Check, Please! Arizona
“Check, Please! Arizona” puts locally owned Arizona restaurants in the spotlight. In every episode, three guests review restaurants they recommend to each other.
LATEST Check, Please! Arizona
Spinato's Pizzeria and Family Kitchen: A Rise to Greatness
March 30
Nestled in the heart of Phoenix, Arizona, Spinato's Pizzeria and Family Kitchen is a neighborhood gem that has been delighting pizza lovers for over four decades.
Check, Please! Arizona
From 2011 to 2018, “Check, Please! Arizona” featured close to 300 restaurants around the Valley and across Arizona, earning four regional Emmy Awards. In every episode, the show featured three guests who dined at and then reviewed three local restaurants they recommended to each other. Chef Mark Tarbell moderated these lively roundtable discussions, adding his own expertise as a restaurateur. After a four-year hiatus, the show returned in 2022 and is now about to launch its tenth season!
Every Thursday at 7 p.m., join Mark and three guests – members of our community who have volunteered to share their favorite restaurants – as they review and recommend some of their favorite independent Arizona restaurants. See more about upcoming episodes and watch “Check, Please! Arizona” online or on the PBS app.
Want to join the fun?
If you would like to talk about your favorite Arizona eatery (restaurant, supper club, diner, lunch cafe, dive, hole-in-the-wall, food truck, etc.!) on “Check, Please! Arizona,” please complete the form below.
Please note that in order to appear on the show, you must be at least 21 years old and be willing to travel to and participate in a taping at Arizona PBS’ studios in downtown Phoenix. The taping may take place on a weekday or a weekend, and will last a few hours. If you are chosen to be a guest on “Check, Please! Arizona,” you must also be able to get to our studios and travel to restaurant locations within Arizona. On occasion, the show includes restaurants outside the Valley, so please feel free to submit your favorite restaurants anywhere in Arizona! For more guidelines, please see our Frequently Asked Questions.
Remember, the more you express yourself and provide specific details about your restaurant recommendation on this form, the more likely you will be considered as a possible guest. Don’t be shy! We love hearing about restaurants that are off the beaten path – the more interesting the locale or cuisine, the better.
Thank you and bon appétit!
Mark Tarbell
Chef Mark Tarbell studied in Paris at the Ecole du Cuisine La Varenne, where he earned a Grande Diplôme d’Etude Culinaire. He also studied at Steven Spurrier’s l’Academie du Vin.
At 23, Tarbell moved to Arizona and joined The Boulders Resort in Carefree, becoming the youngest Food & Beverage Director of any Five Diamond property in the world. In 1994, he opened Tarbell’s Restaurant, followed by Barmouche in 1999 and The Oven (in Colorado) in 2004. Tarbell opened The Wine Store in 2013 and The Tavern in 2014.
The James Beard Foundation nominated Tarbell for “Best Chef – Southwest.” He is also a two-time inductee to The Arizona Hall of Culinary Fame, and his restaurants have earned more than 50 “Best Of” city and industry awards, including a “Best Restaurant” from Food and Wine magazine.
Tarbell’s frequent television and radio appearances include winning “Iron Chef America” on The Food Network as well as multiple appearances on The Cooking Channel. He has been the weekly wine columnist for the Arizona Republic since 2004 as well as a judge at the Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits competition (the largest and oldest in the country) for 25 years.
On Arizona PBS, Tarbell has hosted two seasons of “Check, Please! Arizona,” two seasons of “Plate & Pour” and “Plate & Pour: Takeout” on Instagram.
Tarbell also serves on many different advisory councils and boards, from the Arizona Department of Education to the Phoenix Art Museum and Phoenix Theatre. Tarbell has lent his services as a chef and wine connoisseur to raise millions of dollars at events such as the International Taste of Tennis, Culinary Evening with the California Winemasters for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, CASA, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Hospice of the Valley, C-CAP, Humane USA for the Humane Society, and dozens more.