[ Vocalizing ] Sbrocco: It's been 20 years of food, fun, and fierce opinions.

-I had a horrible experience.

-Sbrocco: Wow.

So, were you slurping when you went there?

We slurped.

Sbrocco: Join us for a tasty trip down memory lane just ahead on "Check, Please!

Bay Area's" 20th anniversary special.

Shout out to Leslie!

Happy anniversary!

Zoom in on 1 in five, four, three, two.

And cue Leslie, please.

Hi, I'm Leslie Sbrocco.

Welcome to "Check, Please!

Bay Area."

"Check, Please!

Bay Area" is such a revolutionary television show.

It was one of the first public opportunities for people to voice their opinion on restaurants.

We have three guests, and each one recommends one of their favorite spots.

And then the other two -- the other two -- the other two go check them out to see what they think.

-Cheers!

-Cheers!

"Check, Please!"

and Leslie are San Francisco icons.

Meyer: Well, I've never had the pleasure of meeting Leslie.

I've always wanted to meet her because as soon as you say, "Check, Please!"

everyone goes, "Oh, Leslie."

[ Laughs ] Leslie, I feel like I know you because I've seen you every week for so long.

A lot of kids used to watch cartoons, right?

I did have my share of cartoons, but at the same time, I was hooked on KQED.

"Check, Please!"

was a staple in my family household.

I mean, we've been watching it with my family for 20 years.

Really good.

We've been avid viewers since...I cannot say.

[ Laughs ] -Forever.

-Forever.

Hi, I'm Leslie Sbrocco.

Well, I probably watched "Check, Please!

Bay Area" I don't want to say this, but in, like, middle school, high school.

No, no, no, no, no.

Yes.

I've probably seen the first, like, five seasons.

As a child, it was special because I was able to learn about a lot of great restaurants.

When I mentioned to friends, family, people around our community that we're going to be on this show, they instantly lit up and were like, "Oh, my, I love that show."

I came to this country, I used to listen to "Check Please!"

every week.

Before social media, even the height of like social media, it was, like, the only way to get honest reviews about restaurants that you didn't know about.

Sbrocco: Take your time.

Take your time.

Take your time slurping.

So were you slurping when you went there?

We slurped.

Sbrocco: Okay, okay.

I love "Check, Please!

Bay Area" because it just feels so real.

Mmm!

Folks find out about places from "Check, Please."

It's like being a celebrity.

"Check, Please!"

started in Chicago.

And David Manilow, the creator of the series, was talking to various cities around the country to see if any of them would like to pick it up.

So, we started Leslie in her chair.

And in fact, San Francisco was the first city to start creating their own version.

They were launching "Check, Please!

", had apparently gone through a lot of auditions with a lot of people, and I think it was a last-minute call.

[ Laughs ] I just remember thinking, what?

How lucky am I to be sitting here doing this?

I was privileged to be on the very first episode of "Check, Please!

Bay Area."

Why do you like this spot so much?

Yee: I took a chance and picked a restaurant that I thought would be out of the box.

Hard Knox Cafe.

The owners of the restaurant just had a great story to tell.

I was really nervous about whether you would feel comfortable there.

Did you feel comfortable?

I'm going back, for sure.

I just wanted to linger there.

The very first show that aired, we all got together and went to the restaurant.

We were sitting there.

It's on TV right in front of us, and suddenly the phone starts ringing.

It blew our minds.

The response was so fast.

You look at people who are behind stoves and serving and all the different roles, and you know that in some ways this might be their one time to shine on the air.

Namaste.

Salter: When you go out, meet Mom and Pop, preparing food for diners, it just warms your heart to be able to tell those stories to everyone.

Thank you.

Enjoy.

It takes an entire amazing team to create this show.

Let me just get that out there.

I may be the face on the camera, but it takes a terrific team to put together this show.

Hi, I'm Leslie Sbrocco.

Recording in progress.

I'm being candid during the interview process.

Yung: Yeah.

[ Laughs ] The casting process starts with people filling out the application.

And then I'll give these people a call to see what their vibe is like.

Hey.

Yung: Some things I look for is just someone that's a really good talker -- I like that.

Yung: ...and super passionate about the restaurant.

Like a big, thick waffle like this.

One of the things that makes the Bay area so special, and what makes Bay Area diners so special, is we're willing to try anything.

I don't want to go to the restaurants that are in the big magazines and all that kind of -- I want to go where the regular people go.

A hole in the wall where they are throwing down some food.

Right.

Man: It's got just a bunch of shrimp like you should share with someone, but I never share with anyone.

If you have a place that hasn't been on the show before, there is no criteria except that you love it and that you want other people to love it.

All aboard the French toast train.

Okay, like Oprah says, I want to eat bread every day.

As the series producer, my job is to make that final lineup happen.

Coming up with then the most dynamic mix of guests around the table.

Sbrocco: Oh, Scott's got a face, man.

Look at his face.

I feel like I ordered the wrong beef dish.

You should come with me.

Come with me next time.

You're paired with people that you might not normally interact with.

And I think that's what's really special.

We never know how it's going to go until they all come in and are seated right there on studio taping day.

Here we go.

-I'm nervous, nervous, nervous.

-Don't be nervous.

My role is really about making the guests comfortable.

I love blinchiki.

99% of those people have never been on television before, so my job is to keep them in the moment.

And is this is something you would make at home?

Yes, all the time.

What's your address?

[ Laughter ] We're here in the control room, just, like, listening, watching.

And our fingers are crossed, and we're really hoping, you know, it's going to go great.

So, what is the pizza that has changed your life?

It's called the alotta burrata.

Sbrocco: It just it's so much fun when it works.

And the whole studio melts away for those guests.

-Hey, hey.

-Sbrocco: Yeah.

And we have an absolute blast.

Welcome, everyone.

Are they really drinking wine?

The answer is yes.

I just remember seeing these cases of wine coming through the studio and I'm like, okay, this is how we get down at "Check, Please!"

Okay, I'm with it.

Just one more little turn.

I'm too comfortable.

[ Laughter ] We also started with the bean stew.

And can I just say from the first bite I was transported to another world.

It was amazing.

I love when you see one person turn another person onto an experience that was in the back yard and they didn't even know about it.

I mean, that's wonderful.

I want to thank you for actually turning us on to it.

We would never have driven past it, that's for sure.

I treasured it.

Thank you so much.

I really am so glad.

♪♪ That sounds a little racy.

I will never kick fried anything, especially tofu, out of bed.

It sounds like something that we shouldn't be talking about.

I know.

You have to, have to, have to eat the A.S.S.

cookies.

Well, we've had some "Check, Please!"

after dark moments.

I wanted to pour that on the back of my head and let it dribble down.

You know, it is food porn that we're showing.

Oh, my God, I lost my virginity with onion soup.

I never had it before.

My favorite part was the drama, when people disagreed.

Obviously.

Who doesn't like drama?

It reminds me of oatmeal with a touch of wet dog.

[ Record scratches ] -No.

-No.

Totally sucked.

I'm sorry.

[ Gasps ] No!

Yes, "Check, Please!"

people.

Initially, one of the hardest parts of the job was to not give my opinion.

It is my favorite clam chowder.

I mean, you can just taste the freshness.

The glop I got was -- I mean, I swear, it was worse than anything I've ever gotten out of any can.

I have to stay neutral.

I'm Switzerland, right?

I thought it was kind of a little foo-foo for me.

Almost 20 years ago, I believe, I was in the second season.

TV host and producer Liam Mayclem.

It was fanboying a little bit being on the set at KQED with Leslie.

There was no salt and pepper on the table, and this soup was so bland.

-Let me tell you -- -Let me finish.

Does this guy ever taste his food before it comes out?

Of course he does.

And I was fired up because I was ready.

I was ready to defend my pick.

You're having dinner at a restaurant with one of the best chefs in the world.

Then he better taste his stuff.

I'm still fired up about that word "bland."

Can't let it go.

It's been almost 20 years.

So, now, Mark, I know that you celebrate your birthday.

It's 29 again, isn't it?

My name's Mark Jawgiel, and I was a guest on the very first season.

High notes, low notes.

We had a little problem with the bartender.

Seemed like a little -- I don't know, they weren't that busy, but it was, like, a little weird.

Jawgiel: Brian didn't really like my restaurant.

I felt like saying, "Wait till I get to your restaurant."

I had a horrible experience.

The hostess barked at me when I made -- -[ Barks ] First of all, I made a reservation.

When he barked at me, I kind of just went like, "Oh."

[ Laughs ] You know, he really did bark.

That soundbite of me saying I had a horrible experience was used on the introduction of "Check, Please!

Bay Area" for five years.

I had a horrible experience.

And so, you know, I would go to the farmer's market and people would say, "Oh, I had a horrible experience" guy.

That's you.

I'm Leslie Sbrocco, and I'll see you then.

Phillips: Once we find a really amazing person who's going to be the cheerleader for the restaurant, we ask the restaurant, "Hey, do you want to do this?"

We have some seasonal sauce, Turkish coffee cream on top.

It's actually one of the most rewarding moments of my job when I get to give them that call and tell them, "Hey, you've been nominated as one of the best restaurants in the Bay Area."

Their excitement just makes me so happy.

Oyzilmaz: You know, as a chef, my dream has always been to have a restaurant, so I will be waiting for the episodes to come out.

And it was just incredible when I heard you guys were coming.

It was just a dream come true.

Once I found out, I was so ecstatic because we've been around for so long.

And finally when it happened, I was like, oh, my God, the gods are listening.

To give a little insight on how the show comes together, the restaurants are aware because we have to set it up with them in advance, that people will be coming to review them.

They do not know when they're coming.

Of course, I want to know right now who nominated us to be on this show.

I can't wait to watch it and find out, like, okay, who was it?

Who do we owe or who do we kill?

[ Laughter ] Just to be clear, our cameras are not at the restaurant while those diners are there.

Yes, exactly.

After we do the studio tapings, that is when we then go out to the restaurants and film all of that in mouthwatering detail.

And that is when the chefs really share their tips and techniques and give you that sense of what this place is really going to be like.

Being on "Check, Please!"

over a decade ago was pretty intense because this is like a true critique by people that come in and eat at your restaurant and they talk about it and you're just like, I hope they say something good.

Did you enjoy the pizza?

-Sort of.

-Oh, sort of.

I kind of felt like she was going to go like, oh, no, it's not going to be good.

And I'm like, who's this lady?

And all of a sudden, she segued into it being pretty awesome.

And it was wonderful.

An enormous menu.

And it really takes much more than one visit to do it justice.

It was a complete success.

It made our business super busier.

When you guys do reruns, you don't call us and say, "Hey, we're going to do a rerun."

So, the next day you're super slammed.

We never want to go to a restaurant more than once.

We want to spread the love.

But we do sometimes end up featuring the same chef because they have gone on to do another concept and they're nominated again years later.

This is our gambas al ajillo.

This is our original sauce.

Chef Nelson German has been on twice.

I'm Chef Nelson German.

Wow, that's a throwback.

How young I look.

[ Chuckles ] Sbrocco: And what else did you have?

We got the empanadas.

The chicken empanadas.

They were good.

That's the one that kind of haunts me, but I became better.

ever since this.

Woman: The only complaint would be that we wanted there to be more chicken inside.

I think someone made the joke about empa-"nada" inside.

Oh, no.

Every time I hear "Check, Please!"

or somebody asks me, oh, you've been on "Check, Please!

", in my head, in the back of my head, I'm always thinking about what she said.

Empa-"nada."

Like, you know, I was like, damn.

Said it in Spanish too, so it hurt more.

Empa-"nada."

But if she comes back, I'm known for empanadas now and they're always full of meat.

But, uh, that's one thing that makes the show really real.

You know, it's not just, like, all positive all the time.

You want it to be, but there's always things that you'll hear which will make you better.

Man: We were about a year old when we were on the show, It cooked up to a perfect 147 degrees.

Thankfully, the guests on the show really loved the experience.

The bang for your buck is fantastic.

Yeah, it's nice, it's new.

It's dope.

We had, God, hundreds of tables that came in.

Oh, my God.

Man: If you're lucky enough to get on "Check, Please!

Bay Area" just get ready because people are going to come.

Fans are going to come.

You're going to sell out.

Your reservations are going to start popping.

Sbrocco: Welcome to "Check, Please!

Bay Area."

This time we have a very special show with three San Francisco celebrities.

[ All cheering ] Where?

[ Laughter ] We did our first what I would call celebrity show with Chef Ryan Scott, Sister Roma, one of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence based in San Francisco, and Bebe Sweetbriar.

We've had this loaf of bread for, we're guessing 10 to 12 years.

Every guest has handled the bread.

Every guest says this looks so real.

Here's when it went off the rails.

Uh-oh.

It was when Ryan picked up the cheese -- -Which was real.

-...and ate the cheese and said, the cheese is real.

And then I said, but the bread is fake.

And the bread is here.

The bread is here.

The star of the show.

Sbrocco: It sort of broke our mold because we really focused on the personality as well, and what they brought to the Bay Area.

Raise a glass to the four of us with the stars of San Francisco's "Hamilton."

Give me a little Moaning Myrtle voice.

Oh [Giggles] this is going to be fun.

This time we're kicking it with three amazing members of the Bay FC, the first National Women's Soccer League team in the Bay area.

♪♪ Over the years, we know that families really watch the show, and so we really wanted to reach out to those viewers as well.

This week there's a very special twist as we invite kids to take a seat at the "Check, Please!"

table.

Drum roll, please.

-It was awesome.

-Bam-bam-bam-bam-bam-bam-bam.

When we announced that we were going to do our first kids show, we had hundreds of kids show up to audition for us.

My mom was the one who introduced me to "Check, Please!

Bay Area."

When she heard there was going to be a kids show, she totally was like, whoa, you should try out for it.

Oh, my God.

The casting process was like "The Hunger Games."

All the kids were very competitive, and the parents were even more competitive.

You'd sit with a bunch of kids and they'd give you questions.

They wanted to see how you interacted with each other.

Sbrocco: Going through the auditions, you could see the level of knowledge of these kids and savviness.

They would call kids out and you'd always be like, oh, my God, is my name going to be next?

Sbrocco: 14-year-old Hannah is a fearless fencer who lunges and parries with glee.

Wissotzky: This was so major.

I remember just telling all my friends in school and being like, I'm going to be on a TV show.

It was so funny because their legs were so short they couldn't even reach the floor.

So, we put apple boxes under their feet.

I was super nervous because, I mean, I had never been on TV before.

I was a little bit scared that they wouldn't like the restaurant because we were kids, and it was kind of a fancier restaurant.

Is there a particular dish that you love when you go in there?

There's a lot of appetizers to choose from.

My favorite is the mushroom toast.

Girl: Yeah, I actually had the mushroom toast.

It did look a little unappetizing, but once you got it, it just melted in your mouth.

And I wish I had more of that.

It was really, really good.

I think that viewers thought they were going to recommend things like Chuck E cheese and, you know, all sorts of kid-friendly places and talk only about hamburgers and mac and cheese.

No, no, no, no, no.

I always get the caviar service.

I had the scallop carpaccio.

I got the oyster supreme.

Unbelievably great.

I'm gonna tell you a little secret.

I like it when you have the kids on.

Let's get them young.

One of the biggest changes to our format happened for one season.

We didn't have a studio.

It was under construction at the time.

The pandemic was happening.

We had to socially distance.

So, the solution we came up with was Zoom.

Leslie was out at a restaurant called Mersea on Treasure Island with a beautiful backdrop of San Francisco.

The guests were all at home.

You gotta try this!

"Check, Please!

You Gotta Try This" was a little different than "Check, Please!"

because we got to choose our favorite food item from a restaurant and share it with the panel.

I have to say, Gypsy is shaking her head, so I think that means you're giving it a thumbs up.

Gypsy, is that a -- If had more thumbs, I would put those up too.

[ Laughter ] A lot of these places had only takeout, so you couldn't actually eat in the restaurant, experience the ambience and everything.

Oh, my gosh, it was so good.

Even if it didn't have filling, I would still eat just the pastry because I love it so much.

I was also surprised kind of when I bit into it.

I usually go for the normal pot sticker, so it was good to try like a soup dumpling like this, because I've never had anything like it before.

Me and my parents went back like a month after the show aired, and the restaurant was packed and the owner was like, "Oh, my gosh, like, thank you for highlighting our cuisine.

You know, our culture."

It's just really, really endearing to see that happen.

You know, people's dreams come true.

You know, 99% of restaurants don't make it and you add a pandemic on top of it, I think you saved a lot of restaurants, more than you realize.

Harder to create that feeling of around the table.

But amazingly, the guests and Leslie were still able to really form a bond.

We got to meet each other, three strangers that now we have a love of food and a love for each other.

-Definitely.

Fernandez: That is so right.

Can you see the energy still flowing between us?

Yeah, yeah, this is a great experience.

I'm Leslie Sbrocco, and I'll see you next time on "Check, Please!

You've Gotta Try This."

Cheers, everyone.

"Check, Please!"

has always been this amazing show where people can find fantastic food in different neighborhoods around them in the Bay area.

But with "Cecilia Tries It," we really dived into the idea of finding places that people could go and eat outside.

We're really discovering the different kind of maybe niche communities in the Bay Area.

Phillips: We're meeting a lot of amazing women, a lot of people of color who want to share their culture, their cuisine, their history, their family recipes with the world.

But they're just starting out.

-A little messy.

-[ Laughs ] ♪♪ You got me a chicken satay!

To own a food truck business, it takes grit.

It takes determination.

And when you're introducing Singaporean food, which can be pretty foreign in this area, you got to think about how you're going to capture somebody's heart or somebody's tummy with your food.

So what goes into the peanut sauce?

-Can you tell us?

-Uh.

Not really.

It's a secret recipe.

-Never!

-It's mainly peanuts.

[ Laughs ] "Cecilia Tries It."

She's all about laughing and trying food.

And it was so fun.

-Yeah!

-Ooh.

♪♪ What you get with "Cecilia Tries It" is a buzz... -Lift them up and walk.

Phillips: ...it is people.

And it is energy going out and finding these amazing festivals where people are all gathered to try amazing food and be in community.

Mmm, these smells so good!

Cheers.

Phillips: We know we're going to meet some amazing owners of some really cool businesses and they're usually really excited, but some people get really excited for their first time on camera.

Welcome, y'all!

I'm so glad to have y'all, man.

You know we're going crazy right here at Crazy Block Cheesecakes, y'all.

I was hella excited when y'all told me that I'm going to be on "Check, Please!"

I'm like, what?

One of the most interesting people and I've met a lot, probably would be Ben Block.

There's organic eggs, craziest chickens in the world.

When I was on "Cecilia Tries It," I was so ecstatic.

It was literally days of built up energy from like crazy butterflies in my stomach.

When you talk about a business owner who has named their restaurant appropriately... We got 120 flavors, y'all, we going crazy.

There is no other word but crazy and he loves it.

Ben: Every single customer counts, and every single person who views you and your story counts.

-This is my second latke.

-Oh, it's your second latke!

Changing from a mobile business to a brick and mortar from there to here.

Wow.

It's looking back like, dang, we came a long way.

Phillips: All right, so we're gonna go feed some chickens.

Yeah.

Candice loves when I interact with animals.

Let me tell you, I am from a city.

I am not from the country.

And Candice has had me interact with every animal that you can imagine.

Oh!

[ Laughs ] Suited.

Ready to go.

-Just about.

-All right.

Now we're ready to go.

[ Laughs ] I was so proud of you for conquering your fear of bees.

-Oh.

-That one.

Phillips: I totally forgot about that.

That was terrifying.

Aah!

Okay.

Whoa!

For the past four years, we've been to 20 cities and filmed with over 200 business owners.

I love being able to go and show the audience the behind the scenes of their favorite foods.

What was one of your favorite moments?

I mean -- you getting into that bucket.

Phillips: Oh my God, no.

That's when I learned I was claustrophobic.

In real time, yeah.

That was a moment where I was like, "Wow, I could really push this girl to her limits."

Like, I can't believe how far Cecilia will go for the bit.

Here we go.

That's the spiciest thing I've ever eaten in my life.

Ooh!

Ah!

Ah... Now that we've been doing this for 20 years, "Check, Please!"

has inspired this community of folks who love the show.

And my favorite event of the year is what we call "Taste and Sip."

We've had more than a thousand people take over the Design Center in San Francisco.

They want to taste the food, meet the chef.

Meet the owner, taste the wine.

I think I took 300 selfies with people last year and I loved every minute of it.

For Leslie still be hosting this show 20 years on is remarkable.

It's our last local show around food and all things culinary.

I think the legacy you guys have left of how many lives you've touched, how many restaurants you have helped and kind of pushed forward in a world of so many options.

It's such a wonderful thing that "Check, Please!"

has done.

Happy anniversary, "Check, Please!"

Alhamdulillah, "Check, Please!"

You have made it to 20 years.

You guys are awesome.

Salud!

L'Chaim!

Kampai!

Cheers, y'all.

20 years more?

Maybe 40 years more?

I hope it goes on 'til like 50, 60, 80 years.

Salud!

Happy anniversary, "Check, Please!"

-"Check, Please!"

-[ Laughter ] I'm Leslie Sbrocco... [ Laughter ] and this is "Check, Please!

Bay Area."

We love "Check, Please!"

Now I'm hungry.

I'm just totally hungry.

-I've got bread.

-[ Laughter ] Happy 20th anniversary, "Check, Please!

Bay Area."

Happy anniversary, "Check, Please!"

Happy 20th anniversary.

Happy 20th anniversary, "Check, Please!"

"Check, Please!

", joyeux anniversaire And I cannot wait for you to have 20 more years.

Or 50 years more of "Check, Please!"

Congrats.

Come on, give it up.

"Check, Please!

Bay Area."