and brews in Livermore... Homey Greek tavern fare in Alameda... An old-school pizzeria in San Bruno.

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

Sbrocco: Just ahead on "Check, Please!

Bay Area."

Garcia: Knocked it out of the park.

Ulrey: We didn't really want to stop eating that.

Johnson: Primo.

Sbrocco: Hi, I'm Leslie Sbrocco.

Welcome to "Check, Please!

Bay Area," the show where regular Bay Area residents review and talk about their favorite restaurants.

Now, we have three guests and each one recommends one of their favorite spots and the other to go check them out to see what they think.

Joining me at the "Check, Please!"

table today are clinical psychologist Lindsay Ulrey, retiree and avid bowler Paula Johnson, and senior account manager Kevin Garcia.

Welcome, everyone.

-Ulrey: Thank you.

Sbrocco: Up first, Lindsay's pick: from giant Jenga and cornhole to ax throwing and bocce ball, her restaurant takes family game night to a whole new level, offering casual bites and a lively atmosphere in the heart of Livermore's wine country.

It's Da Boccery.

♪♪ Kitley: You know, being here in the building at Da Boccery, it's just, it's a vibe.

It really is.

It's, you walk in and you just know you're going to have a good time.

Bryant: This place is great for lots of different types of groups.

It's great because at a normal dinner or sit down where people would go out, might have to have an icebreaker or something like that.

Whereas here it's already built in.

And you just start throwing bocce balls.

Grab a beer and things are already moving.

Man: Ready.

Bryant: Before I had worked here, I had never thrown an ax, Never thought of throwing an ax.

In the ax cage, there's always going to be a coach that will stand with you to make sure, one, that everything is safe, but then, two, that you're actually getting the stick.

You know, take a step forward, take a step back, straighten out, loosen up.

It's really satisfying when you get the ax to twirl a few times and then stick in the wood.

Man: That's money.

Bryant: I like to describe our menu as an elevated American cuisine.

We have beef sliders, but they're made with Wagyu beef.

We have our boozy chili cheese nachos.

So there's beer in the cheese, and then we make the chili in house.

So, we are in the middle of wine country.

We try to feature local wineries, and our beer rotation is a rotating tap.

Kitley: Each of our spaces have that table or that lounge style area, so, easy for starters and snacks.

And there are still guests who get full entrees and it still works.

Bryant: So it's fun to see people really be themselves and really have fun.

Get to hear a lot of belly laughs.

Get to hear a lot of people screaming at the top of their lungs because they're so happy.

Kitley: I think that's what people like, they like that variety and that option to kind of -- almost like that choose your own adventure.

Bryant: It's a fun environment to be in, for sure.

It's really rewarding every day.

Man: That's the score to beat!

Sbrocco: Okay, Lindsay, this is really a fantastic place for families, right?

Ulrey: Oh, yes, because there's just something for everyone there.

We had so many delicious dishes and we're like, this is amazing.

Sbrocco: What are some of the favorites?

Ulrey: So we always get the Have a Cow burger, which is a juicy patty with these slow caramelized onions that are sweet and savory.

And then if you don't like red meat, you could do the beyond burger with all the same fixin's.

And I feel like there's something for everyone.

Sbrocco: So, Kevin, what was Da Boccery like for you?

Was it debaucherous?

You know I had to say it.

Ulrey: Someone had to say it.

Garcia: Just waiting for it.

The first thing we noticed upon walking in it was just so much space.

The giant Connect Four, they have the board games, the huge arcade, really fun names on the menu.

So just reading the menu itself was just -- it gets you ready to just have a great time there for the night.

So my wife had the Flank the Tank and I got to say I was a little jealous because the flavoring of the caramelized onions and the horseradish mustard was spectacular.

I had the Have a Cow burger.

The burger was also very good as well.

Loved the steak fries that they had with it.

I will say I was so hungry when I had it.

I just started eating it right away.

And when I probably got about a quarter of the way to the end, I didn't finish it, unfortunately, it was a little undercooked, so I had to stop eating it.

But, I mean, it was still flavorful.

Johnson: The burger.

I tried it.

It was beautiful, but it came almost like tartare.

Ulrey: Oh, not for you.

Johnson: I normally don't like to send food back, but this is wonderful beef.

It's Wagyu.

So I did send it back, and I said, if you could just make it medium for me.

But you know what impressed me was their French fries.

Garcia: Yes.

-Ulrey: Yes!

-Johnson: So golden in color.

And I love that they dusted it with sea salt -- primo.

Excellent.

Ulrey: So we always like to get the big pretzel.

That is just so delicious.

That's a fun one to start off with, because you're just, like, dipping it in the cheese sauce and like, a spicy mustard and all the different flavors are so fun.

Sbrocco: And is there anything else?

Ulrey: So the bulgogi tacos are incredible.

It's a Korean style marinated steak that is just so tender and juicy.

And then there's a chipotle crema that just adds this nice, creamy, cool layer; cilantro, pickled jalapenos, and it's just all of this heat, but not too hot.

And this flour tortilla.

Oh, they're just delicious.

Garcia: We tried the shrimp wonton appetizer.

Loved it.

Nice and crispy.

The Thai chili sauce I believe was the dipping sauce we had.

Great way to start off.

Loved it.

Yeah, we had that.

And I don't know if I can mention the desserts yet.

Okay, I had the creme brulee cheesecake.

The caramel sauce.

Loved it.

The powdered sugar, everything about it.

I have a major sweet tooth, and I could be a little picky when it comes to desserts, but the cheesecake there, I'd say, was definitely the highlight.

Johnson: Paula, shaking your head "yes," that was a favorite.

Johnson: We ordered all of the desserts.

This sundae was superb.

The ice cream was just so creamy.

Ulrey: That's my son's favorite.

The sundae.

Johnson: Oh, and caramel and the chocolate.

I enjoyed it!

But the crème brulée cheesecake.

-Garcia: Yeah.

-Ulrey: Yeah.

Johnson: Creamy, moist.

The berry torte was superb.

It had a mixture of berries, and my son ordered a scoop of ice cream.

Their vanilla bean ice cream was excellent.

I'm not a big strawberry person, but I did take my finger and lick that.

It was excellent.

Garcia: Didn't leave a trace.

Ulrey: No crumb left behind.

Sbrocco: So, desserts are the star here.

Johnson: Absolutely.

Sbrocco: And what did you get to drink?

Ulrey: Yeah!

So there's a cocktail called the Hippie juice that is not only beautiful, but it also is this perfect combination of, it's not too sweet, has a little bit of, like, a lavender aromatic, and, oh, it's so refreshing.

Johnson: We had some sparkling wine.

Unfortunately, it was a little flat.

But their beer selection on tap was superb.

I like a wheat beer, so I had a hefeweizen, and the wheat -- creamy, beautiful head.

Garcia: Awesome.

You know, the funny thing is, too, is when my wife and I were driving there, as we're going down the road, I immediately thought, wait, this seems really familiar where we're at here.

And once we got to the corner, I realized we got married right across the street from where Da Boccery was at there.

So kind of nice to revisit that area there.

Great, great location, too.

Sbrocco: If you would like to try Da Boccery, it's located on East Vineyard Avenue in Livermore.

The average tab per person without drinks is around $20, and advance reservations are recommended for activities.

Kevin's nostalgic pick claims to be one of the oldest continuously family owned pizzerias in America.

He's been going there since he was a kid, and even though he lives way across the Bay, every time he's on the peninsula, he makes a special pit stop in San Bruno at Toto's Pizzeria & Restaurant.

♪♪ Spadarella: The name Toto's comes from my grandfather, whose nickname was Toto.

My grandfather opened up his first restaurant in 1926 in Coney Island, New York, and 1945, my grandmother and grandfather decided to take a vacation to San Francisco and decided to stay here because it reminded him of Naples, all the hills, and there was very few, if any, pizzerias in San Francisco.

We were the first pizzeria to start delivering in the early '50s.

And back in the '60s, I got to make pizzas when I was about six or seven years old.

It was fun.

♪♪ There is not really a secret to our pizza dough recipe, except for the fact that our flour is made special formula for us and hasn't changed since the days my grandfather was making it.

In the early '70s, my dad and I had an idea to open a faster paced service.

And that's our San Bruno location where we're at today.

And we've been here for almost 50 years.

♪♪ it's wonderful to have families in here who are second and third generation -- we've seen them grow.

We've seen kids come in here now with their children and their families.

Pretty special.

We really hope that people take away the experience of family owned and operated business and the family atmosphere with authentic Neapolitan food.

Woman: This is the best pizza ever.

Sbrocco: All right, Kevin, you've been going since you were a kid -- this place has a really rich history.

-Garcia: It does.

Yeah.

It actually -- my parents used to go there when they were kids, when they were growing up in the '60s and '50s, back at the old Mission Street location in San Francisco.

It's pretty much everybody in my family has a special place in their heart for Toto's Pizza.

Sbrocco: And is there a pie that holds a special place or is it a range of pies?

Garcia: It's a range.

But I got to say, every time I go, I always just get their simple mozzarella cheese pizza and add salami sausage to it.

Very simple.

Basic.

The ingredients are just very high quality.

The flavor of the sauce and the texture of the crusts, it's -- knocks out every single time I go.

I'd say one item that seems to be underrated is the ravioli.

If you really want to carb it up besides the pizza, ravioli, you can't go wrong with that.

It's nice thick ravioli that I like.

The sauce is plenty flavorful.

If you're not a meat eater, they also have the cheese ravioli.

They also have their house salad as well, too.

You get the pepperoncinis with it, you know, the olives in it.

Sbrocco: Some pro tips there.

Pepperoncinis and olives.

Garcia: Pepperoncinis and olives.

Yes.

That's right.

Johnson: I ordered a Caesar salad; the croutons tasted like they had just been baked and cook that morning.

The dressing was so creamy, and the lettuce was just so fresh and crunchy.

And I ordered the pizza with the mozzarella and I did add salami -- sausage.

-Garcia: All right.

-Johnson: I was impressed.

I didn't realize they did everything right in front of you.

Garcia: You see the guys right there as you walk in.

Johnson: When he sliced the mozzarella, and I'm going, Oh, my gosh!

Look how creamy and fresh!

Garcia: It's like they're dealin' cards.

Ulrey: I know!

With the mushrooms... Johnson: It was excellent.

And my goddaughter, she goes, "Oh, my gosh."

And we did order another one to go.

Garcia: Oh, yeah!

That's the way to do it!

Ulrey: Yes!

Yes!

Sbrocco: What was your experience?

Ulrey: Oh, so much fun.

We did the meatball sliders.

-Garcia: Oh, yeah.

-Ulrey: Oh, my goodness.

These meatballs were super delicious.

The only thing that we both agreed on was that there wasn't enough sauce on the meatballs.

But don't worry.

We did order the lasagna.

Gosh, this lasagna was like, I'm in some, like, grandmother's kitchen and it's in Italy.

And just, you could, like, taste the love, and there was lots of sauce.

So we did, we took the sauce from the lasagna, put it on the meatball sliders, and we're like -- -Garcia: Get creative with it.

-Ulrey: That's right.

No shortage of cheese on those too.

Okay.

There was so much cheese and it was so flavorful.

We didn't really want to stop eating that lasagna.

Sbrocco: Are there any other pies that you order?

Garcia: You know, yes, I will say the Toto's number two, which is sausage and salami with mushrooms.

Johnson: I read that.

Garcia: Definitely.

And my wife had the Toto's olive pizza -- number five, which is their combination.

It has the peppers, olives, onions on it.

Classic combination pizza.

Ulrey: So we did pesto, fresh garlic, fresh tomatoes and basil.

We kind of did our own thing.

And we got a small, but we had so many leftovers.

We're like, we only can have two slices each of the small pizza.

Sbrocco: And did you have room for dessert?

Ulrey: So we tried the cannoli, and it was absolutely delicious.

And it was crunchy on the outside and kind of creamy on the inside.

But I only could have one bite because we had had so many goodies before.

Sbrocco: And what about desserts on this one, Paula?

Johnson: Do you know, we didn't do dessert.

Sbrocco: What?

Johnson: Well, the only reason we didn't, our Caesar salad was so large, I couldn't do dessert.

I'm sorry, but I enjoyed what I had, the Caesar and the pie we had, it was great.

Sbrocco: So it sounds like you'd go back.

Johnson: Yes.

Ulrey: So we sat outside, and it was actually helpful for me in my wheelchair because we could -- the parking was super easy, and then we just rolled up and there was that outdoor seating that has little lights and I just rolled right up, and it was just lovely.

Garcia: Definitely.

And funny thing is, before living in Oakland, I live in Daly City, and I made a point to keep my dentist in Daly City because it gives me a good reason to go back and make a stop at Toto's when I cross the bridge, and I make sure to stop at Toto's to get a pie to bring back home with me to Oakland.

Sbrocco: All right.

If you would like to try Toto's Pizzeria & Restaurant, it's located on El Camino Real in San Bruno.

And the average tab per person without drinks is around $20.

From L.A. to Vegas, Paula's life on the road as a competitive bowler has exposed her to a huge variety of dining experiences.

But of all those restaurants, the one that consistently hits a strike is a cozy Greek spot that has become her tried and true go to.

Located in the heart of Alameda, it's The Park Street Tavern.

♪♪ ♪♪ Chris: My name is Chris Frangoulis.

Alex: And I'm his brother, Alex Frangoulis.

Chris: And together we own The Park Street Tavern in Alameda.

Growing up in a traditional Greek home, Alex and I grew up taking care of people, and food was like a third language.

You knew that if you're coming over, you weren't going to leave hungry from one of our parties.

Our father came in '63 and his first job here was in Alameda, working at a local diner before he opened up his restaurant in '75.

The menu here at The Park Street Tavern is definitely a mix of Greek and Italian food, and it kind of has that North Beach old school continental cuisine feel to it.

Alex: We take pride in doing everything from scratch.

It is comfort food, it fills you up and makes you feel good.

It's a family place.

So when people come in, it's very easy to become part of the family and the bar is very welcoming.

We do have a very extensive wine list from all over the world, and we have a full bar back here.

So always happy to make any cocktail that you'd want.

It's a healthy experience to dine out and bond with other people.

Get out, laugh, enjoy yourself, have good food, good drinks.

It feeds the soul.

Chris: Yeah, the bar's the modern campfire.

All: Yiamas!

Sbrocco: All right, Paula, before we talk about food, you know I'm going to have to ask you about competitive bowling.

Johnson: I love bowling because of the camaraderie and the people that you meet from all over the country.

I bowl in senior tournaments, and we have fun.

And we love shooting kamikazes.

[ Laughter ] -Garcia: Can I join your league?

-Johnson: You may, you may.

Sbrocco: Not a senior!

All right.

Now that we've gotten bowling out of the way, we've got to talk food.

Johnson: I like to call it my house.

-Sbrocco: Oh, really?

-Johnson: When I walk into that restaurant, I'm kind of known as the mayor of the restaurant.

Yeah.

The ambience, the welcome -- it's family owned, and they treat you as if you were family.

And the food -- oh, my gosh.

My starter is the pancetta prawns, which are very beautiful prawns, and it's wrapped in prosciutto.

But they make this wonderful Greek butter sauce that it sits on.

That's my starter.

Garcia: The food from start to finish was just fantastic.

Even just the bread and butter, I would have been content sitting there just having bread and butter all night.

But, you know, I was there to have more than that.

So we had the calamari to start.

Delicious.

Yeah, perfectly fried.

They have the nice additives of the sliced onions included with that as well, too.

And I had the beef short rib.

-Johnson: Yes.

Garcia: Which was incredibly tender, very flavorful.

The garlic mashed potatoes and the spinach on the side, everything just was perfectly placed with it and tasted complementary with the short rib, was great.

Ulrey: So I loved how it was Greek and Italian.

So you don't have to pick.

You can have both, which are two of my favorite cuisines.

So we actually started with the Greek mezze.

And I was like, we could have just had that and just been like, all right, this place is amazing, we'll be back -- but the warm pita and you dip it in the tzatziki, and then there's the Greek cheese with the caper sauce and the arugula.

And then they have the prawns with the pancetta.

The waiter came over and he's like, "Wow, you guys really went for it," 'cause, like, we're, like, scooping up, like, with the pita, like, all the sauce.

And that was such a bright star on that meal.

Johnson:So, of course, I'm a wine drinker, but I've gotten so used to drinking Greek brandy called Metaxa and they make the best sidecar Metaxa.

That is absolutely superb.

Ulrey: Okay, so another starter we had was grilled octopus under -- the mashed potatoes?

With a salsa verde.

That added this brightness, but the octopus had this char flavor.

So there was this play on ocean meets land.

It was just -- oh, my gosh, it was so delicious.

I loved that dish.

Garcia: My wife had the scampi, which was buttery, garlicky.

Across the board, everything was just out of the park.

What really impressed about the scampi was the portion sizes that you get with the shrimp with it.

Right?

Some places can really kind of skimp on the proteins.

The Park Street Tavern didn't do that.

Johnson: And the pasta is made fresh.

Garcia: You can tell.

I also had the wedge salad, the blue cheese dressing, the bacon, hard boiled eggs.

Tomatoes were on the side.

Just the presentation itself was just textbook.

And like I said earlier, the bread and butter, I could have by itself -- the wedge salad as well, too.

You can throw that in there with it.

Sbrocco: Any room for dessert?

Garcia: There was room for dessert.

Unfortunately, I didn't have enough room to eat it at the restaurant.

So I had to get the cheesecake to go.

Just delicious.

Sbrocco: Yeah.

Do you get dessert, Paula?

Johnson: I do.

They have a Greek yogurt.

And they have these wonderful black cherries.

There's something with those black cherries over that Greek yogurt that just tops it off beautifully.

Sbrocco: All right, so you obviously would go back.

Ulrey: Oh, yeah.

Oh, yeah.

Garcia: Absolutely go back.

Definitely.

Ulrey: I'm going to vote for you for mayor of The Park Street Tavern.

Okay?

Like, "Go, Paula."

Garcia: Next time I go, I'm mentioning Paula's name.

And I will be going back, so I'll make sure to mention your name.

Sbrocco: If you would like to try The Park Street Tavern, it's located on, you guessed it, Park Street in Alameda.

And the average tab per person without drinks is around $50.

Woman: Oh, that's delish.

Sbrocco: And now reporter Cecilia Phillips gets a front row seat as local chefs face off to see who can claim the best fried chicken sandwich.

It's all part of the fun at Super Market Sundays in Newark.

♪♪ Man: Welcome to Newark, California.

Man: As a kid growing up in the South Bay, we would always attend the San Jose flea market on Sundays.

So my grandparents would take me.

It was a fun atmosphere, a lot of shopping, a lot of food -- so, here in Newark, we wanted to bring back the fabric of family and community while supporting small business.

-Woman: Hot Cheetos balls.

-Garrido-Watson: And having a vibe and energy where people can come and be comfortable.

Phillips: So today you have a special theme that you're doing?

Tarleton: We do, we have our fried chicken sandwich cookoff.

♪♪ Phillips: What does the perfect fried chicken sandwich have to have?

-Woman: The best sauce.

It has to have the correct sauce.

Vasquez: Crispy, crunchy, succulent.

Woman: And if there's some spice in there, that's going to be the winner.

Man: The way that this sandwich is like popping out, it's like a volcano of fried chicken emerging from its dormant slumber.

Phillips: So whose are you going to try?

Man: Everyone.

Phillips: What did you get me?

Man: So we have a chicken Sando combo today.

It is a chicken sandwich on top of a half order of waffle fries.

And then, since you wanted the spiciest one, we got the Mega Death, which has a lot of Carolina reaper and ghost pepper.

Phillips: Oh, my gosh.

Look at how red it is.

Here we go.

Oh, no.

Oh, no, no, no.

What is it called?

Man: This is called the Asian Cajun right here.

This has slaw, pickles, my bomb sauce, like a homemade honey sweet sauce.

And I also gave it a side of garlic ranch and a side of bomb sauce as well.

So you can pick and choose what you want to do, you know.

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

Ooh!

Woman: All right, so we have, like, a freshly made potato bun that was made today; we have our house Mezclá aioli.

We have a green papaya and green apple slaw with a tamarind vinaigrette.

That's it.

That's all it needs.

Something different, something special.

Phillips: Ooh.

My eyes are watering!

Man: That's real good.

Man: Bay Area, make some noise one more time, show your love for our contestants' chicken!

[ Cheering and applause ] Everybody, come on up to the judges' table.

Man: I'm ready for the cut, ready for the cut!

Whoo!

Let's go!

Man: So, can we have the results, please?

In first place, Mezclá!

Congratulations!

[ Cheering and applause ] Man: Mezclá -- every day we come to make your palate happy.

That's all day.

Let's go!

Mezclá all day.

[ Cheering and applause ] Phillips: Okay.

Whoa.

Sbrocco: I have to thank my fabulous guests on this week's show: Lindsay Ulrey, who swears by the burgers at Da Boccery in Livermore; Kevin Garcia, whose simple pleasure is a crusty cheesy pie from Toto's Pizzeria in San Bruno; and Paula Johnson, a lover of the garlicky shrimp scampi at The Park Street Tavern in Alameda.

Join us next time when three more guests will recommend their favorite spots right here on "Check, Please!

Bay Area."

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

Cheers, everyone.

-All: Cheers!

♪♪ This is Mama's Papas.

I specialize in Latin Hawaiian fusion.

Right here we have our Hot Cheetos mac and cheese ball.

Woman: Salud!

Phillips: Salud!

Woman: So my business is Kimoy Chamoy.

What we currently sell is Mexican/Korean chamoy.

Phillips: Watermelon, mmm!

So what is this?

Man: It's a freeze dried Skittle.

Same thing the military does with the MREs.

No longer gummy, no more.

Now, it's a crunchy.

Phillips: Wow!