Does anyone also watch "Check, Please"

[elfin]

Have actually eaten at Healthy Food Lithuianian-wonderful! Exactly our type of place.

[kivligan]

My people are telling me that Trio will be on soon.....not sure what that means.

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If it means the same thing as it did for Noon a Kabob, anyone who wants to go to Trio Atelier should do so now because the restaurant will be packed once the show airs.

[ronnie_suburban]

If it means the same thing as it did for Noon a Kabob, anyone who wants to go to Trio Atelier should do so now because the restaurant will be packed once the show airs.

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LOL! Even though you're pretty right about the Check, Please dynamic, chefg wrote that post almost a year ago. I don't think they'll be back to Trio this season but I certainly don't know that for sure.

=R=

[ronnie_suburban]

Have actually eaten at Healthy Food Lithuianian-wonderful!  Exactly our type of place.

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It looked absolutely amazing...definitely my kind of "healthy" food

=R=

[Squeat Mungry]

Apparently San Francisco will be getting its own local version of this show next year. Can someone describe the format a bit more? Is it a talk show kind of deal where three people sit around and discuss three restaurants each week? Are they in the studio the whole time or does the camera crew visit the restaurants? What is Singh's role? Does she guide the conversation? Give an insider's perspective? Both?

Thanks in advance. I think this could be pretty cool.

Squeat

[ronnie_suburban]

Apparently San Francisco will be getting its own local version of this show next year. Can someone describe the format a bit more? Is it a talk show kind of deal where three people sit around and discuss three restaurants each week? Are they in the studio the whole time or does the camera crew visit the restaurants? What is Singh's role? Does she guide the conversation? Give an insider's perspective? Both?

Thanks in advance. I think this could be pretty cool.

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Alpana Singh is the host and is there primarily to facilitate moderate and punctuate the conversation. The basic concept is that 3 regular folks from the Chicago area each choose a restaurant to review and appear on the show only once. Each of the 3 participants gooes to all 3 restaurants reviewed in a given episode--the one they chose and the 2 chosen by the other participants. Discussion of the restaurants is done in 3 separate segments, with each show getting its own. At some point, after the diners have gone to the restaurant, WTTW sends in crews to tape at the venues. Edited montages are then rolled in during the segments while the discussion takes place. In other words, you get to see a lot of the food, environs, etc. while the discussion is going on.

Between segments, there are usually some food trivia questions--and new this season--a wine tips segment called "Singh About Wine" which is written and hosted by Alpana herself.

Here is a link to the show's official web site...

Check, Please!

A great show...maybe the fastest half hour on tv.

=R=

[Squeat Mungry]

Here is a link to the show's official web site...

Check, Please!

A great show...maybe the fastest half hour on tv.

=R=

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Thanks, Ronnie. Can't wait to have this show here!

[ronnie_suburban]

This week's installment of Check, Please! featured the following 3 restaurants:

Cafe LaGuardia

2111 W. Armitage

Chicago, IL

(773) 862-5996

Miller Bakery Cafe

555 S. Lake Street

Gary, IN

(219) 938-2229

Maza

2748 N. Lincoln Avenue

Chicago, IL

(773) 929-9600

This week's episode also included Chicago Sun-Times food writer, Maureen Jenkins, as one of the panelists.

=R=

[Rhea_S]

So when is an eGullet person going to be one of the panelists? Any of the Chicago folk would be great.

[ronnie_suburban]

So when is an eGullet person going to be one of the panelists? Any of the Chicago folk would be great.

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..waiting for my invitation

=R=

[ojbowl]

I rescently found out that last month, "check please" called and were planning on doing a show at my restaurant. However, it is not mine, I only work there. It is Giovannis in Munster Indiana appr. twenty-five minutes south east from the Heartland. I thought this was so stellar, and encouraging that people actually pay attention to this place. Then my heart was broken when my chef said that they choose some other place nearby.

post script: about a year before I became employed at Giovannis they had happy hour where they could get a few drinks after clean up. Then, sadly, one of the wairtresses got a little out of hand one night; then happy hour was gone forever :INTENCE PUTRID DISGUSTING ANGER!!!!!:dismayed:wub

[gmi3804]

post script: about a year before I became employed at Giovannis they had happy hour where they could get a few drinks after clean up. Then, sadly,     one of the wairtresses got a little out of hand one night; then happy hour was gone forever

Ah, but what a night that was! Details, please!

[Mark Horvatich]

It is Giovannis in Munster Indiana appr. twenty-five minutes south east from the Heartland.

You make it sound like Munster IN is in another time zone! While in Indiana, it's closer to downtown Chicago than, say, Northbrook or Schaumburg...

I go to Munster quite often to visit my dad, and if I were to choose a restaurant in the area to be on Check Please, it would be Cafe Elise.

Mark

[ronnie_suburban]

You make it sound like Munster IN is in another time zone! While in Indiana, it's closer to downtown Chicago than, say, Northbrook or Schaumburg...

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Yes, Munster is very much in the Heartland and even in the area referred to as "Chicagoland."

=R=

[ojbowl]

It is Giovannis in Munster Indiana appr. twenty-five minutes south east from the Heartland.

I go to Munster quite often to visit my dad, and if I were to choose a restaurant in the area to be on Check Please, it would be Cafe Elise.

Mark

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Head chefs of both Cafe Borgia, and Cafe Elise are both Products of Giovannis.

Also an old friend of mine,Blake, was just resently fired From Elise for being not professional.

On another note I talked to the waitress about her drunken fiasco, and she says that she was not even intoxicated- Not even she understands why happy hour is no more. I smell some sort of cover up, Sad: Myseterious

Post script:

We should make our own check please video and send it in. I suggest we goto chef Grant and try his dry creme brulee

I was under the impression that the Heartland was infact Chicago.

I am lacking in intelegence-and i was just informed that i can not spell.

:Reading text knowledge textbooks:WUB

[ronnie_suburban]

Welcome to eGullet ojbowl

Thanks for the info. Chicago is only one (rather large) part of the Heartland forum. I think you're being a little hard on yourself by saying you "lack intelegence"

And no one around here will ever mention your spelling...

What is your job at the restaurant?

=R=

[ojbowl]

Welcome to eGullet ojbowl

Thanks for the info.  Chicago is only one (rather large) part of the Heartland forum.  I think you're being a little hard on yourself by saying you "lack intelegence"

And no one around here will ever mention your spelling...

What is your job at the restaurant?

=R=

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I first started approx. a year ago as a dishwasher. I always wanted to be a cook and become great. So I applied to every single descent independant restaurant within an hour from my home to see if my love of food was a fad or misconception. Ironically The Furthest one was my fate. After dish, went to prep, to desert and app. Now I am a line cook--it has been really exciting and I am loving my choice of profession more and more. In March I am attending Kendall, and then hoping to stage***(work for free) at Alinea. That kind of seems weird, but who would not want free labor?

[Lactic Solar Dust]

post script: about a year before I became employed at Giovannis they had happy hour where they could get a few drinks after clean up. Then, sadly,     one of the wairtresses got a little out of hand one night; then happy hour was gone forever

Ah, but what a night that was! Details, please!

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I work with ojbowl at the aforementioned Giovanni's and actually am roommates with the waitress in question. She was working as hostess that evening and was not at all intoxicated. And trust me, I have lived with her for 3 years, have seen her drunk MANY times, but on that night she was straight. What did happen, however, was that she became quite angry at a waitress for a reason that I cannot remember. The next night the waitress told the owner that my roommate was mean to her, because she was drunk, and poof - no after work drinks.

[ojbowl]

Thank you Adam for clearing that up.

Lets get back to talking about "CHeck, PLease"

Here in my hometown, Grant Park, there is a restaurant called Bennet Curtis House. On the weekends they have mystery theater. Actors and actresses are in the dinning room acting like customers but make odd chaos and get the whole restaurant involved. it is actually quite amusing sometimes.

The food is really good too. But recently it had a change in the executive position and the food was not as exciting as it used to be. Hopefully, with some time, the place will gets its roots back.

Edited October 31, 2004 by ojbowl (log)

[ronnie_suburban]

Here in my hometown, Grant Park, there is a restaurant called Bennet Curtis House.  On the weekends they have mystery theater.  Actors and actresses are in the dinning room acting like customers but make odd chaos and get the whole restaurant involved. it is actually quite amusing sometimes.

The food is really good too.  But recently it had a change in the executive position and the food was not as exciting as it used to be.  Hopefully, with some time, the place will gets its roots back.

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Is the Bennet Curtis House going to be featured on Check, Please!?

=R=

[ronnie_suburban]

This week's installment of Check, Please! featured the following 3 restaurants:

San Soo Gab San

5247 N. Western Avenue

Chicago, IL

(773) 334-1589

Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab

60 E. Grand Avenue

Chicago, IL

(312) 379-5637

Victory's Banner

2100 W. Roscoe

Chicago, IL

(773) 665-0227

=R=

[adoxograph]

Out of curiousity, it seems that many of us watch the show, but has anyone ever been inspired to actually go somewhere as a result of seeing it on the show?

Personally, I may make a mental note of a place here and there, but I enjoy it more when they go somewhere I have already been - comparing experiences, as it were.

[ronnie_suburban]

Out of curiousity, it seems that many of us watch the show, but has anyone ever been inspired to actually go somewhere as a result of seeing it on the show?

Personally, I may make a mental note of a place here and there, but I enjoy it more when they go somewhere I have already been - comparing experiences, as it were.

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I have definitely been inspired by the show to try various places--Opera being the most recent. But, like you, I enjoy it more when they review a place I've already been. It is fun to compare notes.

=R=

[Lactic Solar Dust]

Out of curiousity, it seems that many of us watch the show, but has anyone ever been inspired to actually go somewhere as a result of seeing it on the show?

Personally, I may make a mental note of a place here and there, but I enjoy it more when they go somewhere I have already been - comparing experiences, as it were.

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I become inspired to go to the places that are considered "hidden treasures". I know how Spiaggia, Moto, and even Joe's Seafood is going to be without even dining there, because the intense coverage by the food media does a really good job painting a picture on what it is like dining at these places. I think that egullet does a really good job at that, too. And, I do not think this is a bad thing, either, I still want to dine at these wonderful places. But for some reason, these hidden treasures, as it were, have a special place in my heart.

[ojbowl]

Here in my hometown, Grant Park, there is a restaurant called Bennet Curtis House.  On the weekends they have mystery theater.  Actors and actresses are in the dinning room acting like customers but make odd chaos and get the whole restaurant involved. it is actually quite amusing sometimes.

The food is really good too.  But recently it had a change in the executive position and the food was not as exciting as it used to be.  Hopefully, with some time, the place will gets its roots back.

←

Is the Bennet Curtis House going to be featured on Check, Please!?

=R=

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No the Bennet Curtis House is not planning on being on "check, please" any time soon. However, as I was saying before it is my hope that they will get back to their roots and concentrate on the food again. Once they accomplish this then the Bennet Curtis House will be on top of the food chain.