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KQED’s ‘Check, Please! Bay Area’ Makes a Splash in Monterey This April

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Cafe Fina in Monterey, California.  (KQED)

SAN FRANCISCO, CA; March 21, 2024 — KQED’s Check, Please! Bay Area returns this April with a delicious, two-part twist: the award-winning show is visiting the Monterey Bay region for the first time! Host Leslie Sbrocco welcomes twelve new guests to KQED’s studios to dish on their favorite Bay Area dining destinations, kicking it off on California’s Central Coast. From Carmel Valley to Capitola, Seaside to Salinas, Check, Please! Bay Area is introducing audiences to their next go-to local joint.

Each week, three local residents join host Leslie Sbrocco to share their favorite eateries in the Bay Area. After trying each other’s recommendations, they dig into their picks to discuss, dispute, and celebrate their dining experiences with authentic, lively commentary. In one episode, reporter Cecilia Phillips tries out a fun, off-the-grid dining experience — also in the Monterey Bay Area! From California’s largest weekly food truck gathering to San Francisco’s oldest farmers market, you won’t want to miss her picks for fun, food, and festivities from around the Bay.

Check, Please! Bay Area returns with four new episodes beginning Thursday, April 18 at 7:30 PM on KQED 9. Episodes will also be available for streaming on the PBS Video App and at kqed.org/checkplease.

Special Monterey Bay Episodes:

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Episode 1901 | April 18, 2024

  • Satisfying and sumptuous American classics with a Filipino and Pacific Islander twist — like fried chicken & waffles next to pork belly fried rice — at The Butter House (Seaside)
  • Picturesque views paired with some of the Monterey Bay’s tastiest seafood, including pistachio pasta with prawns and steamed black mussels at Cafe Fina (Monterey)
  • An elegant and seasonal Californian menu sure to please anyone in search of a satisfying meal — from French onion soup, to carnitas tacos, to wood-fired Meyer lemon pizzas — at Corkscrew Cafe (Carmel Valley)

Episode 1902 | April 25, 2024

  • Signature dishes like Pacific Rim salmon and prime rib alongside an extensive and locally-focused wine list, all set in rustic yet undeniably classy quarters at the historic Shadowbrook (Capitola)
  • An unexpected twist to Mexican cuisine in Salinas — like buttery roasted bone marrow — alongside classics like chile relleno and chilaquiles at Villa Azteca (Salinas)
  • Organic bistro fare — from lingcod katsu to bouillabaisse — that’s locally fished, farmed, and foraged at Wild Fish (Pacific Grove)
  • “Cecilia Tries It” gets a taste of jams, fruit picking, and famous seasonal pies at Gizdich Ranch (Watsonville)

For more information and to watch previous episodes of Check, Please! Bay Area, visit kqed.org/checkplease.

Support
Support for Check, Please! Bay Area is provided by Oakland International Airport, IRG, Graham’s Port, Sutter Health, Crab House at Pier 39, and SF Fire Credit Union.

About KQED
KQED serves the people of Northern California with a public-supported alternative to commercial media. An NPR and PBS affiliate based in San Francisco, KQED is home to one of the most listened-to public radio stations in the nation, one of the highest-rated public television services and an award-winning education program helping students and educators thrive in 21st-century classrooms. A trusted news source and leader and innovator in interactive technology, KQED takes people of all ages on journeys of exploration — exposing them to new people, places and ideas. kqed.org

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