On Thursday, Feb. 26, the city of Oakland will celebrate 100 years of Black history with a night of music, art, wine tastings and spoken word poetry at the newly reopened Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts.

We had to dig back in the “Check, Please! Bay Area” archives for this segment because gold medal figure skater Alysa Liu reminded us how great Trabocco in Alameda really is 🏅 www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz5a...

At Taishoken Ramen in San Mateo, house-made noodles shine in dishes like Tokyo-style aburasoba and spicy tsukemen with rich dipping broth. Join us on a brand-new Check, Please! Bay Area this Thursday, 2/26, at 7:30PM on KQED 9! 🔗 Bookmark the premiere: www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWON...

Smoke and bold flavors kick things off at Smokin' D's BBQ in San Francisco, where Texas-style barbecue meets Mexican and Asian flair. Join us on a brand-new Check, Please! Bay Area this Thursday, 2/26, at 7:30PM on KQED 9! 🔗 Bookmark the premiere: youtu.be/bWON5UwZrJE

Naoko Takei Moore found herself wanting to share traditional donabe with her new community in Los Angeles after immigrating to the United States. She believes it can be a pathway toward a slower, more intentional and idyllic life — her "happy donabe life."

At New Eritrea in San Francisco’s Inner Sunset, flaky sambusas give way to vibrant combo platters spread across injera flatbread — a communal, hands-on meal that invites you to tear, scoop, and share. 🔗 Watch last week's brand new Check, Please! Bay Area: www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVcH...

"Protein is like the brick and mortar of your home — no matter where you go in the house, it’s there," said Sue-Ellen Anderson-Haynes, a registered dietitian nutritionist and a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. (via @politifact.bsky.social) https://to.pbs.org/3OVqtkh

Delicious mornings start in Danville at Sideboard, a laid-back neighborhood spot where breakfasts are both comforting and creative. Join us on a new Check, Please! Bay Area this Thursday, 2/19 at 7:30PM on KQED 9! 🔗 Rather watch online? Bookmark the premiere: www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVcH...

Dzui’s, a snug Vietnamese cafe in Eastside San José, is the South Bay's go-to destination for durian desserts. As Tết, aka Vietnamese Lunar New Year, kicks off this week, many customers are expected to buy the bánh pía pastries for their celebrations.

Comforting creative breakfasts in Danville, playful and innovative tacos in Oakland, vibrant Eritrean cuisine in San Francisco. Tune in to a brand-new Check, Please! Bay Area next Thursday, February 19 at 7:30 p.m. on KQED 9. ✨ Head here for the premiere link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVcH...

In Oakland, Tacos Oscar keeps things playful and innovative with favorites like charred broccoli tacos slicked with peanut sauce. 🥦🌮 Join us on a new Check, Please! Bay Area this Thursday, 2/19, at 7:30PM on KQED 9! Head here for the premiere link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVcH...

Do you ever get the “egg ick?” We might not know exactly how to solve it, but following some techniques from Jacques Pépin might help 🥚 www.youtube.com/watch?v=As6A...

The inaugural Russian River Fungi Fest, taking place Feb. 21–22, brings a two-day celebration of mushrooms to West Sonoma County, blending science talks, forest foraging, art and food.

In the unofficial Bay Area battle of the burgers, is Lovely’s in Oakland the winner? Foodie field reporter Josh Decologon samples signature burgers from Lovely’s to see where it ranks 🍔

At Walnut Creek's Montesacro, the Roman-inspired pinsa takes center stage in a warm, bustling space. Join us on a new Check, Please! Bay Area this Thursday, February 12, at 7:30PM on KQED 9! 🔗 Rather watch online? Head here for the premiere link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nta3...

Trifecta in San Jose, an intimate, high-energy spot, blends Japanese technique with Filipino influence, showcasing the chefs’ precision and creativity. Join us on a new Check, Please! Bay Area this Thursday, 2/12, at 7:30PM on KQED 9! 🔗 Head here for the premiere: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nta3...

Japanese omakase with a Filipino twist, Roman-inspired pinsas, Greek small plates. 😋 Tune in to a brand-new Check, Please! Bay Area next Thursday, February 12 at 7:30 p.m. on KQED 9. ✨ Rather watch online? Head here for the premiere link and hit that "Notify me" button: youtu.be/nta3Ag2ve7Y

For 56 years, it operated out of the Berkeley Friends Church in North Berkeley, providing fresh produce and groceries to more than 4,000 Berkeley and Albany residents a month.

Nothing on the menu was priced at more than $10.75. Several entrées, in fact, were just $7 or $8, undercutting the Panda Express next door.

In Napa at Stateline Road Smokehouse, chef Darryl Bell Jr. brings Kansas City-inspired barbecue to wine country. Join us on a brand-new Check, Please! Bay Area tonight, 2/5, at 7:30PM on KQED 9! Head here for the YouTube premiere link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHbV...

All of these “Heated Rivalry” posts are making us crave a tuna melt… BTW, did our cottage invite get lost in the mail? See how KQED columnist and podcast Host Pendarvis Harshaw made his melt while working at home during the pandemic 🥪 www.kqed.org/bayareabites...

At San Francisco's Bar Sprezzatura, a stylish Italian aperitivo spot inspired by Venice, diners sip classic Negronis alongside guanciale meatballs. Join us on a brand-new Check, Please! Bay Area this Thursday, 2/5, at 7:30PM on KQED 9! Bookmark the premiere link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHbV...

Get ready for these three S's — Stateline Road Smokehouse, Stockhome, and Bar Sprezzatura! Check, Please! Bay Area closes out its 20th season with four fresh episodes starting Thursday, 2/5 at 7:30 p.m. on KQED 9. ✨ Rather watch online? Book the premiere link here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHbV...

Wrapped in the characteristic blue, red and white of the Dominican flag, the El Fogon d’Geny truck is repping the Dominican Republic in San José with its mofongo, pica pollo and assortment of hearty stews.

This arroz con pollo might’ve been one of the keys to Jacques Pépin’s marriage 🍗

Located in the parking lot of a Santa Clara gas station, Vostok’s Kyrgyz-style shawarma wraps and wok-fried noodles are served piping hot, from noon to 11 p.m. daily.

Chef Chu’s is an institution. It’s been visited by luminaries in entertainment, politics and business. Throughout all of the change in the last 55 years, Chef Chu’s has adapted and held on, and remained true to its identity as a family business.

Need some 2026 dining inspo? Check, Please! Bay Area closes out its 20th season with four new episodes featuring Kansas City-inspired barbecue, Swedish street food with Middle Eastern flavors, and more — starting on February 5. 😋 More details:

"We’d come because we were in the mood for a fast food–style char-grilled burger — and, like generations of Berkleyans before us, we knew that Smokehouse was the spot to satisfy that craving, especially after 10 or 11 o’clock at night."

The Sunset Night Market is back with a Lunar New Year–themed event on Feb. 27 — a nod to the neighborhood’s strong cultural identity as an informal Chinatown.

Jacques Pépin returns to one of his late wife Gloria Pépin’s favorite dishes.

Calling all Bay Area foodies! 🗣️ Want to nominate one of your favorite restaurants and talk about it on TV? Apply to be on Check, Please! Bay Area: kqed.org/checkplease/apply

Need a quick and satisfying lunch? Look no further than this classic 6-minute meal.

A&M founders Alice Ngo and Minh Pham eventually shifted away from the traditional pastel de nata because they wanted their egg tarts to be lighter and less sweet.

On a corner in Richmond, California, there’s a business that has celebrated the city’s Black history and Southern roots for 30 years. The building is bright white with a hand-painted, red sign: “CJ’s BBQ and Fish.”

Hungry? NPR is here to serve you just a few of our favorite cookbooks from 2025, recommended by NPR staffers and food writer T. Susan Chang. (via @npr.org)

For 20 years, the Emmy- and James Beard-award winning show “Check, Please! Bay Area” has brought together local diners to kibbitz about their favorite restaurants. Watch the @kqedforum.bsky.social segment with host Leslie Sbrocco and series producer Lori Halloran.

Beyond the Menu host Cecilia Phillips dives into the strange and twisted history of pretzels. 🥨🍺✨

Jacques Pépin steps behind the bar to show how dry white wine, whiskey, and dark rum can be turned into three timeless drinks. 🍹

If you’ve ever tried to plan a hangout in the evening that doesn’t involve going to a bar, you may have discovered: Finding places to socialize after 6 p.m. that don’t involve “grabbing a drink” can be tricky.

Yesterday’s rotisserie chicken, today’s elegant dinner. 🍗

A worker-owned Emeryville bakery serving one seasonal pizza a day — and people plan their week around it: youtu.be/9D3N0K0UX8s?...

As we reach the month’s halfway mark, it might be right about now that you’re finding yourself running out of steam to keep up your own dry January.

Want the latest scoop on Leslie Sbrocco's latest sips, the insider tea on our favorite Bay Area restaurants, or a sneak peek at KQED's can't-miss food events? Sign up for KQED's biweekly food newsletter, The Sauce: kqed.org/thesauce

This Thursday night’s Warriors home game will mark another milestone: It’ll be the first time halal-keeping fans can chow down on Fikscue's brisket sandwiches and sate ayam inside the arena itself for the Warriors’ fifth annual Muslim Heritage Night. @warriorsofficial.bsky.social

From laksa to mochi muffins to biryani, KQED turns its focus to rice on January 15 at 7 PM. 🍚 We'll explore how one ingredient carries intergenerational meaning across Asian cultures, passed down through families, kitchens, and traditions. Get tickets: www.kqed.org/event/5908

Need some 2026 dining inspo? KQED Arts & Culture food editor Luke Tsai gives us the rundown on his favorite dishes of 2025:

Jacques Pépin shows how easy homemade mayo really is — and once you know the base, the flavors are endless.

“Food waste in a landfill decomposes into methane. And methane is a far more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.” (via @npr.org)

The beloved Salvadoran pupusa takes center stage at Panchita's Pupusería, a late-night neighborhood staple in San Francisco since 1989. Wanna know what our guests had to say on a very special episode of Check, Please! Bay Area? ✨🫓✨ Head here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoq7...