Alex Guarnaschelli's 8th Grade Throwback Is Super Relatable

Alex Guarnaschelli is a name that many people probably recognize, regardless of if they consider themselves a foodie or not. The daughter of acclaimed cookbook editor Maria Guarnaschelli, the 49-year-old decided to pursue a career in the food world herself and worked in several prominent restaurants before becoming the executive chef at New York City's Butter (via Guarnaschelli's website). She has found success on television as well, appearing on "Chopped," "Supermarket Stakeout," and "The Kitchen," and is also part of the elusive group that can proudly refer to themselves as an Iron Chef.

Needless to say, the Food Network star has certainly earned her notoriety. But before she became a household name, Guarnaschelli was just like the rest of us and had to navigate life through those awkward teenage years. Over the weekend, the chef offered her Instagram followers a peek at that time in her youth when she shared a throwback photo that was taken before she even entered high school. "8th grade. Central Park. Too much eyeliner. Not enough confidence," Guarnaschelli captioned the IG snap of her younger self that has amassed more than 32,000 likes since going live. In addition, the post has racked up hundreds of comments from friends and fans — many of whom found the shot to be super relatable.

Alex Guarnaschelli has been regularly gracing our TV screens since the debut of her Food Network program "Alex's Day Off" (via IMDb), but we're willing to bet you've never seen her like this before. The chef took to her Instagram account over the weekend to share the throwback photo (above left), which was snapped when she was in the 8th grade, and to say that her followers are loving it would be an understatement.

"That seems about the right amount of eyeliner for 8th grade!!" wrote fellow Food Network star Anne Burrell. Another fan, meanwhile, applauded the television host for her "vulnerability," which they called "one of [her] finest qualities."

More specifically, Guarnaschelli's hairstyle from her youth was a big hit with her followers, including fellow celebrity chef Dominique Crenn, who replied, "Give me that hair," and included the fire emoji. The cookbook author's makeup was popular as well, despite the "Alex Vs. America" host admitting that she might have overdone it. "No such thing as too much eyeliner," one Instagrammer joked before adding that Guarnaschelli was "Beautiful as ever." Several fans also couldn't help but notice a resemblance between the chef and another beloved Food Network star: Valerie Bertinelli (above right).