Check Please:Kids!

Just watched Check Please Kids for the first time by accident with 8 yo Ramonita. We got home late and I tuned the TV to PBS in a manueavor both defensive and offensive. Ooops!

This was the most interesting episode of Check Please since its first seasons. The sixth grade reviewers were more inciteful and certaintly more interesting than most other guests. Though the restaurant choices were already familiar, the kids kept me rapt for their next observation.

Ramonita was enthralled -- adults on TV talking children's restaurant criticism / praise seriously. She now begs to return to Medieval Times (a place l've been to too many times to enjoy, which is probably more than 1½ times), wishes to avoid King Crab in Lincoln Park (no prob), and made me pinky swear to take her to Ed Debevics (had great family times here in the past, several locations have closed, dropped off my radar, time for a revisit).

Back to the show with the brats. I'd stopped watching Check Please due to my annoyance with the diverse and opionated guests, the gratuituos and overly contrived food porn shots between segments, and the host who rubs me the wrong way despite her pedigree. I found none of these elements nagging in this episode.

So, bring on more Check Please Kids, and let's hear your children too! Too many of us are forced to dine with these barbarous little beasts we might as well get along.

-ramon

I loved that episode also (and I don't have kids). It was like an episode of Kids Say the Darndest Things, or whatever that show is called. The kids on Checks Please were so insightful -- I wish I could remember what they said.

Ramon wrote:Back to the show with the brats. I'd stopped watching Check Please due to my annoyance with the diverse and opionated guests, the gratuituos and overly contrived food porn shots between segments, and the host who rubs me the wrong way despite her pedigree. I found none of these elements nagging in this episode.

Yeah, Alpana Singh was surprisingly good with the kids. They should do more of these.

I saw portions of this episode also. There was one kid who seemed to monopolize the conversation. I thought I spied looks of frustration on the other two children as they struggled to get a comment in.
I agree the episode was far more entertaining then other recent ones.
I'd love to see those kids review Alinea!

I'll agree that, somehow, Alpana seemed more in her element with this show, or at least more at ease with her guests. But she still is a ROTTEN TV presenter. Her voice has no modulation or tonal control; everything comes out at one (HIGH) volume, with that nasally tone and over-enthused expression. I'd like to see Bob Sirott mend fences at WTTW and take this over. Seriously, other than the "wine facts" bumpers, Alpana's professional creds are really pretty much irrelevant ... and the bumpers are, by definition, not essential to the content of the show. Paradoxically, the more a person is trained in an expert field OTHER than acting/speech, the LESS their intelligence shows when they speak (unless they just have that rare natural talent and a good voice; which most academics and professionals -- hell, most PEOPLE -- just do not have). When your job is speaking to a camera, your first and most important job requirement is being able to SPEAK, not just talk. Anyway, how about having rotating hosts? Maybe Ken Nordine would like to take a shot at it; I'd love that! "Food Jazz" -- yeah, sounds about right.

JimInLoganSquare wrote:I'll agree that, somehow, Alpana seemed more in her element with this show, or at least more at ease with her guests. But she still is a ROTTEN TV presenter. Her voice has no modulation or tonal control; everything comes out at one (HIGH) volume, with that nasally tone and over-enthused expression. I'd like to see Bob Sirott mend fences at WTTW and take this over. Seriously, other than the "wine facts" bumpers, Alpana's professional creds are really pretty much irrelevant ... and the bumpers are, by definition, not essential to the content of the show. Paradoxically, the more a person is trained in an expert field OTHER than acting/speech, the LESS their intelligence shows when they speak (unless they just have that rare natural talent and a good voice; which most academics and professionals -- hell, most PEOPLE -- just do not have). When your job is speaking to a camera, your first and most important job requirement is being able to SPEAK, not just talk. Anyway, how about having rotating hosts? Maybe Ken Nordine would like to take a shot at it; I'd love that! "Food Jazz" -- yeah, sounds about right.

I'm a disgruntled Amanda Puck supporter. Alpana's trixie-ish nasalities are freaking obfuscating...yes, she was endearingly great with the kids...but, let's face it, WTTW has long since lost sight of it's charter across all televisual genres. I second Mr. Nordine. Wouldn't THAT be the shit!

I was also refreshed by this kids episode, a feeling I haven't had since the show's early days.

The King Crab peaked my interest, since I've gone by it many times. I don't think it's been covered here. Opinions?

I'm opposed to anything that encourages people to bring children into grown up restaurants.

They have restaurants for children. They're called Chuck E. Cheese and McDonalds. Children prefer them.

YourPalWill wrote:I'm opposed to anything that encourages people to bring children into grown up restaurants.

They have restaurants for children. They're called Chuck E. Cheese and McDonalds. Children prefer them.

I don't remember the restaurants reviewed by the kids on the Check, Please episode, but my recollection is that they were restaurants aimed at kids, not grown ups. One was a medieval fair concept, for example. One was a seafood place, as some else remarked, but it wasn't a high end place that was clearly an adult restaurant.

Darren72 wrote:

YourPalWill wrote:I'm opposed to anything that encourages people to bring children into grown up restaurants.

They have restaurants for children. They're called Chuck E. Cheese and McDonalds. Children prefer them.

I don't remember the restaurants reviewed by the kids on the Check, Please episode, but my recollection is that they were restaurants aimed at kids, not grown ups. One was a medieval fair concept, for example. One was a seafood place, as some else remarked, but it wasn't a high end place that was clearly an adult restaurant.

The third restaurant was Ed Debevic's. So, yeah, other than the seafood place, they featured restaurants where kids are the focus.

YourPalWill wrote:I'm opposed to anything that encourages people to bring children into grown up restaurants.

They have restaurants for children. They're called Chuck E. Cheese and McDonalds. Children prefer them.

Bold and sweeping statement. I'll bite. My six-year-old son's favorite places include Tank, BA's, Khan, Garden Buffet, Sabatino's and Spacca Napoli. (I'll admit that there's a very strong fire-related theme here). He and I stumbled upon Katy's Dumpling House while looking for food in the burbs. Every single one of said places is a family restaurant. Granted, my three year old daughter would probably prefer McDonald's most of the time, but she humors the rest of us. They have restaurants for adults, too. They're called TGI Friday's and McDonald's.

YourPalWill wrote:I'm opposed to anything that encourages people to bring children into grown up restaurants.

I know this subject has been discussed on other threads (and perhaps YourPalWill's comment is intended to be tongue in cheek), but this seems like a fairly broad blanket assertion to make. I think that bringing children into grown up restaurants can be appropriate in the right circumstances and wrong in other circumstances -- depends on the restaurant, the kid, the time of day, etc. I think thoughtful parents and organizations like Purple Asparagus (current caption on website: "Restaurants Are For Everybody!") can take a balanced and considerate approach to kids in restaurants that is wholly appropriate.

Hey, I've dined with Will and kidz in places other than Chuck E Cheese. I do not think he was being (entirely) serious.

But we have done the children in the house thing on the Forum before and it has not played out well. So, let's keep the venom where it belongs, on Check Please, and avoid talking about other stuff.

Rob

I think everyone was being a little tongue in cheeck. I also think that there are "grownup" restaurants, just not mostly what's talked about here.

JeffB wrote:

YourPalWill wrote:I'm opposed to anything that encourages people to bring children into grown up restaurants.

They have restaurants for children. They're called Chuck E. Cheese and McDonalds. Children prefer them.

Bold and sweeping statement. I'll bite. My six-year-old son's favorite places include Tank, BA's, Khan, Garden Buffet, Sabatino's and Spacca Napoli. (I'll admit that there's a very strong fire-related theme here). He and I stumbled upon Katy's Dumpling House while looking for food in the burbs. Every single one of said places is a family restaurant. Granted, my three year old daughter would probably prefer McDonald's most of the time, but she humors the rest of us. They have restaurants for adults, too. They're called TGI Friday's and McDonald's.

Jeff,

Thanks for breaking the ice, since I felt a vague inclination to get grumpy but that doesn't seem like an especially productive direction to go in -- besides, I like Will... ... Anyway, I'll now just respond to Will's statement along the line you follow. Our little fellow -- getting close to six -- has been going out to restaurants of all different sorts for all of his life. He enjoys it and behaves himself always quite well and much better than many people of considerably greater ages. When he's not eating or talking, he silently draws.

He doesn't like McDonalds at all, Gott sei dank, his own judgement based on eating there with his schoolmates! His palate seems to be developing well... Maybe he should get to do a gig on Check Please, maybe along with Jeff's 6 year old... I wonder which place he'd suggest...


Antonius

YHBT. YHL. HAND.

I'm sorry all. My post was offered in jest. I just being the site curmedgeon for a bit this morning.

I allowed my opinion to be influenced by a horrible memory of screaming running unbeknownst to me young uns in Sabatinos instead of considering the very well behaved children that I have participated in meals with through this forum.

I have indeed eaten a number of times with the VI Family including children, the Mike G Family Including Children and Peter Daane who often acts like a misbehaved child most anywhere he goes. I must admit that, with the exception of Daane, I find them all quite charming and well behaved in restaurants.

Thus, having received my well deserved come upance here. I retract my statement and apologize to all of the children (Daane excluded) and parents that I may have offended.

Will, nobody who "knows" you took you seriously, though many may not. Some of the wisest things I've ever heard said came out of the mouths of children. "Let's play ..."

-ramon

If that is the way you want to play....I'm putting my comment back.


I think the kids liked YourPalWill better when he was fat and jolly and asked them what they wanted for Christmas.

Chuckle