I'm Not a Waiter; I Just Play One in Real Life

I love to dine out. In fact, I would call myself a "foodie." Foodie is a term I've heard more and more often in recent years. I suppose my entrance into foodie-dom happened about ten years ago in Yountville, California. It was there I had a life-changing meal at the French Laundry. I can remember actually feeling awareness heighten because of the cuisine I was enjoying. It was probably the closest thing to a spiritual experience I've ever had without Jesus.

So with my newfound awareness, I was shooting off to Charlie Trotter's in Chicago and Gunter Seeger's in Atlanta, and any other place that earned the title, "Mobil 5 Star." These places became my mecca, and I their pilgrim. As this was happening, I also began searching for any local out-of-the-way place to find interesting cuisine. And Saturday morning always included a trip to the green market down the street to pick up the week's vegetables and fruits. Success for me was finding a local taqueria where nobody spoke English with amazing Chile Rellenos. Tripe tacos were always a bonus.

Why Dine Out?

In these days of economic downturn - read: diminished dining out for most of us -- local restaurants are obviously suffering. As our production crew visits these spots that will be featured in the upcoming season of Check, Please! South Florida, it's especially sad to see young, promising South Florida chefs with empty dining rooms and quiet kitchens. Even in this tourist town, the trend of frugality over frivolity, and home-cooked meals over on-the-town treats, can be witnessed in restaurants across South Florida -- from the large, corporate celebrity-chef-driven spots to local family-run joints.

As we produce these brand new episodes of Check, Please!, we are hopeful that restaurants will stick it out. We know that once word gets out about their incredible food, viewers will throng to the place, in search of a truly unique (and sometimes unbelievably bargain-priced!) dining experience. We're talking about places where the owners and chefs truly appreciate the fact that you chose to patronize and support their restaurant.