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| The lovely Leslie Sbrocco hosting last night's Check Please! Crazy lady at far right. |
Friends, that woman on the right was me.
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| Clicking two glasses together |
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| Doing weird dance moves at the table. Whoah! whoah! |
Check Please! (gosh I wish they'd spell cheque correctly don't you? Who's going to tell them?) is a KQED (public television) show where they get three ordinary bods every week to review three restaurants. I wasn't going to post the tape but then I thought...it's a good lesson for us all: don't have a goblet (or two) of wine before you go on the telly!
The restaurants reviewed:
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| Maykadeh (Persian, North Beach, SF ) our written reviews here |
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| Pican (Southern, Oakland) our written reviews here |
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| Little Chihuahua (Mexican, Noe Valley, SF) our written reviews here |
By the way, the show is run by wonderful people and very fun being on, make sure you sign up to be on this. Here's how it goes: while you're having your make-up done and waiting to go on ( I was, as usual, waaay too early) you are offered the best of wines. Also there is loads of wine pouring while you at the table and on camera. I knew this beforehand and promised myself not to have a glass...but then...You will notice a hand at the left reaching out for their glass a wee bit too often. Yes, that would be mine.
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| Notice the reaching arm at left.... |
Somehow they'd found out I was in Platinum (a hip hop dance group, current ages 45 to 62) Great! they said. Do some dance moves and make sure you clink your glass when we introduce you! they said. Even with a few sips under my belt I was doubtful, I'm going to look weird. But they insisted: it will look more weird if you don't do anything.
And so, for once, I did as I was told...
One nagging thought: I didn't drink much at all and I really am this annoying. No, can't be.
You should have let us know in adbance when it would air. Will it air again? Certainly a "must see"!
ReplyDeleteI wasn't sure how bad the butter-churn move would be. Bad enough! You can watch it on the link oop there, not sure if it will screen again...
DeleteYou look beautiful. And in the Bay, crazy is the norm so you have competition :) I think you're darling, and when we come to visit we'll take you out to dinner a hand you a goblet or two!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Kind words, yes we live close enough to Berkeley, anything goes
DeletePhew, maybe Check Please website was too embarrassed to load it. I am quite proud to be the source of two broken clicks
ReplyDeleteToo funny :)
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I wish Americans would spell cheque (and tyre, amongst others) correctly!
Ah, you can take the girl out of NZ but you can't take the NZ out of the girl.
ReplyDeleteYou looked great.
Wljabelivit!
DeleteThe beginning of a great tv career. How lovely you look. You cheered me up so much with this post.
ReplyDeletelol maybe you'll be the next Pee Wee Herman with your table dance, hmm maybe not on second glance
ReplyDeleteOh you were very charming and if Pican delivered to Chicago they'd get a call right now. I would definitely go to Pican. Very well done.
ReplyDeleteOh you're so kind GSL. Such a gentleman! Kevin made the kids watch the intro after which Jackson said incredulously: "Is there more?' and excused himself to do homework. And I think you would love Pican. Which reminds me ...and I've sure you've been asked this before..what does GSL stand for?
DeleteJackson will treasure it when he gets to be my (our) age. I have been asked that before and my reply was "Excellence, Honor, and any lady that approaches my table". I had your Chronicle colleague "Mick LaSalle" for English Composition (a freshman requirement) over 30 years ago. That wasn't his name then but he did pen a very Mick LaSalle-ish column in the student newspaper under that pseudonym and persona. He talked about movies just as passionately then and I knew he wouldn't stay in academia long,
DeleteI'll send you an email.
I did try to send you an email per the address in your 'about me' section and it kicked back as undeliverable.
DeleteOh how annoying, my email must be embarrassed for me too! Thanks for letting me know about the email, will action that toot sweet. How funny you were taught by Mick LaSalle - he is certainly not wishy washy in his opns and definitiveness is certainly a requirement for a columnist.
DeleteI like the motto - I must get one of my own. Think Kate Spade took it first though for one of their campaigns. "She is the first to make a toast and the last to say good night."
I thought you were great. After your boppy little dance move at the start, you were very articulate and thoughtful. I thought you seemed like the most fun too... I'd want to go out to dinner with you, rather than the other two who were much more.... ernest.
ReplyDeleteThat persian restaurant sounds very nice... made me really want a curry.
I have sworn never to grace a tv show though. My older sister used to get on kids tv programs over many years. End result is that we have the most embarrassing collection of video of her ever. Let's just say she did not cover herself in glory in a kids quiz show aged 14. She has an expressive face, and the eye rolling and annoyed faces she pulled were tv gold. It made for a good 21st video though - brought the house down with the laughter. xx
Oh I would love to see your sister, did she go on to be an actress?
DeleteDrama queen - Yes, professional actress, No.
DeleteWell look at you....all glam and gorgeous....and I am so wanting to visit Pican now.......one day maybe..
ReplyDeleteYou look great, Jody! Can I sign up to be on the show too? Any reason to come down there. :)
ReplyDeleteYes, just fill out an application on line! Would love to see your face down here for some drinking and dining
DeleteHa, I wish I could get the videos to work on my computer. But you look good and that's all that matters. Oh and I think you should have your own show!
ReplyDeletexo Mary Jo
Mary Jo, its a good thing you can't believe me!
DeleteHow gorgeous do you look? very glam and sophisticated....Pican looks great....on the list it goes!
ReplyDeleteWe will go there if you ever come over!
DeleteYou are totally famous now haha! This is awesome. You look rather happy and a wee bit tipsy :)
ReplyDeleteCould also have been the Callyre Blue (French eye drops) she put in. They are like liquid coke as i said...
DeleteI am so loving your post today OE! Congrats on your engagement and you beautiful romantic real life love story. I hope you'll keep on blogging when you move to Bavaria? Yes! for sure!
DeleteThank you! And yes I will most definitely keep blogging when I move to Bavaria :)
DeleteOh my God, how exciting ! I have to make time to watch it in full; but how do you manage to keep your Kiwi accent ? I'm awful, as soon as I arrive somewhere, I start sounding more local than the locals !
ReplyDeleteWelcome back to the bloggysphere Silver!
DeleteP<S what accent do you still have?
DeleteHow funny, you're a star now and will no doubt be invited on numerous other shows.
ReplyDeletehaha! Apparently those with a musical ear also change their accents more easily. Clearly I am tone deaf, because as you can hear mine is still really strong and I left NZ at age 25 and worked in London for 15 years. You'd think I'd sound a weeny bit posher for that but no!
Deleteoops, slipped one down, that was an answer to Silver above re the accent.
Deletere what show I could go on... I suggested to a friend, a Mrs Roper crazee character
I'll keep that advice in mind - red wine will do that to me, too, getting all funny. Now I have to go and check out that video :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for popping by Beate and Congrats on your engagement!
DeleteI love the clip, you do make me laugh! The restaurants all sound great to me, slightly too far to travel for an evening out though!
ReplyDeleteWe will have to go if you ever get over the pond and far away
DeleteIf ever there's a cricket tour heading your way I'll let you know......
DeleteWatched a 'Check Please' re-run on KQED at 3.36 am this morning.
ReplyDeleteFor your sins!!! What on earth were you doing up at that time of the morning??
DeleteI'm at the mercy of my old dog's bathroom issues!
DeleteOh VG, it comes to all of us!
DeleteThank you! And yes I will most definitely keep blogging when I move to Bavaria :)
ReplyDeleteWell look at you, celebrity gal. Love it and your hair looks terrific. Which is such an essential thing. Love your hip hop alter-ego.
ReplyDeleteAck. My comment has disappeared. I wanted to say how glam and celebalicious you looked, you mad hip-hopping lady ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks Jen - your comment arrived, it's just this dreaded moderation thing that makes everyone think it disappeared into the ether
DeleteNever mind - you look great (as usual) and they should be grateful they had someone there who livened things up!
ReplyDeleteI think the aim is to get people to disagree and stir things up. Some of the programs are a love fest.... I think that's why wine is employed
DeleteHaha...I loved it!! I think you did a great job. I would have done worse no doubt!! It was great to 'see' and 'hear' you as well, you looked gorgeous!! xx
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh--- not crazy annoying, completely endearing. You've made my day!
ReplyDeleteYou're sweet Alexis
DeleteCongratulations on being on the show! I don't think we have that show around here. I wish I had seen it. And I very much doubt that you were annoying. Everyone here certainly likes you. :-)
ReplyDeleteOK, I'm an idiot. I missed that you have a link to the video of the show. I love your accent!
ReplyDeletewhat accent? (LOL)
DeleteFabulous! Just had a little watch and heard you speaking. Now I feel I really know you, Jody. They will definitely have you back - you have great screen appeal.
ReplyDeleteYou next Trish!
DeleteReally fun to watch. So you get three free dinners and then talk about it under the influence of good wine? As my husband would say, that is pretty much living the dream!
ReplyDeleteI loved seeing how articulate you are when speaking - (a much more difficult feat to pull off than articulate writing, what with deleting, rewriting, and going off to check the dictionary to find out if that word really does mean what you think)(and editing later). Plus you looked good doing it!
Well, actually Beryl, we got $120 to spend on the three dinners which of course does not cover it, and most people donate that money back to them as it's public radio. Upshot it: its a fun day with ordinary bods like yourself who like food and telly people and a chance to get some tips from a really good makeup artist.
DeleteThat is great. I love it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Leigh, must bring memories back for you being telly journo
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