'Be My Guest with Ina Garten' will bring visitors into her home for cooking and cocktails

By Kelly McCarthy

Ina Garten is opening her East Hampton home for a new series that will welcome special guests for conversation, cooking and cocktails.

Her new multiplatform series, "Be My Guest with Ina Garten," will debut March 26 on Discovery+ and Food Network and will include a companion podcast.

The Discovery+ version will be an hourlong extended cut, while a more food-centric half-hour episode will air on Food Network.

In each episode, the Barefoot Contessa will invite friends old and new to her house for the day as well as including visits to some of her favorite local spots.

In the premiere episode, Garten and award-winning actress Julianna Margulies "become fast friends discussing their untraditional childhoods and careers over Ina’s Real Margaritas and Juliana’s Halibut with Herb Butter, followed by a scenic car ride to the beach," according to a press release about the series.

"In upcoming episodes, Ina joins James Beard Award-nominated Chef Erin French for a day of inspiring stories and family recipes; turns the tables on beloved broadcaster Willie Geist; and cooks and laughs with her longtime friends, Hollywood director/producer power couple Rob Marshall and John DeLuca – plus Ina’s husband Jeffrey makes a few visits," the press release continued. "In advance of the premiere, Be My Guest with Ina Garten has already been picked up for two more cycles scheduled to start production later this year."

NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images, FILE

In this Oct. 10, 2018, file photo, Ina Garten is shown in New York.

Chef Erin French from Lost Kitchen restaurant in Freedom, Maine, and "The Lost Kitchen" on Magnolia Network will also be a guest on an episode this season.

Courtney White, president of Food Network and Streaming Food Content, Discovery Inc, said that "one of the most frequent inquiries I receive is, ‘Can you help me get an invitation to Ina’s for lunch?'"

"Be My Guest is just that, an invitation from Ina to our audience to join her and some of her favorite people as they share personal stories over cocktails and cooking favorite recipes," White said in a statement. "The multi-platform format allows for extended content, because no one is ready to leave Ina’s garden after just a thirty-minute visit."

Garten said in a statement the new show was "a dream come true" and said "this is going to be really fun!"