California twist in Palo Alto... handcrafted pastas in San Francisco... and traditional Laotian delights in El Sobrante... Phillips: Big as your face.

[ Laughs ] Chicharrón.

Sbrocco: ...just ahead on "Check, Please!

Bay Area."

Dazhan: I just kept eating that butter.

Nussbaum Cohen: Yeah, by the spoonful.

It's insane.

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 elementary school teacher Abby Nussbaum Cohen, digital marketing manager Anthony Dazhan, and university administrator Sanchita Saxena.

Welcome everyone.

Nussbaum Cohen: So good to be here.

Saxena: Good to be here.

Nussbaum Cohen: Yeah, excited.

Sbrocco: First up, Sanchita's pick.

Stepping inside the modern two-story space with an enormous glass dome and eclectic decor, you'll sense the stage is set for something special.

Offering a fusion of Indian flavors and fresh California ingredients, in downtown Palo Alto, it's Ettan.

♪♪ Thapar: The name of the restaurant is Ettan.

It's a Sanskrit word, and the word means "breath."

We wanted something that had a global feeling to it, but still had its roots in India.

I don't come from the food world.

I do come from the design world to some extent.

So I think that, when I was coming up with Ettan, the most important part of the restaurant is the food, and that was a new world to me, so I made a list of chefs.

So he was -- he was one of the last chefs that I met, and he was kind of at the bottom of my list, and like, "Oh, my gosh," because I was like, he's Michelin star.

It's gonna be, like, fancy food.

It's probably not gonna be so delicious.

And then I ate his food, and I was like, "Okay, this is it."

And I knew then that he was -- he went from the bottom to the top.

Gopinathan: The cuisine is pretty rooted in something called Cal-Indian cuisine, which I came up with many years ago at Campton Place.

But when it comes to Campton Place, it was very fine dining, individually plated, clean-looking, little things.

[ Laughter ] Ettan is all about sharing fun... enjoyment.

Thapar: We really wanted to showcase, both from the food side and from the overall experience, that India has many layers to it and can be a pretty diverse country with many different, you know, personalities.

Gopinathan: Cuisine at Ettan is pretty eclectic.

But being from where I am, they say, you know, "You can -- You can take the boy out of the... Thapar: Yeah.

Gopinathan: "...boy out of the gutter, and gutter out of the boy -- it's hard to do that.

So I'm from South India, so I'll always come up with -- there will be South Indian aroma all over the place, but not necessarily South Indian cuisine.

It's very eclectic, very progressive.

[ Indistinct conversation ] The most satisfying thing is when people leave your restaurant saying that, "Wow, oh, boy, this is awesome.

Great place, great food.

We enjoyed it."

And that is a main motivator, you know?

That moves it.

Somebody had enough.

[ Laughter ] Sbrocco: Now, Sanchita, this place is stunning, isn't it?

Saxena: It is gorgeous.

They have just beautiful South Indian crafts on the wall as decor.

It is just beautiful.

I just love the feel and the vibe.

Dazhan: Yeah, the first thing I noticed was the big patio, which is nice for, like, people watching, 'cause it's, like, really close to the whole downtown area, but once I got inside, I was like -- I was just amazed by how nice it looked inside.

I mean, I just really felt like I was almost, like, in a club, or maybe I was in a different country or something, just kind of enjoying, like, the atmosphere.

Sbrocco: And Chef Sri is certainly a Michelin starred chef from Campton Place, so bringing the pedigree to the spot.

Saxena: Absolutely.

They have a great menu of shared plates.

So my favorite is really the sesame leaf, which is just a really wonderful, fun take on fun Indian street food that's so popular.

So you have a little bit of chickpea, a little bit of tamarind chutney, a little bit of the yogurt, all on a crispy sesame leaf.

And you just bite into it.

And it's so complex -- the flavors and the textures that you get, and every bite is almost -- you're experiencing something new in your mouth.

Sbrocco: And you're shaking your head, Abby.

Nussbaum Cohen: You mentioned that the sesame leaf is a shared plate?

I'm not sharing that.

I'm not sharing that dish.

It's amazing!

Saxena: Yeah, I like to keep that for myself also.

Nussbaum Cohen: Oh, my gosh, I think mine came with three, and I ate two and took one to go.

It's just so good.

The crunchy texture of that leaf is amazing.

Oh, I cannot believe how good that dish was.

It's my favorite dish of the entire night.

But I started with the monkey bread, which is just buns in a skillet, which was absolutely amazing.

I'm so much a bread-and-butter girl, so any time I can get bread on my plate, I'm gonna go for it.

Sbrocco: And those are some good-looking buns.

Nussbaum Cohen: Oh, my goodness, aren't they ever?

Nice and round, a little fluffy.

They come warm -- also with an eggplant chutney, which adds a little sweetness to it, which is great.

Sbrocco: What about you, Anthony?

What did you start with?

Dazhan: My favorite -- actually, I started with the fried chicken, which was delicious.

I mean, first thing I noticed was, like, all the fragrance of the dish.

The overwhelming fragrance of it just overtook the whole thing.

It wasn't as crispy as I had thought it was gonna be, but it all the flavor just kind of hit me in the back of the throat, which was like the perfect spice because I like heat, and so I was hoping for some heat.

You know, it'd be more kind of Indian style.

But I mean, for those people who don't like heat, like, I thought the sauce -- like the yogurt stuff -- Nussbaum Cohen: Balances it out, yeah, so good.

Sbrocco: And was it shareable?

Were you able to share that dish?

Dazhan: I shared myself.

I shared with just myself.

Just like the shot, yeah.

Sbrocco: Mine, all mine.

Nussbaum Cohen: Definitely not sharing.

Saxena: So the other go-to is the black-pepper cauliflower.

They cook it where it's crispy on the outside and just tender on the inside.

Nussbaum Cohen: Is it spicy?

Saxena: Well, you know, they use some traditional South Indian spices so the curry leaves and the mustard seed, which makes the flavors and the texture just amazing.

Nussbaum Cohen: It's not spicy?

Saxena: It's spicy, but not too spicy.

Nussbaum Cohen: 'Cause I'm a spice wimp.

So I can't do the spice.

Sbrocco: So being a spice wimp, did you find the dishes too spicy, or were they good?

Nussbaum Cohen: No, not at all.

I had a really great time.

I did the chicken biryani as my next dish, which has barely any heat spice, but it has a lot of warm, cinnamonny, nutmeggy spices that are just so good.

And it comes on a bed of rice with, like, cashews in it, which adds a really good crunch.

And I think there's some dried fruit in there, which adds a little bit of sweetness, which is really great, and the chicken itself is just fall-off-the-bone, so soft and luscious in your mouth, but no heat.

Dazhan: So was that on the main side?

Nussbaum Cohen: Yes, that's on the main side.

I'm not sharing that either.

That's just for me.

Dazhan: The shareable side is just so many choices.

I think I just only stayed on the sharable side.

Sbrocco: So what else did you get besides the fried chicken?

Dazhan: Oh, the octopus too, which was really good.

This one was surprisingly tender.

I wanted a little bit more char, but, like, the sauce on it -- it just sopped up really well with the tenderness of the octopus -- like, almost like it had been cooked for a long time.

Sbrocco: And what about the edamame?

Saxena: Oh, the edamame vada -- very different.

So, I mean, it was a traditional sort of South Indian vada, which is a deep-fried sort of lentil, you know, donut, sort of.

The vada was just perfect.

It was light, it was airy, it was crispy, and they put some edamame, you know, with the vada.

So that was really nice.

Sbrocco: And did you wash that down with some sort of cocktail?

Dazhan: Yeah, yeah, I ended up on the red turban, and it was it was bourbon based, which I'm familiar with, but it had all these other ingredients, which made it also adventurous.

Saxena: So I had the non ginto, which was a nonalcoholic mojito, which was actually really refreshing.

It had the mint and the cucumber.

Sbrocco: They had quite a few nonalcoholic options.

Saxena: Yeah, yeah, there are.

There are many.

So it was perfect with the meal.

Sbrocco: Okay, and what about price?

This more of a special occasion place?

Is this...?

Nussbaum Cohen: Yeah, I would definitely go back for a date night.

It's a little pricey for me to go It's a little pricey for me to go on, like, a Tuesday, but as a date night or when family's in town, anything like that, it's a great spot to take them, especially for Indian and California cuisine.

Dazhan: I think it's a good place for, like, friends.

If you're having friends and you want to kind of go somewhere that's not like, you know, a pub or anything like that.

Nussbaum Cohen: Especially with the shared plates.

Dazhan: Oh, yeah, oh, the shared plates is, like, the way to go, for sure.

Nussbaum Cohen: Oh, so worth it.

Sbrocco: Alright.

Well, if you would like to try Ettan, it's located on Bryant Street in Palo Alto, and the average tab per person without drinks is around $65.

After a long week teaching kindergartners, Abby is more than ready for an adult time out.

One of her favorite escapes -- a cool neighborhood spot offering elevated New American entrees and seasonal hand-cut pastas.

In San Francisco's lower Pacific Heights, it's Octavia.

♪♪ Peña: The main objective when cooking for anybody who walks through these doors at Octavia is to give them the best experience possible -- not only the best product sourced, but in its most delicious self.

It's Chef Melissa Perello's second restaurant.

Her first was Frances.

That has a lot of great following, and she was able to bring that over here to this neighborhood.

For me, it's really about defining a new version of California cuisine.

It's not only about doing it to create new flavors, but it's also doing it to, like, take away from food waste and really be smart about what we're doing and how we're using the food.

Man: Alright.

Peña: What I think is so unique about San Francisco is that there's all these micro seasons, and that's exactly why the menu has to change every single day.

The king salmon is not gonna have zucchini tonight.

It's gonna have Swiss chard that's wilted down into the beans.

There are certain days that we get things directly from farmers.

That's really what drives our menus.

For me, the greatest moments of joy is when I get to see something that Miriam from Medium Farms brought in that Tuesday, and it's on the menu that night and guests are experiencing it.

That is the best part of it.

Alright, tasting for six.

Our tasting menus are family style.

It's a great way if you're sitting with a group of friends and you really don't want to make any decisions and you just want to take a carte blanche route.

And that is the best way to experience our food.

Having the opportunity to work with chef Melissa Perello and also her trust in me has really helped me build the culture that we want.

This restaurant is intimate, small, and beautiful, and it allows us to do a lot of unique and delicious things with the food and really focus and harness what we want to do best of representing California.

Sbrocco: Now, Abby, as a kindergarten teacher, with all that you expend, you obviously need a little break.

Nussbaum Cohen: Every time, this is a great spot.

Especially after a long week with kiddos, you definitely need a neighborhood joint that you can relax but feel like an adult again after spending hours upon hours with 5-year-olds.

Sbrocco: Let's start out with what you usually get to begin your night.

Nussbaum Cohen: Oh, my goodness, I'm a bread-and-butter girl, so I always have to start with the housemade sourdough and the cultured butter.

The texture on the outside is crispy and crunchy, but then the inside is soft and warm.

The butter is luscious with really yummy, flaky sea salt on top, which just adds a yummy crunch and texture that you don't expect from a butter.

But I always get a little butter to take home with me because it's delicious!

Dazhan: I'm glad you said that.

I thought I was the only one who was like -- I just kept eating that butter and kept eating the bread.

Nussbaum Cohen: By the spoonful.

It's insane.

A couple of my other dishes that, like, came with bread, like, I kept using the house sourdough, and the salt on top of it was just perfect.

Sbrocco: And so you cannot make a meal of bread alone, can you?

Nussbaum Cohen: Well, technically, no, but -- Sbrocco: So what else do you typically get?

Nussbaum Cohen: So, this time around, we got a purslane and seaweed ranch with new potatoes, so the potatoes were kind of warm and creamy, and then there was this seaweed ranch -- buttermilk ranch on the bottom that, when you kind of -- you're like, "Potatoes and ranch?

Are you sure?"

It's amazing.

It tastes like when you're a kid and you get the carrots and celery with ranch as your side, but a little more elevated, ready for an adult meal.

I'd get that dish over and over again.

Dazhan: So I actually went a different direction.

I did the chef's tasting menu, which was -- I felt like I kind of wanted to treat myself a little bit.

The one that stood out for me definitely was the avocado tart.

Those fresh ingredients, really citrusy, and it definitely kind of cleansed out the palate.

As you progressed all the way to the main, the salad was humongous, but it was so savory, and I think, at one point, the waiter wanted to grab it off.

I was like, "No, no, just keep it there.

I'll probably keep eating it as I keep eating the other food."

I did have the pasta, which I love mushrooms.

It was a crème fraîche with, like, some mushrooms in it.

It was a little bit of saltiness to it.

Saxena: I think I had that one too.

It was the casarecce.

Dazhan: I think so, I think so.

Yeah, yeah.

Sbrocco: And they do hand-cut pastas there.

Saxena: Yeah, no, the pasta was really good.

The only objection I had is just my personal taste.

I thought it was a little overcooked.

I mean, I like it al dente.

That's just my preference.

Dazhan: I got lucky.

I got the al dente.

Saxena: I think it was just, you know, maybe that one, but it was -- yeah, the mushroom and the crème fraîche together were really great.

We also had the artichoke and bamboo shoot dish.

It was really with fresh ingredients.

They had some pickled vegetables with it, and there was a dressing kind of in between that you could dip the vegetables in, and it was based with crème fraîche, and it was really delicious.

Dazhan: Like, even the main, like, it was awesome.

It had a short rib with broccoli rabe.

And the craziest thing about it was it had potatoes in it.

But outside the potatoes, there was also, like, white peaches.

And even, like, the short rib -- inside was so tender, like fork tender.

But the outside had that crust that you like.

Like if you -- like, almost like you're grilling on the grill.

Like, it had that nice, crusty part to it.

Nussbaum Cohen: So good.

I had the agnolotti as my main.

That was filled with a pork compote of some sort.

That was so good.

It had that, like, umami kind of flavor that's, like, so savory, but not salty.

And then it also had pork rinds on the top.

It was, like, a little crackling.

Oh, talk about texture.

Sbrocco: Pork with a little pork.

Nussbaum Cohen: You can't have too much pork.

You can't have too much bread.

It all goes together.

Saxena: Well, I would say out of -- you know, everything was great, but the dessert was outstanding.

It was the dark chocolate crème brûlée with a popcorn ice cream and a caramel crunch on top.

And it was incredible -- I mean, the bitter, salty, and sweet flavors coming together.

Incredible.

I have not had anything quite like this.

Nussbaum Cohen: I also had a panna cotta, but mine was a Tahitian vanilla panna cotta.

But the panna cotta was just -- it's perfectly set.

It's creamy, but it's not gonna fall apart.

And then mine had some almond streusel over the top, which just added a delicious crunch with the creaminess of the panna cotta.

Dazhan: I got lucky.

I had both you guys' desserts.

Nussbaum Cohen: whoa!

Sbrocco: You won the lottery on that one.

Dazhan: I had the panna cotta, and I had the crème brûlée.

But that Tahitian panna cotta -- so, like, I don't know if yours was, but mine had whiskey in it, so, which, for me, was like a definite little plus to it.

Nussbaum Cohen: Yeah.

Dazhan: It was so delicious.

Sbrocco: And this is not an inexpensive spot, is it?

Nussbaum Cohen: No.

Saxena: I think, for us, it would be definitely special occasion.

It's pricey for sure.

Dazhan: Having done the tasting menu and done other tasting menus, I would say it's more value, honestly, on the tasting menu.

I mean, I got so much food, and the value for it was definitely spot on.

Nussbaum Cohen: Yeah, great for date nights, great for special occasions, great for if you have family, friends in town.

Yeah, not something I'm gonna hit up on a Tuesday after work necessarily, but a Friday night, maybe I'll think about it.

Sbrocco: After all those kids... Nussbaum Cohen: After all those kids.

Sbrocco: ...you deserve a break.

Alright, if you would like to try Octavia, it's rather fittingly located on Octavia Street in San Francisco and the average tab per person without drinks is around $100.

Anthony's choice proves that good things come in small packages.

His hidden gem offers homey, made-from-scratch Laotian dishes that are herbaceous and full of surprising textures.

Tucked away in an El Sobrante strip mall, it's Sue's Kitchen.

♪♪ Phongsa: Laos is a very small country.

All the people that grow up in Laos -- they know how to cook.

I see every day my mom cook, my grandfather cook, my grandmother cook.

We don't have to learn.

It's in the blood.

[ Laughs ] We all come from Vientiane.

Vientiane is the capital of Laos.

All the recipe is like a Vientiane style.

It's not, like, south or north.

It's all Vientiane.

When you say "Laos," nobody knows.

You have to say, "next to Thailand."

Yeah.

Now, "Oh, oh, now I know.

It's next to Thailand."

We do have Thai dishes.

We have pad Thai, pad see eew, tom yum, but Laos style is like kind of more spicier than Thai.

The flavor is very strong.

For the Laos food -- Laos style, we use a lot of herbs.

We use lemongrass, mint, all the chili paste, the sweet and sour sauce, the anchovy sauce.

Everything we make is homemade.

Kao piak is our homemade noodles, the fresh noodles.

Yeah, it's very hard.

You know, Laos, like, it's -- all the food is kind of very hard to make.

That's why nobody wants to do it.

It's like kao piak -- it's, like, fresh noodles.

You have to make it every day.

It's not perfectly cut.

It's the handmade.

You know, it's -- the cut is not perfectly, but the taste is very good.

I'm gonna make the ball like this.

Yeah.

Laos food is like a strong -- everything's flavorful, spicy, sour, salty -- everything mixed together.

It's like -- like, it's good, right?

All: [ Speaking Laotian ] Sbrocco: Alright, before we get to Sue's Kitchen, I just have to point out your shirt, okay?

I've been looking at this shirt, thinking at first it was a Hawaiian motif, and then as you look closer, you're like, "No."

Who is that right there?

Dazhan: Yeah, definitely, Bob Ross.

[ Laughter ] Sbrocco: That is your PBS shirt.

Bob Ross.

Dazhan: It is.

It's my PBS show, too, outside of "Check, Please!"

obviously.

Sbrocco: Of course, of course.

That's the right answer.

Alright, so Sue's kitchen -- when we say "tucked away," that's what we mean, right?

Dazhan: Definitely.

Definitely.

I mean, honestly, I would have never known that place was there had my coworkers not took me there.

You know, everything is fresh there.

Everything's fresh.

I mean, quick service, you know, happy waiters, and everyone's really friendly there.

And it was told to me as being, you know, a Thai restaurant, but as we started going there a little bit more, I started realizing it actually says Laotian, too.

So I ended up wanting to explore more outside of the normal Thai food dishes that I was used to, I ended up on -- well, which is now my favorite dish, the nam kao.

Good Lord, it's just delicious.

It's kind of the perfect mix of crunchy, spicy, citrusy.

And it's approachable in the sense of you kind of just eat it, like, almost like a lettuce wrap.

Saxena: You know, the nam kao, I have to say, was just out of this world.

Nussbaum Cohen: So good.

Saxena: We've never had anything like it.

And what I really loved about it was the balance of flavors.

So the sour pork was not too sour.

It wasn't too acidic.

It was just a beautiful balance of flavors, crunchy, and then you put the mint and the cilantro in the lettuce wrap, and it was something that we'll definitely come back for.

Nussbaum Cohen: I had the nam kao as my main, because it's a big portion of nam kao and especially with the lettuce wrap that it comes with, you can kind of spread it out to make it manageable.

But like you were saying, just the textures of that is incredible.

Saxena: I also -- we got the chicken satay and that's kind of our go-to always.

The chicken was also very flavorful, but I would say the peanut sauce was really outstanding.

It was so creamy and so much flavor to it.

Sometimes a peanut sauce can be very bland, and it just -- this sort of elevated the satay for us.

We also got the pad Thai.

The pad Thai is oftentimes very sweet -- like, too sweet for me.

Sbrocco: And can sometimes be mushy.

Saxena: Yeah, mushy.

Oh, this was just, I think, really one of the best pad Thais I've probably had.

And, you know, the whole atmosphere, it's just, you know, it's a very small restaurant you wouldn't really know, you know, unless you knew about it.

It was like coming home.

You know, it was like a very home-cooked meal.

That's how we felt.

Nussbaum Cohen: Definitely.

So I started out with some fried tofu, which is always a go-to, which is just delicious because you get the soft interior, you get the crispy, crunchy exterior, and then there's always that dipping sauce with crunchy peanuts in there -- oh, so good.

And this was a big plate of the fried tofu.

I actually had to take some home because I knew that I had this dish coming afterwards, and it heated up really well in the oven.

Dazhan: I don't know if you guys were able to have any of the Thai teas or the beverages, but the Thai tea there -- it's really good.

I mean, it's really subtle as far as the sweetness.

Saxena: So we also had the panang curry, which was really delicious.

You can pick your choice of protein, so you can put chicken, shrimp, or beef, and then it had chunks of squash and beans and fresh basil leaves and just really flavorful and delicious.

And it came with a side of white rice.

So we had a quite a bit of food.

[ Laughter ] Nussbaum Cohen: That's a lot of food.

Saxena: We wanted to try a lot of the items.

It was all so good.

Sbrocco: Exactly.

And you mentioned big plates in terms of you're getting a bang for your buck here.

Nussbaum Cohen: Oh, you are definitely getting a bang for your buck.

I went by myself, and I just had those two dishes, and I definitely had to take food home, because it's a lot of food.

You can't stop eating it once you start.

Nussbaum Cohen: Yeah.

Sbrocco: Alright.

A treasure to find.

If you would like to try Sue's Kitchen, it's located on Valley View Road in El Sobrante, and the average tab per person is around $15.

And now reporter Cecilia Phillips heads to the South Bay for the vibrant sights, sounds, and flavors of the San Jose flea market.

♪♪ Phillips: So what makes this place so special compared to other flea markets?

Bumb: The flea market is actually like a city, right?

Currently, it's, like, 60 acres, because we get about 30,000 people a weekend here.

You know, been to flea markets all across the United States, and this one in particular is very family friendly.

My father started it in 1960.

And so from 1960 till now... Man: You want to try the sweet lime?

Bumb: ...it's become a tradition.

Boy: Cheers!

Phillips: Can you say why you love it here?

Escobedo: I love it here because it's my second home.

And anything that you need, you probably will find it here.

Gonzalez: My name is Antonio.

Phillips: Okay.

Gonzalez: And I'm here on the flea market for almost 30 years.

Phillips: 30 years.

Gonzalez: 30 years.

Phillips: That's amazing.

Gonzalez: It's amazing.

And we have beautiful tropical fruit.

This one is maracuya.

Phillips: What does this look like to me?

Like passionfruit?

Gonzalez: Passionfruit.

Phillips: This is a little different?

Gonzalez: Yeah, passionfruit's, like, a sour.

But this one is really sweet.

Phillips: This is delicious.

Man: Thank you very much, Carlos.

Phillips: You have 30 flavors of agua frescas.

Oh, my gosh.

What's this one called?

Carlos: Guanabana.

Phillips: What's that?

Carlos: It's a very expensive fruit, but people love it, so it's like the more mom and pops kind of a drink.

Arriba, abajo, al centro, al dentro.

So tell me about your birria and what makes it so special.

Daniel Ortega: It's the flavors -- my mama's recipe, my grandma's recipe, and I added a little bit of my own little touch.

We got three birria tacos with meat, cheese, and of course, our salsa -- that's a secret sauce.

Phillips: Okay, always a secret.

Alright, dip, dip.

Rodriguez Bernal: Dip, dip.

Phillips: Gas, brake.

[ Laughs ] Rodriguez Bernal: No brake, all gas.

Phillips: Tell your abuela gracias.

[ Laughs ] How hot is it inside?

Rosendo Rodriguez Bernal: 600 degrees, yeah.

Phillips: 600 degrees.

So you can cook it muy ràpido.

Daniel: Ràpido.

Inside is super hot.

Phillips: Super hot, hot potato, huh?

Daniel: Take our finger -- oh, no, that's super hot.

[ Both laugh ] Phillips: Okay, so these are the baked potatoes.

These are loaded.

Cheers.

We got a huge chocolate donut.

Man: Yes, you did.

Urbina: This is Ricarmi Panaderia Y Pasteleria.

We specialize in Mexican pastries, and we try to make it a little more modern.

Every morning, from midnight till the morning, we bake everything.

Everyone always comes in for the mini conchas with Nutella and strawberries and buttercream.

Phillips: The breakfast of champions.

[ Laughs ] So I've never had a stuffed concha before.

Let me tell you, you haven't lived until you've had one of these.

What has kept you here for so long?

Gonzalez: People -- talking to people.

Carlos: I was practically born here.

This is all I know.

This is all I love.

Girl: [ Speaking indistinctly ] Gonzalez: What else can I say?

It's really nice.

Sbrocco: I have to thank my terrific guests on this week's show, Abby Nussbaum Cohen, lover of the butter and housemade sourdough at Octavia, Anthony Dazhan, who dreams of the fresh nam kao at Sue's Kitchen in El Sobrante, and Sanchita Saxena, who shared her passion for the Cal-Indian fare at Ettan in Palo Alto.

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.

Nussbaum Cohen: Cheers.

Cheers.

Sbrocco: Cheers.

Big as your face.

[ Laughs ] Chicharrón.

So rojo, blanco, y verde.

para viva México.

Daniel: Yeah, viva México, yeah.

[ Both laugh ] [ Loud crunching ] Phillips: Mmm!

That crunch is good.

Bumb: The corn dogs actually were here before the ribs and the chicken.

The recipe for the batter has been the same for at least 50 years.

And that's why people keep coming back for them.

They're awesome.

Phillips: Well, hot dog.

Bumb: Hot dog.

[ Both laugh ]