Dallas McGarity & Secrets of Bluegrass Chefs

The 2026 Louisville Home + Garden Show rings in the new year with a special taping of Secrets of Bluegrass Chefs, featuring Chef Dallas McGarity. McGarity is the chef and owner of The Fat Lamb Modern Kitchen & Bar. He was named a semi-finalist for the James Beard Award’s “Best Chef Southeast” in 2024 and won Food Network’s Chopped in 2019.

The South Carolina native’s passion for food started with his mom and mamaw, who taught him his family’s heirloom recipes. McGarity attended culinary school at Johnson & Wales University in Charleston, S.C., moved to Louisville, Ky., in 2004, and opened The Fat Lamb in 2016. The small, open-kitchen restaurant allows McGarity to engage with guests and talk about his approach to updated classics, crafted with season ingredients and global inspiration.

Secrets of Bluegrass Chefs is a TV series that takes you out to eat and behind the scenes at Kentucky’s favorite restaurants. Host Kevin Harned will join McGarity live at the Louisville Home + Garden Show on Saturday, January 10 at 2 p.m. for a special live taping.

Chef McGarity sat down with us to share his thoughts on kitchen design, culinary tools and what he’s most looking forward to at the Louisville Home + Garden Show.

What’s the most underrated kitchen appliance/gadget? Probably a great food processor. There are a ton of things that you can make if you have the right one. 

What tips do you have to become a better cook at home? The main tip is to season your food before and during cooking. Don't be afraid to salt your dishes and experiment with spices. 

Best kitchen purchase for under $100? Decent side towels. 

What’s your favorite knife, if you had to only pick one? I love my Miyabi chef knife. It holds its blade well, and it has a great weight to it. 

What is your current favorite thing to make at home? I make a lot of one-pot dishes like curries. I also love to grill. Most of my family is vegetarian, so it's a lot of fun to grill a bunch of veggies and make nachos or tacos with them. 

What is one food you will never cook at home? Probably would be beef wellington. It's a pain in the butt and most of my family is vegetarian. 


Which celebrity chef would you most like to work with and why? I would like to do a dinner with Emeril. He is a super nice guy, and obviously, he can cook. 

What’s one tip for outdoor grilling, to improve any grill master’s game? Don't be afraid to get a little char on things. That's the flavor. Also, don't flip the food much. Let things cook and develop that crust on the outside. Don't burn it, though! 


What’s your next home project? Getting my backyard and garage cleaned up a bit. It seems like a perpetual thing, hahaha. 


Are you a plant fanatic, or is your green thumb lacking? I kill every plant that I try to grow.


What is your favorite type of music to listen to when you’re working? I like to work quietly in the restaurant. I tend to listen to podcasts or something if I am doing mindless prep, but when I am cooking on the line, no music. At home, I like bluegrass. 


What do you enjoy about being at a home show? I like seeing all the new tech that is being introduced. I enjoy having a techy house with gadgets and seeing the new stuff is so much fun each year.

Do you have any kitchen design advice? Give yourself room to cook. In my home, we have a large island that is where most of the prep happens, and it's also a gathering place for everyone when they come over. It's the central part of the house where everyone wants to be. 


What’s the best part of showing up to work at the test kitchen? You never know what you might come up with. Sometimes even mistakes can become something amazing. 

Follow Chef McGarity and Secrets of Bluegrass Chefs on Instagram.

Catch the live taping of Secrets of Bluegrass Chefs with Chef Dallas McGarity on Saturday, January 10 at 2 p.m. on the Main Stage. Purchase your tickets today at LouisvilleHomeShow.com.