Ina Garten Shares Her Disastrous First Date With Husband of 54 Years

Ina Garten and her husband, Jeffrey Garten, are living proof that a disastrous first date can result in something beautiful. The couple has been happily married for 54 years – since 1968 – and are what many call ‘relationship goals.’ With that said, things didn’t start off as well as you’d think for the pair.

At the time, Ina was in high school and Jeffrey was at Dartmouth College. The two met through a mutual friend and Jeffrey eventually asked her out. Thinking he would want to go to a bar, Ina suggested going to a local bar called Hilltop – despite never going there before. Her hasty decision ended up backfiring. 

“We walk in, and there are two big guys at the door … I didn’t understand what they were saying and finally Jeffrey said, ‘They want your ID,’ and I said to him, ‘What’s that?’ I had no idea that I needed a fake ID to get into a bar when I was 16,” said Ina during Wednesday’s episode of The Drew Barrymore Show.

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Ina felt mortified after leaving the bar. “Why he ever wanted to see me again, I have no idea,” she said. Luckily, Jeffrey had a sweet reaction to the blunder. “Many years later I said to him, ‘What did you think, like, why did you want to take me out again? He said, ‘I thought you needed taking care of,’” she added.

That was 54 years ago and the two continue to grow closer and closer to one another as each year passes by. In honor of her husband’s birthday last year, Ina wrote, “I’ve loved you for more than 50 years and I’m just getting started,” in an Instagram post. They’re one of the cutest couples we’ve ever seen.

In a 2018 interview with TODAY, Garten detailed the moment their relationship solidified. It happened while the two were on a road trip to Europe three years after they married. The couple stayed in a tent for four months – “If we can survive in a tent for four months, we can survive anything,” said Ina Garten. 

Ina even wrote an entire cookbook dedicated to dishes she makes for her husband. Cooking for Jeffrey was released in 2016 and gives readers an insight into the types of food they enjoy in the Garten household. For example, it has recipes for filet mignon, kale salad, pork tenderloin, and plum chutney.

Ina Garten Shares Other Hilarious, Cute Stories With Drew Barrymore

It’s clear that Ina Garten and Jeffrey Garten have what many people wish for in a relationship – 54 years is a long time, but they make it look easy and fun. During her recent appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, Ina shared several more stories about her husband – and life, in general – that is worth hearing. 

One of which features a text that Jeffrey meant to send to Ina – a spicy text that said ‘you’re going to taste delicious tonight.’ The only problem is he sent it to her publicist, who luckily was a good friend of hers and relayed the message. It’s a story that had Ina, Drew, and the entire audience laughing hysterically. 

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She also talked about receiving her pilot’s certificate while Jeffrey was serving a four-year military tour during the Vietnam War. Looking for something to do, she went to a small airport located across the street and asked if they could teach her to fly a plane. They initially refused, but Ina didn’t take no for an answer.

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Their reasoning for not teaching her was they didn’t have anyone who would teach a woman how to fly – to which Ina Garten responded, “well then find somebody.” And it worked! She added they found someone in the next town over and she eventually learned how to fly an airplane – albeit not that well.