“Check, Please! Arizona” returns to Arizona PBS

Arizona residents are invited to nominate locally owned restaurants to be featured on the show

Arizona PBS is issuing a call for nominations of local and independently owned Arizona restaurants to be featured on new episodes of returning fan-favorite series “Check, Please! Arizona.”

The series explores eateries of all kinds, from fine dining to food trucks, local favorites to hidden gems. At its heart, “Check, Please! Arizona” puts a spotlight on food and restaurants that guests are excited about, sharing their stories across Arizona and beyond.

Before each episode, producers of the show will choose a trio of guests who will each dine at the three restaurants they recommend to each other. The guests then come together in a roundtable discussion with series host Mark Tarbell, an award-winning Arizona chef and restaurateur.

Tarbell, who was nominated by the James Beard Foundation for “Best Chef – Southwest,” is the owner of the popular Tarbell’s Restaurant as well as The Wine Store and The Tavern in Phoenix. He was named a winner on the Food Network’s “Iron Chef America” in 2007 and has appeared multiple times on The Cooking Channel. On Arizona PBS, Tarbell has hosted two prior seasons of “Check, Please! Arizona” and two seasons of “Plate & Pour,” for which he won a regional Emmy Award in 2020.

“I am thrilled to host the relaunch of “Check, Please! Arizona” – I love seeing the Arizona food scene through the eyes of our communities! This is going to be a dynamic season that honors Arizona PBS’ mission to enrich lives by building community connections, and I’m excited to be a part of it.”

“Check, Please! Arizona” premiered on Arizona PBS in 2011 and ran for eight seasons, becoming the station’s highest rated local show and winning five regional Emmy Awards. Now, as the restaurant industry strives to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, Arizona PBS is reviving “Check, Please! Arizona” to highlight the creativity and vitality of Arizona’s restaurateurs.

“As a new Arizonan, I’ve seen in the past five months that this is a proud state filled with history and culture,” said Arizona PBS General Manager Adrienne Fairwell. “I am ecstatic to bring back a show that will continue to feed that sense of pride. Arizona PBS’ multi-platform approach enables us to showcase the cuisines and stories that make the Grand Canyon State so unique and special.”

“I look forward to this renewed partnership with Arizona PBS because Arizona’s food scene is growing more diverse and exciting every year,” said David Manilow, creator of “Check, Please!” “We are thrilled to explore the places and dishes that people are passionate about, and can’t wait to see how the scene continues to develop.”

New episodes will begin taping in November, and the new season is scheduled to launch in January 2022. “Check, Please! Arizona” continuously accepts and reviews restaurant nominations; however, for the best chance to be included in the new season, nominations should be submitted to azpbs.org/be-on-check-please-az by Nov. 30, 2021.

Restaurants featured on “Check, Please! Arizona” are nominated by local viewers who are not affiliated with the restaurant. All featured restaurants must be local to Arizona, independently owned and have been in business for a minimum of two years.