For immediate release
Chicago, IL - October 11, 2019
WTTW’s Emmy-winning local restaurant review series CHECK, PLEASE! returns for its 19th season with host Alpana Singh, noted local restaurateur and master sommelier, on Friday, October 25 at 8:00 pm on WTTW11 and wttw.com/checkplease, which also includes video of each segment, a listing of all restaurants reviewed on the series, recipes, Alpana’s blog, and more.
Season 19 will feature hot spots and hangouts from neighborhood favorites to award-winning fine dining – including the show’s very first coffeehouse in episode one. Future episodes will feature eateries in Chicago’s Fulton Market, Logan Square, Rogers Park, Ukrainian Village, Hyde Park, and Old Irving Park neighborhoods, and in the suburbs as well.
The season will kick off with three “regular-person guest reviewers” – kitchen and bath designer Mike Gilbert, educational consultant Keisha Rembert, and healthcare marketing manager Joanna Moy Lukawski – who will compare notes on their experiences at Peppercorns Kitchen in Evanston, Pacific Standard Time in River North, and Finom Coffee in Old Irving Park.
Singh, who returned to the show last year, will be celebrating her 12th season as host. “I’m excited to be back,” said Singh. “Every year, I can’t wait to see what our reviewers will bring to the table, and the surprising discoveries we will share with our audiences.”
“Chicago is a restaurant town, and dining out is a favorite pastime in our city. CHECK, PLEASE! brings residents from across the city together to suggest authentic dining recommendations and inspire exploration,” said Lisa Tipton, WTTW’s Head of Programming.
CHECK, PLEASE! social and digital channels will feature behind-the-scenes footage, food, and dining trends and weekly stories about Chicago’s culinary landscape from Singh. Viewers can also visit wttw.com/checkplease to find more than 650 reviews of eateries from the course of the series, recipes, blogs and much more.
CHECK, PLEASE! is produced by Erica Gunderson, and directed by Marc Shaykin. Associate Directors: Nick Georgouses, Jack Ginay, and Hope Halliburton. Associate Producer: Jasmine White. Post-Production Supervisor: Mark Anderson. Editors: Barbara E. Allen, Tim Jackson, and Wayne Kumingo. Director of Photography: Tom Siegel. Field Lighting: Danny Rozkuszka. Executive Producers: David Manilow and Geoffrey Baer.
About Alpana Singh
Restaurateur (Terra & Vine) and sought-after public speaker Alpana Singh played a significant role in bringing the James Beard Foundation Awards to Chicago and has been an enthusiastic ambassador for the local restaurant scene. She received the Sommelier of the Year Wine Star award from Wine Enthusiast, was named one of Food & Wine’s Sommeliers of the Year. Alpana served as host of CHECK, PLEASE! from 2003-2013 and returned in 2018.
About CHECK, PLEASE!
WTTW’s Emmy-winning restaurant review series Check, Please! and its continually rotating trio of “regular people” restaurant reviewers have exposed Chicagoans to local eateries across a wide span of neighborhoods, cuisines, ethnicities, and price points – encouraging viewers to experience all that the Chicago area’s vibrant and diverse dining scene has to offer – on-air, on social, and online. Series host Alpana Singh creates a warm atmosphere and facilitates a lively discussion with the guests.
About WTTW
WTTW is the PBS member station in Chicago, committed to creating and presenting unique media content across distinct television and digital channels – WTTW11, WTTW Prime, WTTW Create/WTTW World, WTTW PBS Kids 24/7, wttw.com and the PBS/WTTW video app. Recognized for award-winning journalism and local productions such as Chicago Tonight, Chicago River Tour, Check, Please!, digital-first series Urban Nature and Foodphiles and national productions 10 That Changed America and Nature Cat, WTTW presents the very best in public affairs, arts and culture, nature and science, history and documentary, and children’s public media content. Connect with WTTW on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
