
Bar Bay Grill, Rio California, Flowers Saratoga
Season 17 Episode 10 | 27m 11sVideo has Closed Captions
Check, Please! Bay Area reviews: Bar Bay Grill, Rio California, Flowers Saratoga
Union City's Bar Bay Grill brings the heat with their flavorful Asian fusion bar bites and wide selection of sake, soju, beer and wine. Tucked away in a historic Oakland neighborhood, Rio California serves up both popular Brazilian street foods and classic Caribbean favorites. Flowers Saratoga elevates shareable plates with seasonal ingredients and imaginative twists on New American standbys.
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Bar Bay Grill, Rio California, Flowers Saratoga
Season 17 Episode 10 | 27m 11sVideo has Closed Captions
Union City's Bar Bay Grill brings the heat with their flavorful Asian fusion bar bites and wide selection of sake, soju, beer and wine. Tucked away in a historic Oakland neighborhood, Rio California serves up both popular Brazilian street foods and classic Caribbean favorites. Flowers Saratoga elevates shareable plates with seasonal ingredients and imaginative twists on New American standbys.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipfusion fare in Union City, a Brazilian hideaway in historic Oakland, and an elegant date-night spot in Saratoga.
Man: There you go!
Nice!
Sbrocco: Just ahead on "Check, Please!
Bay Area."
Gauthier: I mean, the name alone is just sexy -- forbidden black rice.
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.
Now, we have three guests, and each one recommends one of their favorite spots, and the other two go check them out to see what they think.
Joining me at the "Check, Please!"
table today are Physical Therapist Assistant, Tamra Ancona, HR Administrator Iona Childers, and Communication Strategist Tony Gauthier.
Welcome, everyone.
Childers: Glad to be here.
Sbrocco: As a kid growing up in Union City, Iona had very few options when it came to dining out.
So when she recently discovered a cozy sports bar serving everything from Japanese yakitori to Korean pork belly and Malaysian curry, she knew she'd finally found something special.
Located in Union City, it's Bar Bay Grill.
[ Cheering ] ♪♪ Huang: This place is called Bar Bay Grill.
So, how it came about is that we have "Bar" -- stands for our variety of alcoholic drinks.
Woman: Oh, my.
Huang: "Bay" stands for seafood, and "Grill" stands for yakitori.
My husband is a big fan of Warriors, so we thought about just making an Asian fusion sports bar because there isn't actually many Asian sports bar around the area, so we came up with Bar Bay Grill, where people can enjoy the game, enjoy small-bite food, and they can try different Asian fusion cuisines here.
We have two chefs that came from my husband's hometown in Malaysia.
They came up with the vermicelli, which is what we call mee hoon.
They make our very special sauces called sambal sauce.
And that goes very well with the mee hoon.
Yakitori is very popular in Japan.
It's very stressful working in Japan.
A lot of people, after they got off work, they will go to the small yakitori bars, grab a few skewers along with saké or beer, and relieve their day.
Men: Oh!
Huang: And the whole atmosphere here, everyone is -- even they're strangers, somehow people are actually making friends among each other inside this restaurant.
There will cheers together.
They will shout together, and they will actually buy drinks for each other.
It's just the atmosphere that everyone loves.
[ All shout ] Sbrocco: How did you discover this spot?
Because you said there wasn't a whole lot of choices growing up, right?
Childers: Right.
There are definitely restaurants in Union City, but nothing that was as Instagrammable as Bar Bay Grill happens to be.
So, I found them on Yelp, and luckily they are both Instagram friendly and just a delicious place to gather.
Sbrocco: This is the new criteria everybody has.
It has to be IG friendly, you know.
You got to be able to take pictures of your food.
So, what is the dish that you go to?
Childers: I really love their curry chicken toast.
And I know people may be familiar with brick toast more as a dessert.
So, it's this gargantuan piece of hollowed-out toast.
And normally they pile a bunch of ice cream into it, whipped cream, Pocky sticks.
But at Bar Bay Grill, they serve it with mounds of delicious curry chicken, and it's just overflowing.
And they serve a small little cup of curry with it for dipping, and it's great.
Ancona: My server went even beyond.
He put that curry toast down and he offered to cut it open for us to make it more shareable, so he, like, cut it this way, that way, opened it up.
I thought that was really nice.
Gauthier: I have a lot of things, actually.
You know, they have, like, this cool little -- cute little menu.
You just write everything down and give it to your waiter or waitress.
I just said, "Okay, let's just order this curry toast."
Sbrocco: Was it spicy?
Did you get some heat?
Gauthier: I like spice.
So heat, to me, is probably, like, low to you guys.
So, to me, it was spicy.
My wife thought it was spicy.
She was like, "Oh, this is spicy."
But it was good.
It was flavorful.
Ancona: When you say spicy, okay, seven out of 10 is what I would call that -- spicy!
My nose is running.
I'm like, "Whoa, fire!"
But it was still so delicious, so flavorful.
And that bread is almost like a Hawaiian bread.
It's slightly sweet.
It's just, with that sauce, yes.
Gauthier: So originally, we were going to order the Malaysian chow mein, but the waitress suggested that we have the Malaysian stir-fried vermicelli.
And I'm like, "Okay, cool."
So they bring up this huge, massive, like, iron wok pan just stuffed with, like, chicken and shrimp and noodles up to, like, the sky.
It was great.
There was, like, this tangy taste to it.
I don't know if it was tamarind or maybe a fish oil or something.
Childers: I think it's similar to a Thai pad see ew.
It's the char from the wok adding more flavor to the dish itself.
So it's not just a regular soy-sauce-based, oyster-sauce-based noodle.
There really is that sort of earthiness from, like, a grill-type aspect.
Ancona: But speaking of char, the chargrilled skewers.
Wow.
I had several skewers.
There were so many choices.
I don't even know where to begin.
But I went ahead with the pork belly and the Wagyu beef and the char is just perfect.
It's savory, it's sweet.
Oh, the ratio on the pork belly.
I like my fat-to-meat ratio to be nice.
It was perfect.
Loved it.
Sbrocco: Good.
Ancona: And there's so many other choices.
I can't wait to try some other ones one day.
If you're adventurous, there's beef tongue, there's chicken skin, there's gizzards.
You can get all kinds of grills.
Gauthier: I love gizzards.
Sbrocco: Got to go back for gizzards.
There you go.
Ancona: I kind of felt like it was, like, paleo paradise because there's just meat, meat, and more meat.
Childers: So, we did manage to incorporate some vegetables into our dinner, and I got the shiitake mushrooms on skewers and some of the eggplant, as well.
And I love that they thinly slice it so that you get this infusion of the charred flavor throughout everything.
So they don't have a lot of choice in terms of grilled vegetables on the menu.
But those skewers in particular stood out.
Gauthier: And I had a cocktail.
Sbrocco: What did you have?
Gauthier: It was the mango Socketini.
Had a little... Sbrocco: Pew!
Gauthier: Yes.
It actually was really good, to tell you the truth.
I was like, "Yo, this is hella good."
You know, it had the little salt and sugar at the top, and it went very well with the vermicelli.
Childers: I haven't tried their cocktails just yet, but I will go for a flavored, like, peach soju, and they add yakult in it, so it tastes really good, and it's one of those drinks that sneaks up on you.
And so I'm not in my 20s anymore.
I'm not trying to go all out, but it's just nice to kind of share that with friends.
Sbrocco: Did you have anything else?
Ancona: I had baked oysters with special mayo.
And the special mayo, I'd say, is just cheese mixed with mayo.
Oysters on the half shell.
They just grill it.
And then they put this salmon roe on top.
And that red pop of salmon roe and the little crunch-crunch of the salmon roe was really special.
It was really good.
Juicy oysters, decadent.
So, they serve these little potato croquettes in this cute little fryer basket.
Gauthier: Oh, you ordered everything.
Ancona: The croquettes were for my daughter because she's eight and no spicy.
It was such a cute little presentation, a little fryer basket with croquettes.
It was good -- crunchy and some little sweet ketchup sauce, and she loved it.
And you do get that sports vibe in there, don't you?
Gauthier: They had TVs everywhere.
The game was going on.
I'm like, "This is perfect because I can watch the game."
Curry toast and game.
Curry and Curry.
Sbrocco: All right, all right.
If you would like to try Bar Bay Grill, It's located on Decoto Road in Union City, and the average tab per person without drinks is around $45.
Woman: Ooh, that's really good.
Sbrocco: Tony's lunchtime go-to is a true hidden gem.
Housed in a vintage Victorian, his cafe offers heaping plates of home-cooked Brazilian and Caribbean-inspired fare.
Located in downtown Oakland's historic Preservation Park, it's Rio California.
♪♪ Araujo: The veggie burrito.
Rio California is a continental cuisine with Brazilian accents.
We're going to cook up some mixed vegetables.
My first memory of cooking was when I started to walk.
[ Laughs ] I was the youngest of a family of nine brothers and sister.
A little carrots.
So my first memory is cooking with my mom in the kitchen.
Okay.
What can I get you guys today?
The restaurant got started back in 1990s.
I opened a food trailer.
And the purpose was to serve a community that need reasonable price food and health conscious, because back in the '80s and '90s, Berkeley, they all had was donut shop and pizza shops.
I got your two jerk chickens.
Woman: Oh, my.
That was so quick.
Araujo: So, Rio is a cosmopolitan city, and also just translated food that people eat in Rio or even Sao Paulo now, they have really, really international cuisines.
That's Italian sausage, and that's pork belly.
We serve Italian cuisine.
We serve Caribbean.
African cuisine.
I travel all over the world.
So a lot of my menu is inspired by the food that I've had, like Spain, Portugal, Africa, places that I have been.
I got you the chicken lemon butter.
Man: You are the best.
Araujo: Enjoy.
And I translate it really well with the community here in Oakland, so I think the joy is there because it's not just one flavor.
To be in this building at Preservation Park, a lot of people see it as an old building, but actually this was all the houses in this park, all moved here in 1989 after the earthquake.
And one lady, Suzanne, she had the idea to make a park for non-profits.
And they were all good people.
Usually people that work in non-profits, they work for the greater good.
You know, so I think it was a perfect match for my restaurant and for the park itself.
So we're really happy to be in this location, this old building, and part of the history of Oakland, as well.
Thank you again, Fania.
Fania: You're welcome.
Araujo: Appreciate it.
Sbrocco: So, Tony, when we talk about tucked away, this is really tucked away, isn't it?
Gauthier: It's tucked away.
Rio California is an amazing place.
I mean, I used to go there maybe 8 to 10 years ago to have lunch.
And I thought I found, like, this hidden gem.
All of a sudden, I see, like, these massive lines of, like, the Warriors staff and people from the Marriott and just everyone knew about it except me.
The food is amazing.
I mean, you get what you pay for.
You get huge portions, delicious, delectable food.
One of my favorite dishes there is the jerk chicken.
And when I tell you I've probably had this dish 30 to 40 times, I'm not exaggerating.
It is amazing.
It is skinless, boneless thighs that are grilled and smothered and marinated in this amazing, mouthwatering jerk sauce.
Oh!
And they give you like, 2 to 3 skinless thighs with this salad that has, like, a small dollop of cilantro creamy dressing.
Sbrocco: It makes him very happy.
Gauthier: Oh, it does.
Sbrocco: Very, very happy.
Gauthier: Thinking about it right now, I just want to go and grab it.
It's amazing.
Childers: I tried the jerk chicken.
It came with that delicious salad and the rice.
And I think every other place has been touched by inflation.
But Rio California has not gotten the memo, and they pile on the food for an amazing price.
It's just great.
Gauthier: Yeah.
Yeah.
Sbrocco: What did you have to eat?
Ancona: I had the jerk chicken, as well.
And very flavorful.
A little bit spicy.
Not bad.
Like 3 out of 10.
I can handle it.
Fluffy white rice.
And I just want more of that jerk sauce.
Like, more, please.
Gauthier: It's funny you say that.
Every time I go, and I know the owner now, I say, "Jerk chicken, please.
Extra rice and extra gravy."
So you always get the extra sauce.
Sbrocco: Call him out.
Gauthier: And here's the secret -- the habanero sauce.
Talk about spicy.
Sbrocco: Sauce.
Everybody likes sauce.
Gauthier: It's just the cherry on top to the gravy and the rice and the chicken.
It's just amazing.
Ancona: And that chicken is, like, fork tender.
Childers: Right.
Gauthier: Yeah.
Right?
Ancona: You can just, like shred it with a fork.
Oh!
Gauthier: So, I've also had the jerk burrito, okay?
And it's similar to the jerk chicken plate.
Everything in the jerk chicken plate is just wrapped up in a burrito, and instead of getting rice on the side, you're getting some tortilla chips.
But the key to it, again, is getting the habanero sauce.
And topping that hot habanero sauce.
It's creamy, homemade.
On that burrito, you get this compact version of the jerk chicken, and it's just ready to go.
And you can eat that thing for days because it's huge.
It's so huge.
It's great.
Childers: So, I love my fiancé, but I almost ate all of his seafood risotto.
It was delicious.
Gauthier: Seafood risotto.
It has, like, the right amount of cheesiness to it.
Just so much generous seafood.
And the risotto itself is perfect.
Not too soft, not hard at all.
Just a perfect dish.
Gauthier: I've had the risotto and the fish tacos.
So, they give you three fish tacos with this nicely battered fish sitting delicately between the soft tortilla with a sprinkle of pico de gallo.
I can eat those fish tacos all day long.
Sbrocco: And you have to talk about the place -- Preservation Park, right?
You have to talk about that.
Set the scene for me.
Childers: It really is this hidden gem in the middle of Oakland.
You know, you're driving in the downtown area.
The freeway is right there, and it's just this picturesque...
I happened to go on a really sunny day, so we sat outside to eat.
Just beautiful, lush trees, these perfectly preserved Victorian homes.
Gauthier: It's just a great place.
It's Oakland.
That's what Oakland is all about, you know -- good food, good customer service, love, pride, and generosity.
So I love that place.
I feel like going today.
Sbrocco: You would go back, then, for sure?
Ancona: Oh, yeah.
I will go back.
Childers: 100%.
Sbrocco: All right.
Well, if you would like to try Rio California, It's located on Preservation Park Way in downtown Oakland.
The average tab per person without drinks is around $20.
Araujo: Thank you.
Appreciate it.
Sbrocco: When Tamra and her friends grab cocktails together, they love to linger over a leisurely evening of tasty nibbles for all to share.
It's no wonder their go-to hangout specializes in small, colorful plates that are big on flavor.
In Saratoga, it's Flowers.
♪♪ Heropoulos: So, the name of our restaurant is Flowers Saratoga.
Maybe one there.
The name comes from the notion that no two flowers are the same.
Woman: Oh, it's so good.
It's amazing.
Heropoulos: We have a very eclectic and very multi-cultural demographic.
Our cuisine is a reflection of that.
And like a flower, everyone is different, anyone's unique.
Rook: There's your pork belly wraps with the gochujang glaze.
Our cuisine is mainly Mediterranean with some Asian influences.
Yeah, so we only need, like, three or four.
We like to abide by a philosophy of FLOSS -- Fresh, local, organic, sustainable, and seasonal.
Also very fresh garnishes.
Flowers, live microgreens.
Ooh.
All right.
To make it beautiful as the aesthetics of the restaurant.
Heropoulos: I'm Greek, and coming from the Greek culture, we have something called mezze, and mezze is a small appetizer bite.
And it's such an awesome way to eat.
And you never get over-stuffed, but you're able to continually enjoy everything.
And it's a great way to eat and have great conversation.
Rook: We definitely try to have that "wow" factor.
Like, our smoky Wagyu bavette is served on a cutting board with a nice glass cloche, and it's smoked with bourbon barrels that we break down into little wood chips.
So you get that little magical, whimsical pizzazz at the table.
Heropoulos: Yeah, yeah.
There's a lot of times where we'll bring items out and the tables surrounding those items, you know, are like, "Wait, what's that?"
You know, "We want that."
[ Woman laughs ] Heropoulos: And I think that gives the restaurant a vibe and an energy where people are people-watching and food-watching.
Rook: We're very passionate about what we do here.
And in the 15 years of my career, this is probably my favorite restaurant I've ever been a part of.
We have great purveyors that are always calling me with new fun stuff to play with.
So every day is like Willy Wonka's, you know, factory back there.
So we're just always trying to push the envelope, and we got a lot of cool things in the pipeline, as well.
Sbrocco: All right, Tamra, small plates, big on flavor.
What is so special about this spot?
Ancona: Well, first of all, I mean, it's just a beautiful little restaurant.
It's like a ladies' boudoir.
We're talking brushed gold and velvet banquettes.
It's just a ladies' place, I think.
Sbrocco: Tony might disagree with that.
We're going to see.
We're going to check in.
We'll see.
Ancona: It's welcome to all.
Sbrocco: And what do you typically order?
Ancona: I usually almost always get the Wagyu carpaccio -- just thinly sliced Wagyu beef, of course, laid out on this plate.
Sbrocco: You're all about that fat-to-meat ratio.
Ancona: Good fat-to-meat ratio.
They put a truffle aioli all over the top, then some sort of truffle dust around that, and then the pickled cornichon and pearl onions in the center.
My server, Joe -- he said just wrap it all up like a burrito and just eat it, and there's no shame there.
It's elegant, but you can do that.
Be you.
Gauthier: I have to say, that carpaccio was extremely, extremely good and thinly sliced.
It almost melts in your mouth.
I didn't have to chew.
Sbrocco: Did you have that, as well?
Childers: I had it, as well.
I definitely love the play of colors and the play of textures.
So in addition to the thinly sliced carpaccio, just the crunch from the cornichons and that tartness.
It's unlike anything I've ever had before.
Ancona: There's also this salmon mosaic that I like to get.
It's just like the carpaccio, thinly sliced salmon.
There's yuzu, and the colors alone are beautiful.
They put a beet root in the salmon to make the edges have this jewel tone, and it's delicate on the mouth.
I think that's a good option for someone who doesn't eat beef because it's just like carpaccio.
Gauthier: Have you tried the salmon cones that look like little ice cream cones?
Ancona: Oh, yes.
It's Ahi.
Gauthier: The Ahi tuna cones.
Ancona: Yes, Ahi tuna cones.
I had those, as well.
Gauthier: Delicious.
Ancona: It's like a tuna tartare, but inside this little crispy wonton shell with a yuzu, and they use a lot of yuzu there.
Sbrocco: I was going to say, there's a lot of yuzu on these dishes.
Gauthier: Little wasabi drops on top.
Ancona: The wasabi-yuzu drops, avocado cream.
Oh, yes.
Crunch, crunch.
Yum.
Yes.
Childers: One of the other appetizers that I really enjoyed were their prawn cigars.
So, they're plated really beautifully on concentric circles of a wasabi aioli and mango gel.
And then they sprinkle it with this tobiko that is so bright and beautiful and eye-catching.
Gauthier: Yeah, those prawn cigars were really good.
Although fried, they were really light and airy and they give you three.
I ate like two of the three.
I wanted to order another.
It was just amazing.
So, another dish that we had was the miso yaki cod, this plump piece of cod sitting on something called forbidden black rice.
I mean, the name alone is just sexy -- forbidden black rice.
And it's plated on a banana leaf.
Full of flavor, very decadent.
And it was enough to share with my wife and I, but I didn't want to share it with her.
Oh, I loved it so much.
Sbrocco: Even though you love her very much.
Gauthier: I do love her, but that cod was amazing.
Childers: I also had the cod, and I would say it just sopped up all of the flavor.
There's no extra, extraneous sort of sauce with it, but layer by layer of that fish is infused with the miso.
It's just absolutely delicious.
Sbrocco: And what about the popcorn chicken?
Ancona: Popcorn chicken is Mary's chicken breast.
Little nuggets that are fried in a buttermilk.
The sauce, though, is what it's all about.
It's a hot truffle honey.
And I think I want a bottle of that to put on, like, pancakes and anything at home because it's unbelievable.
Sbrocco: All right, now let's talk about drinks, because this place is certainly known for not only cocktails, but retail-priced wine, which is pretty crazy.
Most people at least double retail when they put together a wine list.
So this is an incredible value.
Ancona: Also, all of the drinks and wines and cocktails go with any of the dishes.
They purposely curated the menu that way.
Gauthier: My wife had this cocktail with this cotton-candy thing on top.
Forgot the name of it, but it's -- Childers: Hummingbird.
Gauthier: Bingo.
It's beautiful.
She did not want to touch it because it was that beautiful.
Childers: I had the Hummingbird myself.
They've got these beautiful dried flowers, the cotton candy.
It's vodka, champagne, sort of concoction with some citrus.
So it's very, very fresh.
Gauthier: Did you eat the cotton candy?
Childers: I did.
[ All laugh ] Sbrocco: Any other cocktails that you got?
Ancona: I always get the Old Fashioned.
It had this velvety mouthfeel and so balanced.
And then this sweet, little, petite little ball of glass with the ice cube.
It's just classy.
Sbrocco: All right, now, this is a special-occasion place, right?
Gauthier: Yes.
It was my wife's birthday.
And as I was saying happy birthday to her, the host must have heard and comes out with a complimentary glass of rosé.
It was amazing.
So yes, it is awesome for date night.
It is awesome for birthdays and anniversaries.
Sbrocco: So because it was a celebration, did you get dessert?
Ancona: Yes.
Oh!
Gauthier: Please tell me you guys got that chocolate lava thing.
Ancona: Oh, yeah.
It's actually a mold of a thin little chocolate espresso cup.
They put some chocolate cake inside and some vanilla Chantilly.
A little side of espresso gelato, and wow.
Gauthier: Delicious.
Sbrocco: Sounds like "Alice in Wonderland."
Gauthier: I felt like Willy Wonka when I was able to eat the cup.
Like, "I'm eating the cup."
It was great.
Childers: We did opt for the strawberry shortcake, and I remember Strawberry Shortcake as this cute little animated cartoon character.
But she grew up, went to college, and... [ Laughter ] Childers: It's this ice globe, and they've got pistachio sponge cake in it.
They've got the yuzu cream.
Sbrocco: More yuzu.
Childers: And then the freshly sliced strawberries.
It was beautiful and delicious dessert.
Sbrocco: Well, it sounds like somewhere special.
You would all go back?
Gauthier: Yes.
Sbrocco: Well, if you would like to try Flowers, it's located on Big Basin Way in Saratoga.
The average tab per person is around $100.
Woman: Oh, it's so good.
Sbrocco: And now reporter Cecilia Phillips brings us another off-the-grid dining experience you've just got to try.
♪♪ Phillips: When you were opening Korner Kitchen and Bar, what did you set out to do for the community?
Tejada: We're kind of like a hybrid.
We're like a commissary kitchen and a food court.
There's a lot of small businesses that needed extra help.
We provide short-term leases so they can try out their business without being committed to like a two-year lease at a real restaurant.
Lee: We want to really make sure that our space really highlights what the community looks like.
And we just want to provide a much-needed family-oriented space in the Bay Area.
Phillips: They do a lot of different food here.
Are you going to have some food today?
Girl: What?!
Phillips: Oh, my gosh.
Girl: The Pokémon.
I'm holding his tail.
Lee: Today, we're doing a Pokémon luau.
Baumgartner: So, Hapa is mixed-race, and that's what I am.
And so it kind of reflects the hybrid style of the pizza.
So, it's Neapolitan-inspired with a sourdough crust.
Phillips: How quickly do these pizzas cook?
They look like they come out fast.
Baumgartner: They come out fast.
It's hot.
It's like 1,000 degrees in there.
Two minutes and it's out.
Phillips: All right.
This is for you.
Concha: NoodleBelly is a Bay Area comfort food.
We specialize in garlic noodles and approachable seasonal meats and vegetables.
So, what you have here is our garlic noodles, which are our signature dish.
We have our braised pork belly, and we have our grilled corn.
It's tossed in a chili lime butter sauce.
So it's not spicy at all, but you get that nice, earthy chili flavor.
Phillips: All right.
Here we go.
Get it.
Get it.
So, is there a right way to eat a taco, or a wrong way?
Murillo: You got to tilt your head.
Phillip: Head tilt.
Okay.
Murillo: And then you grab it.
Phillips: Grab it?
Okay.
Head tilt and go.
♪♪ Ono Bakehouse, what are you all about?
King: Bringing the Bay a taste of aloha.
So, this is our Queen Emma Cake.
It has three layers of coconut, guava, and lilikoi.
Phillips: The tropics comes right through.
Performer: One, two, three.
Phillips: So, you know, we're here at a kid's party.
And I believe that some of your inspiration was just what you wanted as a kid.
Arkin: Yeah, I make lactose-free but regular-dairy ice cream, and I go in a kind of old-school, '90s, nostalgic vibe with lots of mix-ins, swirls, ton of stuff in it.
Phillips: And it looks like we actually have the namesake of your company right here.
Arkin: We have the infamous Bad Walter.
Phillips: You know, it seems like he's, like, a little too tired to be bad right now.
Arkin: It's really misleading.
It's because he knows he's on camera.
This is not what it's like in real life.
Sbrocco: I have to thank my great guests on this week's show, Tamra Ancona, who's happiest with an Old Fashioned in hand at Flowers in Saratoga, Iona Childers, who craves the chicken curry toast at Bar Bay Grill in Union City, and Tony Gauthier, whose lunchtime mainstay is the jerk chicken at Oakland's Rio California.
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.
Cheers, everyone.
All: Cheers.
Sbrocco: Cheers.
Phillips: If you could open your own restaurant and sell whatever food you want, what would you sell?
Girl: Salmon.
Girl #2: Salmon.
Boy: Chocolate.
Phillips: Salmon?
That's your favorite?
Girl #2: Yeah.
Phillips: Wow.
You're pretty sophisticated.
Girl #2: Mm-hmm.
Phillips: So your restaurant would just have chocolate?
Boy: Yeah, and even candy and lollipops and popsicles, and even you could eat whatever you want when you come to my restaurant.
Phillips: Oh, my gosh, that sounds like the best restaurant in the world.
Boy: Yeah, it sure is.
Phillips: Yes.
[ Laughs ]
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