Check, Please! Bay Area | 620 Jones, Radhaus, Caf de la Presse | Season 17 | Episode 6

August 2024 · 24 minute read

go to unwind after a long day of fighting evil?

The cast and crew of "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" reveal their favorite San Francisco restaurants.

Just ahead on a very magical "Check Please!

Bay Area."

And I think we have to come up with a spell for "Maximus Saltus" or something.

[ Laughter ] ♪♪ Sbrocco: Hi.

I'm Leslie Sbrocco.

Welcome to "Check Please!

Bay Area," the show where regular Bay Area residents review and talk about their favorite restaurants.

Only this time, we've worked a bit of magic, transforming our set to make our special guests feel right at home.

To set the stage... ♪♪ ...nearly 20 years after Harry, Hermione, and Ron graduated from Hogwarts and defeated their nemesis, their children are off to follow in their footsteps.

So begins the play "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child."

Performer Melanie Brezill plays Moaning Myrtle, the Trolley Witch, and a slew of other characters.

Actor Ben Papac plays Harry Potter's son Albus.

And Aly Workman is behind the scenes as their stage manager extraordinaire.

Welcome, everyone.

Workman: Thank you!

Papac: Thank you so much.

Sbrocco: Now, Melanie, I just have to kick it off and say I love this show.

It is so wonderful.

We'll talk lots about it.

But you are what's called a swing actor, which means you play multiple different roles, including that scene-stealing Moaning Myrtle.

Give me a little Moaning Myrtle voice.

Brezill: [ As Moaning Myrtle ] Oh.

[ Laughs ] This is gonna be fun.

[ Laughter ] [ Normal voice ] And she's just one of the several parts that I get to play as a swing.

Sbrocco: What else do you get to play?

Brezill: I cover Rose Granger-Weasley, Madame Hooch, and the Trolley Witch, as well as a student.

Sbrocco: Alright, so you have to learn a lot of lines and remember a lot of things.

Brezill: I remember quite a lot of things, most of the time.

[ Laughter ] Sbrocco: Alright.

Well, Melanie's pick is just steps away from the Curran Theatre.

Featuring late-night bites and one of the city's largest rooftop bars, it's no wonder it's become her go-to post-show hangout.

In San Francisco's Theater District, it's 620 Jones.

♪♪ Hopfinger: Everything good?

Awesome.

Hines: This is a huge oasis, a hidden treasure in the middle of San Francisco, and you don't even know it would be here.

You're walking through a corridor and you come into this amazing, beautiful spot with all the palm trees and flowers.

This is our 11th year, and there is plenty of people who come in here who are just, like, three blocks away.

I'm like, "Oh, my God.

I had no idea."

Hopfinger: It's a hidden gem.

Hines: Yeah.

Yes.

Hopfinger: I'm a third-generation chef.

Been cooking for 30-something years.

You can hear it making that magical sound in here.

It was on "Top Chef" way back in the day.

I love ceviche.

It's one of my favorite things to eat.

Throw that right there.

We used fresh line-caught snapper.

It's local.

Right from the bay.

Can't go wrong.

A little bourbon.

Also the barbecue pork sliders are amazing.

It's got a nice light slaw in there.

Super crispy, and amazing house-made barbecue sauce.

Woman: Ooh!

[ Indistinct conversations ] Woman: Yum!

Hines: There's nothing else than like having a dish and someone is like, "Can we have another one, please?"

And that's just really awesome.

Hopfinger: More.

Hines: More yeah.

And it's just like -- Eating food with your fingers -- it's an experience.

Food tastes better when you can move your hands.

Man: Wow.

That's good.

Hopfinger: At Jones, we've got amazing cocktails.

There's three different bars to choose from.

They're always bustling, lots of fun activity, and some really colorful, innovative cocktails.

[ Laughter ] Hines: What I would love for people who come to 620 Jones to take with them is a memory.

Man: Cheers.

Man #2: Cheers.

Hines: What you can do is, you can show up with 20 people, and we'll be like, "We got you."

Hopfinger: Yeah.

It's a very customizable space.

Hines: Yeah.

[ Laughter ] And just having a full belly, feeling good, and leaving happy and ready to come back.

Hopfinger: Serving them good times.

Hines: Yeah, serving them good times at 620 Jones.

[ Clicks tongue ] Sbrocco: Now, this is really a late-night spot, isn't it?

Brezill: It is.

They also have an amazing happy hour, as well.

Sbrocco: But do you usually go after the show -- play, show?

Sbrocco: I do.

I'll sneak away after a show.

Many times, I'll go, like, in between rehearsal.

It's really a hidden gem.

You know, you walk in and it opens up into this outdoor tropical oasis, and instantly, you feel like you are on vacation.

I absolutely love it.

Sbrocco: Alright, and what do you get when you go?

Do you have a favorite cocktail, a favorite dish?

Brezill: I do.

So, I always start out with the grilled corn.

Chef's kiss.

The grilled corn is topped with traditional elote seasoning.

So you've got your Cotija cheese and the mayonnaise and the paprika, and it's just drizzled on each one.

And it also has a splash of lime juice that just really gives it an extra little zing.

My most exciting detail about this corn is that it comes on a Popsicle stick.

Sbrocco: That's right.

Brezill: So it's really fun to eat, as well as being delicious.

Sbrocco: You just have to make sure to floss before the show.

Brezill: Yes.

Mm-hmm.

You know, they also do really good mac-and-cheese croquettes.

If you like mac and cheese, this is a really fun twist on traditional mac and cheese.

They're lightly breaded and battered.

Inside, in each bite, there's ooey-gooey mac and cheese, made with three different cheeses, and it really just hits the mark.

Very easy to share or to hoard all for yourself.

Papac: I will say, the food was beautifully presented.

I think they did the best presentational job, in my opinion.

I had the ceviche.

They served it in this lovely angled white bowl with oversize purple tortilla chips that you could break into pieces and then pick up that diced tomato and shrimp and snapper.

Now, I would have liked the shrimp and the snapper to be a little more tender.

It felt like they hadn't been in the ceviche as long as I would have liked, but the flavor was beautifully citrusy, had a great tang to it.

And I think that dish represents how well they present everything at this restaurant.

The beauty of the dishes is really an enjoyable experience.

Workman: I had the crispy cauliflower, which is so good, very crispy, true to its name.

It has, like, a beer-batter crust with rice flour.

And the rice flour, I think, is what really makes it very nice and crispy.

Papac: Oh, it was amazing.

And they served it with a chimichurri sauce.

Oh, my gosh.

Once you dipped it into the chimichurri sauce, it was like a three-layered experience as you bit into it.

A delicious thing to eat.

Workman: It was so nice, though, because I feel like sometimes, when you get a dish like that, the cauliflower on the inside can be a little mushy, but it held its texture.

It had a nice bite.

You know, something that to really dig your teeth into.

Brezill: Oh, yeah.

So, speaking of biting your teeth into a dish, the barbecue pork-shoulder sliders, they are fantastic.

Comes with this hickory-smoked barbecue sauce that really just adds so much flavor.

The pork is tender and juicy, and they top it with honey poppy seed coleslaw that adds this nice bit of crunch and texture to it.

These are amazing.

I always order those.

Workman: We also had the caprese salad, which was really nice -- nice balls of mozzarella and tomato, nice hand-carved croutons, which kind of soaked up all that extra flavor.

Really, really flavorful.

Sbrocco: And it doesn't just have savory dishes, does it?

Brezill: Oh, they've got sweets.

They do amazing desserts.

There's a chocolate torte that's really creamy and rich.

Papac: Okay, well, I'm going back.

Brezill: That's right.

We definitely have to go back.

But it's a great time.

Workman: We went for happy hour, actually, and they have a rotating cocktail for happy hour.

That day, it was a mango margarita, which was very good.

We also had a sangria.

Just not too sweet, but not too boozy.

It was very drinkable, really refreshing.

Brezill: They really do put the "happy" in the happy hour, in my opinion.

So, this is their take on a frosé.

Absolutely fun in a glass.

And, wow, the slushie.

It's a little sweet, it's a little sour, and it's sort of nostalgic of, like, drinking a slushie when you were a kid.

Such a great cocktail that I definitely recommend.

Sbrocco: Would you go back?

Workman: Absolutely.

Yeah.

It's such a great place to go before a show, after a show.

It's great for, like, big groups, for a date night.

I think it's a really good atmosphere for whatever you're looking for.

Sbrocco: I think people need to say thank you to Melanie.

Workman: Yes.

Thank you, Melanie.

Brezill: You're welcome.

Papac: Happy hour next week?

Brezill: Happy hour next week.

Sbrocco: Who's paying?

Papac: Right.

[ Laughter ] Sbrocco: Alright, if you would like to try 620 Jones, it's located on Jones Street in San Francisco, and the average tab per person without drinks is around $55.

Alright, Aly, I have to say, when I was watching the show, I just kept saying, "How did they do that?

How did they do that?"

Workman: People.

There's so many people behind the scenes -- hundreds of people that are truly contributing.

And it's amazing to see how everyone's efforts come together.

Sbrocco: I kept thinking to myself, "What if that person actually didn't disappear?"

Then what do you do at that point, right?

Workman: We have plans for everything, and no matter what it is, we make it look magical and keep the show going, you know?

Sbrocco: Okay, let's get to Aly's pick, A contemporary beer hall with hearty German fare that fills her with nostalgia for her family's Bavarian roots.

In San Francisco's Fort Mason, it's Radhaus.

♪♪ Matthew: My name is Matthew Hulme, and this is my brother.

Aaron: My name is Aaron Hulme, and we are the owners of Radhaus Restaurant.

♪♪ We just wanted a place that was the coolest place to get a beer in town.

Aaron: "Radhaus" -- it is a German word.

It means wheelhouse.

Like the bridge of a ship.

The wheelhouse.

So it's like the center of everything.

Prost.

I think we chose German beer because it's really the gold standard for beer, period.

We basically have 12 beers, and then we have one cider.

So you're going to see what we think is the very best example of Bavarian brewing tradition.

Matthew: And some beers now, we serve more of them than any location outside of Germany.

Waters: When I think of Radhaus, I like to think of, like, the best of Bavaria and the best of California.

When I come up with menu items, the beer is the first thing I think about.

How is the guest going to eat this with beer?

How is it going to blend together?

We have a lot of, like, classic German alpine dishes mixed with fun, playful California interpretations, using what I think is the best produce in the world.

♪♪ Aaron: The bar came from two trees that used to be in the middle of Camp Mather, outside of Yosemite, and they were taken by drought and bark beetles.

We counted the rings.

It's about 320-something years old.

We'd like to think it's the oldest bar in San Francisco.

[ Ice rattling in shaker ] Matthew: You could not have a beer hall or a beer garden, in my opinion, without this kind of seating, which is very intimate and communal.

Everything that we do skews toward that.

Waters: The location here is amazing, having an open kitchen with that view.

Sometimes I forget it's there, and then it could be a busy shift, and I look up and I'm like, "Oh.

Oh, my God.

I can't believe this is here."

[ Chuckles ] Matthew: There's a word in Bavaria called "Gemutlichkeit," which is basically "good feeling time."

That feeling is the feeling you have after you sit down, after a long day, you have your beer, prost, you take a big sip, you put it down -- that feeling.

Aaron: And it is the best beer in the world.

I'll stand behind that.

♪♪ Both: Prost.

Sbrocco: How did you discover this spot in Fort Mason?

It's not near the theater.

Workman: It's not near the theater, no.

Actually, a company member, one of the actors in the show, posted a little clip of the restaurant on Instagram, and I was like, "Where is that?

I have to go.

It's so beautiful."

So, I have German heritage in my family, and my parents were in town.

When we went, and it was actually really special.

We discovered that they have a beer that is from a brewery in the Black Forest region in Germany that we've actually been to, which was really cool, because we've never seen this beer anywhere else.

Sbrocco: So, their beer list is something else.

But they've also got, you know, German wines and spirits and schnapps and, you know, the whole of it.

So we'll talk about that.

But in terms of the food, what do you like to get when you go?

Workman: So, I think if you're going to go for German food, you should always start with a pretzel.

It's kind of standard.

Sprinkled with some nice, coarse salt, and it comes with this really nice, cheesy dish that you kind of dip it in.

But it also has the classic traditional mustard -- a nice grainy mustard to dip it in.

Papac: In my opinion, when I go to a beer garden, you have to try the bratwurst.

That is one of the quintessential dishes of a beer garden, and it was amazing.

The sausage was delectable, delicious, a little caramelized, you know, the skin on the outside.

And they served it with mashed potatoes with this smoky, rich gravy just doused on top of it.

And that was my favorite dish there.

Workman: One of my favorite dishes is the kasespatzle.

It's a hand-pulled dumpling noodle.

So it's, like, dropped in the water.

It's very rustic.

It is super cheesy, super creamy, but then it also has some nice green onion on top and caramelized onion.

It's just so rich, and it's very heavy, but it makes it a really nice dish to share if you'd like, or to have on your own if you're feeling indulgent.

Brezill: Yeah.

I also tried the kasespatzle, which I thought was really, really good.

I was surprised by the sweetness of the Gruyere cheese.

It was really tasty.

But I also had the Brussels sprouts with the alpine fondue and black vinegar.

And I am not exaggerating when I say these may have been the best Brussels sprouts I have ever had.

They were roasted to perfection.

The alpine fondue is in the center, with paprika sprinkled on top.

It look like a holiday wreath sort of surrounding this fondue.

And they were delicious.

Papac: Oh, yeah.

Brezill: So good.

Papac: There wasn't anything left in that dish when I was done with it.

Workman: No.

It's funny, too, because I think, when you think of, like, a fondue, you think of something really heavy, really, like, super rich.

It's very rich, but it's not very heavy.

It's almost like a whipped fondue.

Like, it's very light and almost frothy.

Brezill: Yes.

Sbrocco: Any other dishes that you can recommend?

Workman: Yeah.

The deviled eggs were really good.

They're so beautifully presented.

They're white, and then some of the eggs are pink, which is just a really lovely surprise to have.

And again, super light, a very good appetizer, you know, something to kind of whet the palate with.

Brezill: I did save room for dessert.

Sbrocco: Oh, that's good.

Brezill: And I got the kasekuchen, which was German cheesecake.

It was topped with this lingonberry jam, and they had it garnished with edible flowers that added a nice touch.

Brezill: It was perfect.

Sbrocco: It's magic.

Brezill: It's magic.

Workman: It's magic.

Brezill: Creamy texture.

Really rich.

The lingonberry really added a nice bit of tartness that really just set this dish off.

I loved every bite of it.

Sbrocco: And it really does have that, you know, again, that German, you know -- "Let's get ourselves a beer."

[ Laughter ] Brezill: I really wanted to do that.

I actually ordered a beer because -- and I normally am not a beer drinker, but I'm like, you can't come to a beer garden and not have beer.

You know?

It's got a fun, vibrant sort of feel to it.

Sbrocco: So you'll be back?

Brezill: I definitely will be back.

Sbrocco: Yeah.

And, Ben, you'd go back?

Papac: Yeah, especially if my family comes to visit.

Absolutely.

I'm taking them there.

Sbrocco: Well, then they can pay.

Papac: Yes.

Mom.

[ Laughter ] Sbrocco: Alright, if you'd like to go to Radhaus, it's located in San Francisco at Fort Mason, and the average tab per person without drinks is around $55.

♪♪ Now, Ben, I have to say, as an actor, this is a delicious role to play, isn't it?

I mean, it's not just about learning your lines.

There is so much -- you know, with all the magic, there's so much to this role.

Papac: Yeah.

A quick aside, I'll tell about that -- I have to cast fire.

I have to make a piece of paper explode in flames in front of up to 1,600 people.

And I'm downstage center.

There's nothing but me, the paper, the fire, and the audience.

So, when it goes wrong, it's really interesting.

And I just have to own that and keep going with the story.

Sbrocco: Say, "Well, that didn't work."

Well, we do have wands.

I'm so excited because we have wands.

Papac: Yes.

We won't be casting any fire today.

Sbrocco: I have the bling wand right here.

Okay, alright, so show me -- Give me a little Wand 101.

Papac: Yeah, absolutely.

The power of the wand is in the core of the wand.

So you need to place the base of the wand in the base of your hand, right in the middle of the palm, where the thumb folds.

So if you're going to cast a spell, you have the most control and nuance putting the wand right there.

Sbrocco: Look at that.

Okay.

Papac: Exactly.

Yeah.

Now, if you're going to do it like this, it's going to be wild.

You're going to have a rough time.

Sbrocco: Alright, so, if I'm going to say -- give a little spell, what would it be?

Papac: Well, maybe if you wanted a sip of wine, but you didn't want to pick the glass up, you could say, "Accio glass of wine."

Sbrocco: Accio glass of wine.

Papac: And if you were -- Sbrocco: Or just say, "Accio."

Papac: Yes, and if you were a witch, it would float into your hand right now.

Sbrocco: But I'm not a witch.

[ Laughs ] So which restaurant has cast a spell over Ben?

It's a classic French bistro that's been a mainstay in the ever-changing downtown dining scene.

Just steps from Union Square in San Francisco, it's Cafe de la Presse.

♪♪ Daridon: Well, the name of the restaurant is Cafe de la Presse.

It's been named this way because we used to carry a lot of newspaper and magazine.

♪♪ Albert: Me and Olivier are both old French guys from different background, different part of France.

Daridon: I was a chef.

We've been together for 17 years now.

We're like an old married couple.

Albert: Second wife.

Daridon: And we try to educate our staff to welcome our customers the best they can and with the best attitude they can have.

And that'd be true French, I would say.

But at the end of the day, we want to try to make sure that the customer has a great experience.

♪♪ Albert: France is a small country, but it's a big, huge food country with different regions, different wine, different food.

And the comfort food -- the comfort French food, we make here.

Daridon: All those dishes bring always a lot of memories and especially us because we've been raised like that.

Albert: I mean, the onion soup we make here is the same onion soup my mom used to make.

[ Speaking French ] ♪♪ So, four times a year, I change the menu.

So, it has to be seasonal.

But if I remove the profiteroles from the menu, if I remove the coq au vin from the menu, the onion soup, there's no way.

You have too many complain, "We want this back."

Daridon: The food is really authentic, and it's what you find in the most of French brasserie.

Most of the time, it's even better.

Albert: It is better.

♪♪ Sbrocco: Alright, so we're going to go to France a little bit here, right?

Tell us how you found this spot.

Papac: I honestly found it because it is so close to work.

It's right across the street from the traditional official entrance to Chinatown.

I fell in love with the space and the ambiance immediately.

You know how Radhaus has those wall-to-wall windows on one side?

Cafe de la Presse has two walls that are almost ceiling-to-floor windows.

You get a ton of sunlight, and they have this beautiful, intentionally simple, I think, rustic French menu that is just delightful at any time of day.

And they kept it simple.

Like, my favorite dish is a simple, traditional French dish that they do so well, it becomes a gourmet experience.

Sbrocco: So, what does that dish?

Papac: Coq au vin.

Sbrocco: Oh, beautiful.

Papac: The chicken is succulent.

It falls off the bone.

You don't even need a knife.

You just pull it off with your fork.

And when you put it into your mouth with a little bit of that smoky wine sauce, oh, my goodness, the endorphins that flood my system -- oh.

Brezill: I thought it was amazing.

Like Ben said, straight to the point.

Could have used a little salt for my taste, but was definitely really rich, really good.

I thought the portions were great.

I really enjoyed the flavors.

You could taste some of the wine and feel it in your belly.

But I also had the salted cod fritters.

They were fantastic.

They're served on this platter where each fritter comes in its own little bowl and they were topped with Cajun aioli sauce.

It was amazing.

For a split second, I forgot I was in a restaurant and I wanted to lick the bowl.

They were so good.

Sbrocco: They wouldn't have cared.

Don't worry.

They would have taken that as a compliment, I'm sure.

Brezill: They were fantastic.

Definitely will recommend the salted cod fritters.

Workman: We had the penne, which was so good.

It was so rich.

A very nice, dense, kind of flavorful sauce.

It has some vegetables on top.

Really cheesy, nice and rich.

Yeah, it's such a good dish.

We also had the moules frites, which was super, super good.

The fries -- perfect.

Okay, so my favorite fry is a McDonald's fry.

Don't tell anyone, but they're so good.

They're that nice texture.

They're a nice thickness.

They're not too thick, not too thin.

And it was also served with some bread.

So between the French fry and the bread, dipping it in the sauce -- in that nice wine sauce -- so good.

They have a really nice outside seating area, as well, which is really sweet.

Brezill: I have to agree with Aly.

Like, it was really, really charming.

I also got the deviled eggs.

These are not your mom's deviled eggs.

I've had a lot of deviled eggs.

None like this.

They had shallots and caviar, and it added a really nice color and texture.

Fantastic.

I would definitely go back to get those, as well.

Papac: In addition to being there for early dinner or late lunch, I've also gone for breakfast.

And one time, my girlfriend had the French roll omelet.

It's kind of like your classic diner dish.

It's got feta cheese, it's got spinach.

They have some kind of small tomato and put it on top, and next to it, you have delicious roasted potatoes with your classic ketchup.

It's a perfect side to go along with your classic breakfast omelet.

Sbrocco: No French pastries there in the morning?

Papac: I haven't done the pastries.

I haven't done those.

Sbrocco: All those croissants they have.

Papac: I know, I know.

You know what?

I'll add that to my list next time, along with another trip to get the salted cod fritters, because that sounds -- oof.

Brezill: And you have to get dessert.

I did get the creme brulée au Grand Marnier, and it was delectable.

So, you know, creme brulée, part of the fun is cracking into that caramelized topping.

The texture of the brulée was perfect.

Oh, it was so good.

Definitely worth the trip alone to get the creme brulée.

Sbrocco: Did you save any room for dessert, Aly?

Workman: I didn't.

However, we did have a really nice cocktail that I had never had before.

It's the French blonde.

The server recommended it.

So refreshing.

It's a nice gin cocktail, very citrusy.

So good as, like, a nice start to the meal.

It was super refreshing.

Sbrocco: You'll go back?

Brezill: I will definitely be back.

Sbrocco: And Aly?

Workman: Absolutely.

Sbrocco: If you would like to try Cafe de la Presse, it's located at the corner of Bush and Grant in San Francisco, and the average tab per person is around $60.

♪♪ And now reporter Cecilia Phillips works some magic of her own, learning the secrets behind one of the most pop-ular snacks at the Curran.

♪♪ Phillips: So, when I think of popcorn, I think of the movies.

But I had Thatcher's Popcorn when I saw "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" at the Curran Theatre.

And it was prepackaged and delicious.

What makes your popcorn so great?

Abe: Thatcher's Gourmet Popcorn has been in San Francisco for the last 40 years.

We've got over 40 different flavors.

And we do small batches, so it makes our popcorn very special.

♪♪ Phillips: Can we actually see how the popcorn is made today?

Abe: Yeah, absolutely.

Let's put some hairnets, and then I'll show you around.

Phillips: Hairnets on, alright.

That's how we know it's serious.

Abe: We use butterfly popcorn.

It's one of the best made.

This is our popper, and we're using heat to pop the corn.

♪♪ This is caramel popcorn.

And this is after being cooled, and it's ready to eat.

Phillips: I can go for it?

I can try it?

Abe: Absolutely, yeah.

Phillips: Look at those cashews.

Abe: We make different nuts, and the cashew actually become caramelized.

And they're to die for.

♪♪ Mmm.

Mmm.

Phillips: It's so good.

Abe: Right.

♪♪ Talia: I love being here.

It's just amazing.

Whether it's the smells or the sights, it's a new thing every single day.

Phillips: Do you know how many flavors you actually do regularly?

Talia: Honestly, it's countless, because people order some, like, custom flavors, and we have, like, a lot of flavors, ranging from sweet to savory.

It's, like, infinite.

My favorite flavor is probably the za'atar.

It's a Mediterranean herb spice, and I think it's so unique.

I've never seen anything like it or tasted anything like it.

Phillips: So, people can actually come to the facility and order popcorn here and see what y'all do, right?

Abe: Absolutely.

We do roughly about 4 million bags a year.

Phillips: 4 million bags of popcorn?

Abe: Yes, so, that's a lot of popcorn.

♪♪ Any size you want, we can accommodate you.

Phillips: What about this one?

Can we do something like this?

Abe: Absolutely.

We just sell it by the pound.

Phillips: How big is this?

Abe: This is about 25 pounds of popcorn.

Phillips: Oh, my gosh.

♪♪ Ah.

I hate to be corny, but Thatchers really did butter me up.

I'm glad I popped in.

♪♪ Sbrocco: I have to thank my incredibly entertaining guests on this week's show, who all chose spots in the City by the Bay.

Melanie Brezill, whose favorite nibble is the grilled corn on the cob at 620 Jones; Ben Papac, who dreams of the tender coq au vin at Cafe de la Presse; and Aly Workman, who pairs handmade pretzels with German Pilsner at Fort Mason's Radhaus.

Join us next time when three more guests will recommend their favorite spots right here on "Check Please!

Bay Area."

I'm Leslie Sbrocco, and I'll see you then.

All: Wizards!

Sbrocco: How fun was that?

Papac: That was so fun.

Sbrocco: You were fabulous.

Fabulous.

Fabulous.

Brezill: As the Trolley Witch, I'll do the honors.

Sbrocco: Thank you.

Brezill: And [Speaking indistinctly].

Papac: I'm gonna go for Bertie Botts.

You don't know what you're gonna get.

So, let's hope it's sweet.

♪♪ Sbrocco: Yuck.

Papac: What did you get?

[ Laughter ] Sbrocco: Red pepper.

Workman: Oh, no!

Papac: Tastes almost like nacho.

Sbrocco: That was terrible.

Workman: Mine's sweet.

Mine is like pear.

Aaron: "I'm Leslie Sbrocco."

[ Laughter ] "And this is 'Check, Please!

Bay Area.'"

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