Check, Please! Bay Area reviews: Eggy's Neighborhood Kitchen, La Gare, Lao Table

Check, Please! Bay Area, season 19, episode 7, airs Wednesday, July 24, at 7:30 pm, on KQED 9. See other television airtimes.

On this episode of Check, Please! Bay Area, the guests begin their culinary journey in Berkeley at Eggy’s Neighborhood Kitchen. Established in 2023, Eggy’s lives up to its name with a variety of delicious breakfast go-tos, ranging from churro waffles to chilaquiles, and Bellinis to benedicts. Next, guests stop by La Gare in Santa Rosa, a romantic hideaway that stays true to its Swiss-French roots, serving decadent European fare since 1979. Then, Lao Table in San Francisco brings the bold and colorful flavors of Laos to the Bay. Here, contemporary cooking techniques create flavorful Laotian dishes like panang lamb curry, a thick curry lamb stew with kaffir lime leaves.

Host Leslie Sbrocco joins guests Ed Locker, Jean Calixto and Daniell Cheiken from KQED in San Francisco.

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My name is Josh Decolongon, and I’m the audience engagement producer of Check, Please! Bay Area. For this episode, I’m helping out host Leslie Sbrocco with some tasting notes on the wine, beer and spirits the guests and Leslie had on set during the taping of the show!

Awayuki Strawberry Flavored Gin
Nara Prefecture, Japan $40
Beautifully perfumed, starting somewhere in be- tween strawberry ice cream and dried roses, while juniper fills out the bass notes. Just as two-toned on the palate as the floral character gives way to a strawberry ribbon, before ending dry and herb- al. Not for the lover of the traditional, which means this is perfect for me. Literally Doja Cat and SZA’s “Kiss Me More” in liquid form. Lovely on its own, on the rocks, or with seltzer.

Castello di Verduno 2019 “S-ciopét” Rosato Dosaggio Zero
Piemonte, Italy $54
I’m definitely always down for alternative, off-the-beaten path sparkling wines. This beautiful onion skin hue gives notes of apricot, orange zest, a hint of nuts, and a touch of dried red fruit on the nose. It’s much less shy on the palate with a striking combination of red apple, raspberries, and lemon, a bolt of acidity giving way to a runway of savory yeast. Dry and lively: unique enough to enjoy on its own, but hefty enough to stand up to a charcuterie board.

Reverdito 2022 Nascetta
Langhe, Piemonte, Italy $21
Pale lemon color with an initial swirl of intense pear, citrus, and stone fruit on the nose, opening up with some honey, and accented by a hint of sea spray. The equally expressive palate almost gives a slight sensation of freshly-squeezed orange juice, down to the scant herbaceousness of the zest, finishing with an pleasant bitterness.