How Ina Garten Came To Be Known As The Barefoot Contessa

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Whether you've made a few of Ina Garten's recipes or you just love watching her Food Network show "Barefoot Contessa," there's no doubt that she has made an impact on home chefs across the country. Garten's history is fascinating — she never set out to be a culinary maven, much less a specialty-grocery-store-owner-turned-TV host.

Garten began her professional career in Washington, D.C., where she worked for the White House Office of Management and Budget. However, she found herself unsatisfied in her career and decided to explore new opportunities. While paging through the New York Times, she read an ad saying Barefoot Contessa — a specialty grocery store a few hours away in the Hamptons — was for sale. Garten and her husband, Jeffery, drove to take a look at the store, and she knew it was exactly where she wanted to be. She made a lowball offer, and to her surprise, the owner accepted.

Garten spent nearly two decades growing the Barefoot Contessa store, and it became known around the Hamptons for its fantastic food — namely its baguettes, coconut cakes, chocolate chip cookies, and chicken salad (along with the store's incredibly forgiving return policy that allowed Garten's penchant for customer service to shine). In 1996, Garten sold the store and got started writing her first cookbook — the one that began to solidify her namesake. "The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook" was released in 1999.

Ina Garten found the process of writing a cookbook deeply fulfilling, and was surprised to find that her debut as an author was flying off of the shelves. Within a few years, Garten released two more cookbooks which also saw commercial success. Shortly thereafter, she began filming her Food Network show, "Barefoot Contessa," where she walked viewers through recipes, tips, and tricks to make them better home cooks.

During her days running the Barefoot Contessa grocery store, Garten prided herself on creating a party-like environment with lively music and friendly smiles that drew customers in. This was the same environment she worked to create on her "Barefoot Contessa" TV show, which ran from 2002 to 2021. Her current cooking and entertaining show, "Be My Guest," centers around her well-known, impressive dinner parties and guest stars her famous friends. Big names like Julianna Marguiles, Stanley Tucci, Jennifer Garner, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus have kicked back and relaxed at Garten's East Hampton home. She continues to create the warm, friendly, fun atmosphere as she teachers viewers how to wow guests and become fabulous hosts themselves.