I'm so looking forward to filming new shows," Garten enthused, revealing that she'd be "welcoming really fun, interesting people" into her famous East Hampton, New York, barn. Whom will she host, and what will they cook? And when will viewers be able to watch them? Since the initial announcement about the series' launch, more information has come to light addressing these very questions.
What's the release date for Be My Guest?
People's most pressing question is likely when they will be able to watch "Be My Guest with Ina Garten." Food Network revealed that the new series will air on Saturday, March 26. The 30-minute episodes will run on the network at noon Eastern Standard Time. Viewers can stream the extended version of each episode the same day on discovery+. Similarly, the first episode of the podcast will debut on March 26 on all platforms.
Judging from Food Network's announcement, the series will span four episodes — but it won't end there. Executives at Discovery Inc. have already agreed to run a further two seasons of the show "to start production later this year." As for why they decided to supplement Garten's typical 30-minute episode format with extended shows and a podcast, president of Food Network and streaming food content at Discovery Courtney White said, "No one is ready to leave Ina's garden after just a 30-minute visit!"
What will happen in Be My Guest?
As the Barefoot Contessa hinted last fall, "Be My Guest with Ina Garten" will see new and old friends pay a visit to the celebrity chef's home. Based on the press release, it wasn't a hard ask to get these guests to participate in the series. Food Network president Courtney White said that "without question, one of the most frequent inquiries" she hears is, "Can you help me get an invitation to Ina's for lunch?" When these guests arrive, they'll "have something delicious to eat," Garten states in the trailer clip for the podcast, adding that another important element of the show is conversation.
During each episode, Garten and her "inspiring" special guest will make two different recipes — one by the Barefoot Contessa and another of the guest's creation — and chat about food and life. The activities of the show will extend beyond Garten's kitchen, however. Garten and crew will pick herbs in her garden, explore her East Hampton neighborhood and favorite bakery, drive to the beach, and even go dancing — all ways for fans of the celebrity chef to vicariously enjoy being her guest.
Who will appear on Be My Guest?
And who will Garten's lucky guests be? Food Network says that first up is Julianna Margulies, the actor most noted for playing Carol Hathaway on "ER." In the premiere episode, the duo will make margaritas and halibut with herb butter. They were "mutual fans" before the show but become "new friends" during their convertible ride along the coast.
After that, restaurant chef turned Magnolia Network cooking show star Erin French will visit for banana crunch muffins and meatloaf. So too will Willie Geist, a journalist who has interviewed Garten before but will now be the subject of the Barefoot Contessa's questions. The final episode features cocktails and salmon burgers with Rob Marshall and John DeLuca, a director/producer pair who happen to be longtime friends of Garten's. And, of course, the network promises that there will be more than one appearance by Garten's husband, Jeffrey.