Bay Area Restaurants Featured on KQED

- The host of "Check, Please! Bay Area" is Leslie Sbrocco, an Emmy and James Beard award-winning author and television personality. The show's format involves three guests who each choose a favorite local restaurant for the others to try anonymously before they all discuss their experiences. - Tacos Oscar, located in a converted alleyway in Oakland's Temescal neighborhood, operates its kitchen out of a shipping container. The restaurant has earned a Bib Gourmand distinction from the Michelin Guide and is known for unconventional offerings like a charred broccoli taco with peanut sauce. - Sideboard's name is a tribute to co-owner Ford Andrews' grandmother's sideboard, a piece of furniture that was central to family meals. On the show, a guest noted that the restaurant literally keeps its cutlery in a sideboard, adding another layer to the name. - New Eritrea Restaurant & Bar in the Inner Sunset was lauded on the program for its extensive vegetarian options, particularly the vegetarian combo platter served on injera bread. One of the show's guests, who claimed to have visited every Eritrean and Ethiopian restaurant in San Francisco, declared New Eritrea to be their favorite. - Owners of Sideboard, Erin and Ford Andrews, were named the 2026 Lafayette Business Persons of the Year by the local Chamber of Commerce for creating a community hub. - Tacos Oscar began as a pop-up in 2014, building a loyal following before establishing its permanent brick-and-mortar location. - The cost for an average multi-course meal per person (without drinks) at both Sideboard and New Eritrea was estimated to be around $30 on the show.