Check, Please! Arizona Season 3

All-New Season 3 Launches Thursday, January 3 at 7 p.m. on Eight, Arizona PBS;
Second Tasting Tour to 5 Valley Restaurants Set for Tuesday, January 22

PHOENIX…December 20, 2012…If local is the new global, then it helps explain the ever-increasing popularity of Emmy Award-winning Check, Please! Arizona. The weekly dine-and-dish program is entering its third season on Eight, Arizona PBS. Nowhere else will Arizona food fans find locally owned restaurants reviewed by local residents with a local host, Robert McGrath – who’s also an internationally acclaimed James Beard award-winning chef.

The season three premiere of Check, Please! Arizona airs Thursday, January 3, 2013 at 7 p.m.

“Everything about the show is local, and that has contributed to its success,” said Nancy Southgate, Eight’s associate general manager for content and executive producer of the show. “During 2012, our Check, Please! Arizona prime-time audience was up 154 percent over 2011. We think much of that growth comes from word-of-mouth recommendations among viewers and a younger audience than many of our PBS programs usually attract.”

Each week, Check, Please! Arizona features a trio of guests who dine and then review three local restaurants they recommended to each other. Long-time Valley chef and restaurateur Robert McGrath hosts the half-hour program. To appear on the show, viewers must nominate their favorite eatery (restaurant, supper club, diner, lunch cafe, dive, hole-in-the-wall, food truck, etc.) at azpbs.org/checkplease.

Southgate also revealed some of the restaurants featured on Check, Please! Arizona in the new season: Short Leash Hot Dogs (food truck), Valley-wide; Petite Maison, Scottsdale; Mrs. White’s Golden Rule Cafe, Phoenix; Joe’s Real BBQ, Gilbert; and Yasu Sushi Bistro, Phoenix. On January 31, the entire show will be devoted to restaurants in northern Arizona, including Tinderbox Kitchen in Flagstaff.

Viewers also have the chance to taste dishes from restaurants already featured on the show. Reservations are being taken for the second Check, Please! Arizona Tasting Tour on Tuesday, January 22. Join other foodies aboard luxury coach transportation to five of the show’s memorable dining destinations: Durants, CiBO Urban Pizzeria, Gallo Blanco Café, Havana Café and The Greekfest. Wine tastings from different Arizona vineyards will be served at each location by members of the Arizona Wine Growers Association.

Seating for the Check, Please! Arizona Tasting Tour is limited to 100 guests. Two groups of 50 each will depart at 5 and 5:30 p.m.  A donation of $125 per person supports programs on Eight. For information or to sign up, visit azpbs.org/checkplease/restaurant_tour.

Media Contact:  Colleen O’Donnell Pierce
[email protected]
(602) 496-0579
(602) 478-3867 (cell)
Visit azpbs.org/pressroom

About Arizona PBS

Arizona PBS is a trusted community resource.  For over 52 years, the PBS station has focused on educating children, reporting in-depth on public affairs, fostering lifelong learning and celebrating arts and culture. Arizona PBS achieves its mission through the power of non-commercial television, the Internet, educational outreach and community-based initiatives. Its signal reaches 80 percent of the homes in Arizona. With more than 1 million viewers weekly, Arizona PBS consistently ranks among the most-viewed public television stations per capita in the country. For more information, visit azpbs.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest or Tumblr.

Arizona PBS is a member-supported community service of Arizona State University and the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.