New Lidia Celebrates America PBS Special Reveals the Power of Sharing Food to Bring Communities – and a Nation – Together

In her newest PBS special, internationally renowned chef, author, and restaurateur Lidia Bastianich shines a spotlight on the everyday Americans who embody the spirit of community by extending their hands – and their hearts – to neighbors in need.

Hosted by Bastianich, Lidia Celebrates America: A Nation of Neighbors – the latest installment in the three-time James Beard Award-winning and Emmy-nominated Lidia Celebrates America series – airs beginning Tuesday, November 25, 2025, @ 9:00 PM ET on PBS (check local listings).

In this hour-long program, co-produced by GBH, Five O’Clock Films, LLC, and Tavola Productions, and funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Bastianich travels to wildfire-scarred neighborhoods outside Los Angeles, a pay-how-you-can café in Denver, a Japanese-American community center in Portland, and a first-of-its-kind free grocery market in San Francisco to meet the volunteers and visionaries who are building community one neighborhood at a time.

“America’s greatest strength is its people – and their willingness to help each other, especially in difficult times,” said Bastianich. “When we sit together at the table, something remarkable happens – we see each other not as strangers, but as neighbors. Food has always united America, and in this special, I celebrate those who are keeping that tradition of generosity and connection alive.”

Bastianich’s own life experiences – growing up in a poor community in Istria, cooking for others as a refugee child, and building her career in America – deeply inform her connection to the people she meets. In A Nation of Neighbors, she witnesses how food, compassion, and service bind communities together in powerful ways.

Stories featured in Lidia Celebrates America: A Nation of Neighbors include:

No Res Gourmet (Los Angeles, CA): After the region’s devastating wildfires in January 2025, hundreds of volunteers led by chef Firas Ayyad gathered daily to cook meals for displaced families, proving that joy, music, and food can help heal a community.

Kiki Ruff (Indiana): A self-taught cook whose viral TikTok series Recession Recipes helps families struggling with food insecurity stretch their groceries with dignity and creativity.

SAME Café (Denver, CO): A restaurant that uses a unique participation model where guests exchange money, produce, or volunteer their time in exchange for a meal, creating a space of inclusion and empowerment.

Ikoi No Kai (Portland, OR): A community hub for Japanese-American elders, founded after WWII internment, that continues to offer meals, Tai chi, and connection for seniors, families, and volunteers.

District 10 Market (San Francisco, CA): The nation’s first legislatively supported free grocery market, serving thousands of residents and reimagining food distribution as a dignified shopping experience.

The special culminates in Denver with a celebratory meal at SAME Café, where Bastianich gathers volunteers and community leaders she has met along the journey to break bread together, share stories, make new connections, trade ideas, and reflect on the enduring power of neighborliness.

“We feel privileged to share these stories of resilience, generosity, and hope that all have one thing in common: coming together around the table,” said Laurie Donnelly, GBH Executive Producer of National Lifestyle Programming. “At a time when division often dominates headlines, these neighbors remind us that small acts of neighborly compassion can strengthen communities everywhere.”

Tune In: This November, join Lidia Bastianich on an unforgettable journey of generosity and connection when Lidia Celebrates America: A Nation of Neighbors airs on PBS stations (check local listings) and streams on PBS.org, YouTube, and the PBS app, available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and VIZIO.

Series Description: Lidia Celebrates America is a vibrant look at the many ways food unites people across the United States. Each special explores how meals and traditions – whether rooted in heritage, family celebrations, or community gatherings – help bridge differences and bring neighbors together. Previous programs have celebrated weddings, holiday traditions, independence, America’s heartland, and rural immigrant communities. The series has been honored with two James Beard Awards.

Production Credits: This program is a Production of GBH, Five O’Clock Films, LLC and Tavola Productions. Funding provided by the Corporation for Public.

Underwriter: Corporation for Public Broadcasting Broadcasting

Producers: GBH, Five O’Clock Films LLC, and Tavola Productions

Executive Producers: Lidia Bastianich and Laurie Donnelly

ABOUT LIDIA BASTIANICH

Lidia Bastianich is an award-winning public television host, best-selling cookbook author, successful restaurateur, celebrated chef and owner of a flourishing food and entertainment business. She has created Daytime Emmy®? Award-winning cooking programs over the last 25 years, including Lidia’s Kitchen, Lidia’s Family Table, Lidia’s Italy and Lidia’s Italy In America, as well as the three-time James Beard Award-winning series Lidia Celebrates America. Bastianich has published numerous cookbooks, co-authored with her daughter, Tanya, and is also the author of: My American Dream: A Life of Love, Family, and Food. Together with Tanya and son-in-law Corrado, she developed a line of all-natural sauces called LIDIA’S. Bastianich has earned numerous awards including seven James Beard Awards, two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Culinary Host, the Silver Award from APT for 25 years on public television, and in 2024 she received the Lifetime Achievement Honor at the 51st Annual Daytime Emmy® Awards.