Just try it!

When I was growing up and would wrinkle my nose at food I thought I would not like, Mom always said, "you'll never know unless you try." And, what do you know? Sometimes, I did like it.

As an adult there can be plenty of reasons you haven't tried a cuisine. Maybe you have never had Japanese sushi because you're afraid to eat something raw or the idea of Caribbean sautéed squid and fried plantains makes your face grimace with disgust. Is it the usual spices, the strange aromas, or just the very idea of the exotic ingredients that keeps you from trying it? Maybe you just don't want to pay for something you're afraid you won't like. That's safe and practical, but you could be missing out on something wonderful. Larry, one of this week's guest reviewers, suggests that most people tend to be afraid of the unknown.

Indian food, for example, tends to be very different from what many of us are used to. It is the unknown. It is probably not at the top of your list when you're looking for a place to eat. This week our guests all agreed that a restaurant called Veerasway is the place for Indian food first-timers because they really make the cuisine accessible. The way I see it, there are two things that will make a person more comfortable with the unknown – information and being eased into the experience. (I've never been the leap-into-it blindly type.) A place like Veerasway makes it easy to just try it.

First, if the name of a dish really doesn't describe the food, how can you know what to order? At Veerasway the menu helps the first-timer by providing simple descriptions of what is included in each dish – Information! Armed with this information, you may feel more confident and even a little more courageous. Second, the chef integrates Indian spices and presentation techniques with American foods we are already familiar with. This is a brilliant way of infusing a new flavor experience while insuring you will still enjoy what you have ordered. And the topper: the price is right. You won't go broke trying something new.

On a completely separate note, we have a celebrity on this week's Check, Please! - Ginger Zee, meteorologist from NBC5! Ginger's forecast for delicious dining and a great time out with the girls or on a date is Chaise Lounge. With a Sex in the City vibe, small plates, tall martinis, "night on the town" dresses, and very high heels, our three reviewers all seemed to enjoy this hip bar-restaurant spot!

I can't forget to mention Port Edward. Alpana said this was one of the most unique restaurants she has ever been to and Ginger said the décor reminded her of a restaurant at Disney World. There's a boat, on water, with fish swimming around, inside the restaurant! It's an extreme nautical themed experience. Aside from an abundantly delicious looking Friday seafood buffet, the place just looks interesting and fun!

That's what going out to eat should be – interesting and fun! Face it, most of us could make due with a microwave bowl of noodles if needed. But, eating out – it's a real treat. Don't let different aromas, unusual spices, bazaar décor, or a conservative approach to food hold you back. Expand your palette for culinary experiences unknown. Like Mom used to say, just try it.

Carmen M. Schmidt
Associate Producer, Check, Please!
WTTW

Foodie, or not a Foodie, you decide.

Every week Check, Please! offers restaurants featuring a variety of cuisines. It's interesting to see how people react to these cuisines. Most of our guest restaurant reviewers are "foodies," so you can expect that they will have an open mind when it comes to unfamiliar eating environments and cultures. But, this week's show proves that even foodies can find themselves in a rut.

This week's episode features three very different restaurants. Our guest reviewers were treated to rustic Italian, American southern, and Israeli cuisines. Not to mention a very eclectic mix of environments and serving styles. While two of our guest reviewers found their experiences at least interesting, finding something they liked about each of the restaurants, one guest reviewer was definitely biased towards a particular cuisine and just "couldn't handle it." Galit, a pastry chef originally from Israel, repeated this phrase a few times when describing her experience at the two restaurants her fellow reviewers recommended. Galit was overwhelmed by the portion sizes, thought the dishes were too heavy, insisted desserts should be light, and seemed to be a fan of just one type of cuisine. So here's my question: is Galit a foodie? For the answer, I searched the web for some descriptions, and here's what I found...

Foodie defined: (1) a person devoted to refined sensuous enjoyment, especially good food and drink. (2) An informal term for a particular class of aficionado of food and drink. A word coined in 1981 by Paul Levy and Ann Barr, who used it in the title of their book The Official Foodie Handbook. (3) A person with a special interest or knowledge of food, a gourmet.

Asking friends and co-workers, I gathered the sense that a foodie is someone who gets excited about different food, eats out frequently, and is open to new food experiences. You see a light in their face when a foodie talks about all things food.

So, taking all of these definitions into account, the verdict is that, yes, Galit is a foodie. Though, at least from this episode of Check, Please!, you'll gather that she doesn't like to step outside of her culinary comfort zone, she was very passionate about her own favorites.

Now Patrick, our guest reviewer who recommended Enoteca Roma, an Italian restaurant in Bucktown, didn't look Italian, but he definitely knew how to pronounce the names of the dishes. I think he is definitely a foodie. Just listen to how he describes his dessert and tells you how he dreamt about it – that's a guy who is excited about food. He also was very knowledgeable of the varying types of foods he tried at the other restaurants and very open minded about the experience, even though he probably wouldn't have chosen those restaurants himself.

Southern hospitality was abounding at Mint Julep Bistro, a favorite Palatine eatery of our guest reviewer Fred. Another foodie, Fred had a mouth-watering way of describing the Po' Boy sandwich that dripped down his chin in all it's southern goodness. (Sounds a little messy, but delicious!) Fred wasn't just excited about his restaurant of choice. You'll see that Patrick and Fred were shocked that Galit's response to the classic Italian serving of polenta poured family-style on the stone with all those wonderful topping options.

So let us know what you think after you watch. Is Galit a foodie? Are you one? Do you step outside your comfort zone when you go out to eat? Remember, a lot of southern food is fried, Italian food portions tend to be large, and Israeli food features fresh ingredients in smaller portions. It may not be what you're used to, but does it taste good? Is it worth what you paid? Did you enjoy the experience of trying something new? Tell us all about it...

Carmen M. Schmidt
Associate Producer, Check, Please!
WTTW

How can I be on Check, Please!?

When people learn that I work on the production of Check, Please!, the reaction is always the same. First, I'm told just how much people love the show. They love Alpana and get excited about discovering new places to eat. Then, they proceed to tell me about one of the restaurants they visited because of the show or about their favorite restaurant and how it should be on the show. And finally, the question comes: how can I be on Check, Please!?

It's always great to hear that people are enjoying the show. A lot of effort going into putting it together, and so we're always really happy to hear that people are actually watching. It's our audience that keeps this show alive and the never ending supply of restaurant options in Chicago and the suburbs that keep it fresh.

But, we can't forget our guest reviewers – they make good television.

So, just how do you get to be on Check, Please!? Well, first you really have to love food and going out to eat. It's really good if you have visited a good variety of restaurants and have a solid idea of what it is you prefer from the menu, service, and atmosphere. Are you a big portions eater? Or do you like a place that serves a really great cocktail? Once you know this, then decide which is your most favorite restaurant and why. Who is the chef? How would you categorize or characterize the food? Visit this favorite restaurant several times and try a variety of appetizers, dishes, and/or drinks. Learn about the specialties. You may even want to know some of the history.

Then come back to this website. Before telling us about your favorite restaurant, make sure it's not on the list of restaurants we have already covered on the series. We've brought you over 370 restaurants through our nine seasons of Check, Please!, but there are still plenty of eateries that haven't been reviewed. If your favorite restaurants are not on the list, then we're on to the next step.

Then, still right here on our website, look up and click on "Be on Show." Here you will find an electronic form to complete that will ask you some questions about you and your favorite place to eat. Complete this application, and press submit. Now, you wait. Our Executive Producer will scan through all of the interested candidates, and maybe even visit the restaurants you mention to check it out again for himself. And then, just maybe, just maybe, he'll give you a call! Believe me, there are no special "ins."

So that's how it's done! Who knows, maybe you will be our next guest reviewer! Good Luck!

Carmen M. Schmidt
Associate Producer, Check, Please!
WTTW

Aren't the portions always big?

So, who doesn't like chocolate?! It's a common biological need. Or at least that's my take on the subject. I mean when the next episode features a restaurant called Hot Chocolate, how can you go wrong?

The morning we were set to work on the show, I stopped by the local coffee shop and picked-up a few cups of gourmet Hot Chocolate and croissants to go, and brought them to the crew. It was going to be unbearable sitting there watching decadent chocolate desserts on screen without having some chocolate to enjoy. Needless to say, I was very popular that day.

Okay, so Hot Chocolate is not just a dessert bar. Our guests said the food was good too, but the desserts really made the meal special. Donielle, our guest reviewer who recommended Hot Chocolate, was a hoot. I love to see guests who are passionate about their favorite restaurants. They bring so much energy and levity to the conversation. I would have liked to join her on her mission to discover the best dessert in Chicago. That is definitely a task I could sink my teeth into.

This week's episode also features a restaurant with a mission that goes beyond satisfying your culinary palette. Along with serving a unique menu of delicious dishes, Café Too serves a community need. Young people and people looking to better their life situations find much more than a job washing dishes at Café Too. They are given the opportunity to hone their skills in the restaurant industry. When you eat at this restaurant you become a part of so much more and, like our reviewer Yana said, it feeds the soul.

We're serving up a sizeable segment of Italian cuisine on this episode as well. I hope you're hungry because our reviewer Donielle says the portions are huge! But it's Italian food. Aren't the portions always big? Anyway, all of our guest reviewers agreed that if you visit Giacomo's in Des Plaines, bring a hefty appetite. What surprised me is that Yana, the guest reviewer who lived in Italy and recommended Giacomo's, complained earlier in the show about the heavy portions at Hot Chocolate leaving her no room for dessert. Yana, you made room for those hefty Italian dishes, I think you can find room for a chocolaty dessert – that's just my opinion.

I'll leave you this week with a behind-the-scenes story. As you know from prior posts, the show is in High-Definition this season. And as you also probably know, even the smallest of details on a person's face or on a TV set are magnified tenfold when viewed in HD. Well, under the hot studio lights and thrust in front of studio cameras, most people perspire just a bit when they are being filmed. And the folks on the Check, Please! set – behind and in front of the camera – are no exception. The problem is that delicious food and sweat droplets don't mix, and so...enter powder-puff! Like I told our Executive Producer, David Manilow earlier this week, Howdy-Doody didn't have these problems. We all loved him on our grainy black and white sets. He probably had a bunch of knicks and dents on that wooden head of his, and we were none the wiser! Ah, progress...

Carmen M. Schmidt
Associate Producer, Check, Please!
WTTW

"un-Belizably" Delicious Food

Our ninth season of Check, Please! is off to the races with three more exciting new restaurant conversations. Are you feeling like having a big juicy steak in a classic Chicago setting? Or, maybe you're looking for some South American flavor. Let me tell you, this next episode has it all.

As Alpana puts it, you will find "un-Belizably" delicious food and fun when our guest reviewer, Jelani, introduces us to one of only two restaurants in Chicago offering traditional dishes from Belize. At the WTTW Studios, the crew and I had about eight different ways to say the restaurant's name. Finally, we had to listen carefully to the owner as he pronounced it correctly. The restaurant is Garifuna Flava, pronounced Gah-ri-foo-nah Flay-vah. It is named for a small area in Belize where the owner's family is from. Bold flavors, wonderful people, and a geography lesson too. Very cool.

All I have to say about New Rebozo in Oak Park is "Oh my God!" In fact, after you watch this next episode, you may be struck with the need to repeatedly say "Oh my God!" too. Working on this episode, the editor and I were bombarded with numerous "Oh my Gods!" by the very charismatic, over-the-top, huggy, kissy, restaurant owner and chef, Paco. This man is full of charm. I did not officially count how many times we heard "Oh my God!" while editing, but I think it may be safe to say we were nearing 100! You see, this was the first official English phrase Paco learned when he came to the U.S. from Mexico several years ago, and now he uses it for everything that elicits an emotion. "Are you ready for some Oh my God food?" Paco sure hopes you are! While some might think "enough already!"...I couldn't help but hold back a laugh when I heard it for the twentieth time. Our guest reviewers certainly found their restaurant experience was all the more memorable because of it. Incidentally, watch for one of my favorite food shots in this restaurant review, it's a Mole Extravaganza! Twelve different flavor moles, artfully displayed on kitchen spoons. Clever!

Well, I've said it before, but it bears repeating, I really get hungry as I work on this show. I hope you have a meal before you watch this episode or you might find yourself grabbing your jacket and keys and heading for the restaurant before the credits roll. No worries though, we've got you covered at wttw.com/checkplease. Check us out each week for the details on all of the featured restaurants immediately following their premiere broadcast.

And now for a little "taste" of what's to come... dessert lovers stay-tuned! The chocolate is coming!

Carmen M. Schmidt
Associate Producer, Check, Please!
WTTW

Welcome back!

Welcome back to the new season of Check, Please! We're excited to bring you a ninth season of culinary treasures. As a new Associate Producer to the production, I'm excited to tell you about what else is new. Along with over 40 new restaurants and charismatic guests from all over Chicagoland, there are more new things to talk about on the production side as well.

This season, we're producing the show in High Definition! That's right. If seeing all of the dishes from our featured restaurants made your mouth water in the past, then get your napkins ready now. If you're a new viewer, then you have picked a great time to start watching. Each episode is produced in beautiful, high definition bringing you every delicious culinary detail, except for the aroma. But, we'll get on that. As soon as we can bring you that sensory experience, we will. I can tell you that it has not been easy sitting over here at the WTTW Studios as we edit the show – watching people enjoy the delectable food from a distance. We get VERY hungry and the cafeteria vending machines just don't cut it! I can't wait to try some of these restaurants myself.

You may also notice Alpana's new haircut. It's a much sleeker look that frames her charming smile beautifully. Alpana has taken off about five inches of her dark brown locks this season, and she looks all the lovelier for it in her shoulder length "bob."

The first episode of the season is a personal favorite of mine. Not just because it was the first episode I have worked on…or because it features Café Central, a Puerto Rican restaurant, and I'm Puerto Rican...but, because our guests drew us in and made us laugh while we were working to get the show just right. You will definitely find an eclectic selection of restaurants in the first episode, maybe even something new to get excited about, when you plan your next meal out. Like our guest interviewer Monte says, "Stuff wrapped in bacon! What's not to love?"

Make sure to visit our website weekly and participate in the new Check, Please! Challenge for a chance to win a variety of delicious prizes donated by some very generous partners. You can also watch the show year, search for restaurant information, give us your own review of each restaurant, try some famous restaurant recipes, and much more. Everything you need to plan a great dinner date is right here at your fingertips.

I hope you enjoy the new season. Now, get out your napkins and be ready to drool!

Carmen M. Schmidt
Associate Producer, Check, Please!
WTTW

More Check, Please!

Check, Please! began in Chicago in 2001, but has now launched local versions in three other markets: San Francisco, Miami and our newest market, Kansas City.

Check out a promo for the Kansas City show:

http://www.kcpt.org/video/check_please.mov