Party Line with The Hearty Boys

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Party Line with The Hearty Boys
Format	Cooking
Created by	Dan Smith & Steve McDonagh
Starring	Dan Smith & Steve McDonagh
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	32, as of November 12, 2006
Production
Running time	30 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	Food Network

Party Line with The Hearty Boys is a Food Network show hosted by real-life couple Dan Smith (b. July 16, 1962) and Steve McDonagh (b. June 14, 1964). Smith and McDonagh launched the show after winning the network's reality contest, The Next Food Network Star, which granted them a six-show Food Network series. The original series was entitled Party Line with Dan & Steve, but, after wide success, the hosts were allowed to change the title in order to reflect and give credit to their independent Chicago catering business, The Hearty Boys, Co.

For the viewer, Party Line deconstructs food that is fit for entertaining, yet retains a simple and comforting heartiness. With recipes such as three-cheese spaghetti pie and truffle brownies, the focus is largely on attractive and flavorful dishes that require a minimum of fuss and are appropriate for mid- to large-sized gatherings.

Like many of Food Network's cooking shows, Party Line with the Hearty Boys is taped on the Food Network sets without a studio audience. Also, again following in the footsteps of their fellow Food Network stars, Smith and McDonagh have authored a cookbook titled Talk With Your Mouth Full, The Hearty Boys Cookbook (Stewart, Tabori and Chang), which is slated for release in September 2007.

Dan and Steve (or Steve and Dan, as Steve prefers it) both got their start as New York actors and can both sing and dance. Steve was known professionally as Steve Dunne and continued his career in the Chicago area. In July 2005, they adopted a son who was seen in the 2006 Thanksgiving episode.