Check, Please! Bay Area, season 18, episode 9, airs Thursday, October 5, at 7:30 pm, on KQED 9. See other television airtimes, and never miss an episode by subscribing to the video podcast.
In San Francisco’s Mission District, Café La Taza is the ideal destination for hearty Central American breakfasts. Begun as a mere coffee shop in 1997, this family-owned and operated shop has grown to a full-service restaurant with heaping portions perfectly suited for your appetite, no matter the time of day. Then, in Kensington, a close-knit community in the Berkeley Hills, you’d be forgiven for mistaking the local Kensington Circus Pub for a quaint pub in the heart of London. This East Bay find pours the best of British and Irish brews (all on tap), plus English pub grub, from bangers and mash to Shepherd’s pie, fish and chips to “England’s Most Popular Sticky Toffee Pudding” – so good they have it flown in. Finally, Beit Rima, nestled in San Francisco’s Duboce Triangle neighborhood, crafts authentic Arabic comfort food with locally sourced ingredients. Pillowy, fresh-from-the-oven pita sprinkled with Zaatar is one highlight, but the menu showcases the versatility of Palestinian cuisine; this quick-service spot pays tribute to beloved Mediterranean and Arabic dishes with roots in multiple cuisines, from hummus to shakshuka, kebabs to fattoush. Reporter Cecilia Phillips closes out this week’s episode with a hands-on tutorial at Newark’s Mexico Tortilla Factory, home to handmade tortillas and prepared Mexican meals. Family-owned since 1972, it’s an East Bay institution, crafting fresh tortillas from all-natural stone-ground corn daily, alongside other signature dishes.
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My name is Leslie Sbrocco, and I’m the host of Check, Please! Bay Area. Each week, I’ll share my tasting notes about the wine, beer and spirits the guests and I drank on set during the taping of the show.
