Check, Please! Bay Area, season 18, episode 14, airs Thursday, February 8, at 7:30 pm, on KQED 9. See other television airtimes, and never miss an episode by subscribing to the video podcast.
In the heart of San Francisco’s Noe Valley neighborhood, Birch & Rye charms guests by reimagining traditional Russian and other Eastern European dishes with Californian flair — and a touch of experimental finesse. Then, in downtown Petaluma, Easy Rider brings Southern classics crafted with quality ingredients to Sonoma: think shrimp and grits, fried chicken, and pork belly biscuits paired with Southern-inspired cocktails and a local selection of Californian wines. Finally, from Oakland’s Great Lake neighborhood comes an intimate bakery with a focus on Asian flavors. At Bake Sum, expect tasty surprises from their ever-changing menu, from mochi bites, to musubi croissant mashups, to okonomiyaki danishes. Reporter Cecilia Phillips closes out this week’s episode in San Jose — home to the largest Vietnamese community outside of Vietnam — discovering perennial Vietnamese eats, treats and entertainment at Vietnam Town.
![](https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2024/02/1814guests-800x533.png)
Get Restaurant Information:
- Birch & Rye (San Francisco) [CLOSED]
- Easy Rider (Petaluma)
- Bake Sum (Oakland)
- Vietnam Town (San Jose)
![Host Leslie Sbrocco sipping wine](https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2019/04/Leslie-Headshot-Smokey-copy-800x540.jpg)
My name is Leslie Sbrocco, and I’m the host of Check, Please! Bay Area. Each week, I’ll share my tasting notes about the wine, beer and spirits the guests and I drank on set during the taping of the show.