DPJ’s Wire series delivers news and information straight from the source without translation.

Third Annual Eight’s Check, Please! Arizona Festival Set for Sun., March 22, 2015, 11am-3pm

Show-Inspired Event Delivers Eclectic Collection of Independents all in one place

While the Emmy Award-winning television hit, Eight’s, Check, Please! Arizona continues unabated, its culinary cousin, Eight’s Check, Please! Arizona Festival continues on its own glorious path for a third straight year of pleasing fans of local, independent eateries, celebrated once again, Sun., March 22, 2015, 11am-3pm at CityScape in downtown Phoenix.

Host Robert McGrath

Check, Please! Arizona is one of the most popular locally produced programs on Eight, Arizona PBS. And Eight will again transform CityScape into a haven for food adventurists, a one-stop exploration of Arizona’s independent restaurant collective that ranges from every-day hamburger haunts to five-star gourmet establishments.

In its third year, the event is crowned with a gathering of Arizona’s James Beard Foundation award-winners, among them, Emmy Award-winning host of Eight’s Check, Please! Arizona Robert McGrath, plus Christopher Gross, Chris Bianco, and Nobuo Fukuda.

In addition, as Arizona’s culinary scene continues to advance in global sophistication, the 2015 version of the event will also showcase overlays by Arizona’s chef talent, including a second panel of top Valley chefs, in addition to a lineup of cooking demonstrations by local chefs on two stages, provided by SubZero/Wolf, and a tour of favorite wines by Chef Christopher Gross, including tastings and tips for food pairings.

The festival will also be adding several new restaurants to the lineup this year from Check, Please! Arizona’s five seasons on-air, as well as featuring many returning favorites including:

  • Switch Restaurant & Wine Bar
  • The Wild Thaiger
  • Salerno’s
  • Haus Murphy’s
  • Frasher’s Steakhouse & Lounge
  • The Salt Cellar
  • Flavors of Louisiana
  • Rancho Pinot
  • Cowboy Ciao
  • Jewel of the Crown
  • Cucina Tagliani
  • Tarbell’s
  • San Tan Brewing Company
  • Thee Pitts “Again”
  • Hob Nob
  • Phoenix City Grille
  • Red, White and Brew
  • Betty’s Nosh
  • Avanti Restaurant
  • MacAlpine’s Restaurant & Soda Fountain
  • TEXAZ Grill

Tickets are available at www.azpbs.org/checkplease/festival. General admission in advance is $79; at the door tickets are $89. Tickets include food, wine and beer sampling as well as panel discussions, cooking demonstrations and guest lectures. NOTE: Last year, the event sold out.