Here's your chance to try some delicious Coconut Grove restaurants -- with no worries about driving or parking!!! Show your support by joining us for the Check, Please! South Florida Tasting Tour event on Tuesday evening, May 14th. Proceeds benefit the production of new episodes on WPBT2!
Show host, chef Michelle Bernstein will be there, serving up a special appetizer from her highly-acclaimed Michy's in Miami.
The tour begins at Whole Foods Market Coral Gables where you'll whet your appetite with a refreshing sparkling wine (and a treat from Michy), and then we'll whisk you away to four fabulous local gems. Here's a sneak peek at some of the dishes being featured:
We have to take a moment to say thank you to Kona Kai Resort in Key Largo. They provided these beautiful, lush accommodations for our crew as we traveled down to shoot this week's episode.
Little did we know, Kona Kai has been a secret gem in Key Largo for decades. One guest we spoke to makes a yearly winter trek there with his friends, and we definitely could see why. The tropical botanic gardens, private beach & dock, welcoming hammocks, and comfortable, clean rooms made us wish we could stay a few days (or perhaps weeks) longer. It felt a little bit like a deserted island, just a few cottages, hidden away from the US1 traffic- and yet it was right there off the main highway with easy access to all of Key Largo's great sightseeing spots.
And though our Kona Kai "getaway" only lasted a matter of hours, we did manage to snap a few pictures before we left. Hope you enjoy! We sure did!
Check, Please! South Florida goes to college with all new episodes beginning January 14, 2013. In the season 9 premiere, three South Florida students dish on the best places in town to fiesta with a group of friends, fill up on Italian comfort food at a bargain price, and enjoy a satisfying, flavorful meatless meal. Host Michelle Bernstein returns with fifteen new reviewers, offering restaurant picks from Jupiter to the Florida Keys.
Season 9 digs up a barbecue joint hidden amongst the downtown Miami high-rises, travels North to Jupiter for a tropical waterfront treat, and heads south to the Florida Keys for a visit to some colorful locals’ joints. Prepare your palate for an exciting new season of South Florida flavor.
These fun new episodes will be served up on WPBT2 starting Monday, January 14, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. Episodes repeat on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 5:30 p.m.
Looking ahead to the upcoming 10th Season of Check, Please! South Florida (premiering in May 2013), producers are planning a special episode that will reunite some of the show's most memorable guest reviewers. But they need your help! Log on to the show's home page, find the Viewer's Choice poll, and VOTE to bring back one of your favorite reviewers from previous seasons!
The Check, Please! production staff has already whittled the list down to 7 choices. The Top Two vote recipients will return for the Season 10 premiere, alongside Paul Castronovo of the Paul & Young Ron show and Castronovo Vineyards and host, chef Michelle Bernstein. The Check, Please! veterans will have three all-new restaurants to critique....for your viewing pleasure.
The poll will be open for one week only, so VOTE for your favorites now!
Foodies are a bit of a fraternal group. So it only makes sense that an upcoming special edition of Check, Please! will give students from local colleges and universities the chance to chime in on their go-to spots for good grub.
We've had plenty of professors and teachers on the show. Now, it's time to hear from the undergrads who call South Florida home! (Preferably those whose dorm room floors are NOT carpeted with pizza boxes.)
If you are a college student that loves to dine out and has a strong opinion about food, here's your chance to be a food critic for a day. Just go to our website, fill out the Guest Reviewer application, and nominate your favorite top 3 South Florida spots. Tell us about the best budget-friendly dinners, the legendary college hangouts, and the must-have munchies of South Florida.
If you're not familiar with the show, boost your chances of being chosen by doing some homework before you apply. Here's a list of restaurants that have already been reviewed on the show, so make sure you don't repeat one featured in a previous episode. And click here to view some of our most recent episodes to get an idea of how the show works. Just think of it as cramming before the big exam. Deadline to apply for this special episode: August 1, 2012. We're looking for applicants who are:
1) Actively attending a local college/university
2) Available for a mid-day taping on a date in late October/early November at our studio
3) Able to dine at 3 restaurants from the tri-county area in early October (i.e. access to transportation!)
4) Responsible and thorough in filling out paperwork and meeting deadlines for the restaurant reviews
5) Opinionated and able to discuss and describe different types of cuisines
If you fit the bill, you just may find yourself at the Check, Please! table chatting away with host Michelle Bernstein. Over the next few months, producers will be reviewing applications and conducting phone interviews to choose the three reviewers. Students must pay for dining upfront but will be reimbursed $150.00 to defray the cost of eating at the 3 restaurants. The show will be taped this Fall for an episode that will air in 2013.
Want a preview of our final show of the season? You can watch it before it airs, while chatting with Michelle, show producers, guest reviewers, and restaurant owners on Wednesday, June 13th at 7:30 p.m.
The show includes a lively discussion of the BTTR Food trucks in North Miami, the fun-loving My Big Fat Greek restaurant in Ft. Lauderdale, and the stylish City Oyster & Sushi Bar in Delray Beach.
So mark your calendar for an evening of interactive food fun! We can't wait to hear your questions, comments, and reviews!
It's easy to participate. Just log on to our U-stream page at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 13th. We look forward to chatting with you!
Check, Please! South Florida turns up the heat with all-new episodes beginning May 21, 2012 on WPBT2. In the season premiere, three local firefighters come to the rescue with the dish on their favorite dining hot spots! Host Michelle Bernstein jumps back into the mix with fifteen new reviewers, offering restaurant picks from Tequesta to Sweetwater. We’ll visit trendy up-and-coming neighborhoods like Wynwood in Miami and Northwood in West Palm Beach, and we’ll get the lowdown on the food truck frenzy with a stop at the Biscayne Triangle Food Truck Round-up in North Miami, one of the largest meet-ups in South Florida. Whether you’re craving authentic Cantonese, Nicaraguan, Israeli or Italian food, we’ve got you covered.
These fun new episodes will be served up on WPBT2 starting Monday, May 21, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. Episodes repeat on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 5:30 p.m. Season 8 is made possible by the generous support of Badia Spices, Whole Foods Market, Illy Caffe, and Johnson & Wales University.
Our 2nd Tasting Tour is right around the corner. On Tuesday evening, May 15th, two private buses will transport 100 guests to some of our favorite Boca Raton hot spots for menu tastings, wine, cocktails, and an evening of fun! We thought we'd give you a peek at some of the menu highlights planned for that evening.
Ready to salivate?
Michy's
Watermelon Greek Salad
with a sparkling Strawberry Basil "Mojito"
Sushi Rock
Spicy Tuna Wonton
Garlic Mussels
Josephine's Italian Cuisine
Chicken Spedini with orange balsamic marmalade
Sausage Meatballs ala Sicilian
Norwegian smoked salmon on fresh herb crostini
Bogart's Bar & Grille
Baja Fish Tacos with pico de gallo, guacamole, and cilantro lime aioli
Casa D'Angelo Ristorante
Braised beef short ribs with amarone fig sauce and pear raviolini
Tin Muffin Cafe
Assortment of homemade muffins, pies, and cakes
(including peanut butter pie, coconut cream pie, carrot cake, German chocolate cake, banana cake and more!)
*Red and white wines courtesy of Antinori Santa Cristina
*Specialty cocktails courtesy of Tito's Handmade Vodka & Happy Wine the Grove
*Italian gourmet coffee courtesy of Illy Caffe
Hungry yet? Buy your tickets HERE. Don't miss out on this fun and delicious event!
Back by popular demand, the Check, Please! Tasting Tour returns on Tuesday evening, May 15, 2012...this time in Boca Raton! Join us for a whirlwind charter bus tour of five restaurants, along with a special appetizer by our host, chef Michelle Bernstein of Michy's.
Paul Castronovo of the Paul & Young Ron Show and Castronovo Vineyards returns as our co-host for the evening. (Paul & Michelle will join guests on the bus as we make our way through this delectable evening full of food and fun.)
You can choose a tour departure time of 5:30 p.m. or 6:00 p.m. Participating restaurants include Sushi Rock, Josephine's, Bogart's Bar & Grille, Casa D'Angelo, and Tin Muffin Cafe. At each stop, guests will enjoy a menu tasting and wine or specialty cocktail.
(NOTE: Happy Wine received rave reviews in our first season and just recently opened a second location in Coconut Grove. Check out the link for more info.)
This is not only a fun-filled evening for all involved, but it's a delicious way to support public television. All of the proceeds go toward the continued production of Check, Please! South Florida on WPBT2. We hope to see you there!
I have recently been a guest on Check Please, South Florida and would like to comment on the experience. It was generally speaking nothing but fun.
To start with, I really enjoyed going to the couple of restaurants recommended by my fellow guests. Both were places I would not have gone to otherwise, given the cuisine of one and the location of the other (about 65 miles from where I live).
Nevertheless, both were an experience. Fortunately, the food was good at both places and it made me try new foods. For a dedicated foodie, I still seem to frequent places I know and like. I was forced out of my comfort zone and I enjoyed it.
Defending my own choice made me think more deeply about why I liked my choice so much. Made me think harder about what a complete dining experience is all about.
I would also like to say that the team at WPBT was most helpful, very professional and just down right pleasant. They really got us to do what was needed when it was needed but making it seem like fun. On taping day, the staff really shined. Every effort was made to get us relaxed (the wine helped alot) and moved us through make-up,etc. very calmly.
Lastly a word about the Michelle. She is the nicest person imaginable. She made everyone feel totally at ease. Michelle is a great chef (the classical training probably helps), very professional with a wonderful sense of humor. I still have to laugh at some of the interaction between Michelle and the guests.
If you have a chance to be a guest on the program, just do it!
