PBS’ ‘Check, Please!’ Signs Excellent Local Host

By Seattle Mag January 24, 2012

checkpleaseamypennington

KCTS 9 announced today that they have selected local food and gardening expert Amy Pennington to host the Seattle version of Check, Please!, a reality TV concept that lets everyday folks play food critic for a day.

From Cody Ellerd Bay’s original post about the show:

If you’ve never seen the show, which also runs in Chicago, San Francisco, Phoenix, Kansas City and South Florida, it operates like this: One person nominates his or her favorite restaurant, and then two other people are sent there to review it. After their anonymous visits, the reviewers get together to discuss their meal and rate the restaurant. They cover everything from the latest hot spots with superstar chefs to the hole-in-the-wall that’s been serving you your favorite fish and chips for years.

I met Amy Pennington fairly recently at a memorable fundraiser for Seattle Central Culinary Academy (although, before my time, Seattle mag covered her gardening exploits in several issues).

She was responsible for mixing cocktails and preparing dessert at the party. Both were delicious, but what I remember most was her spunky personality and great sense of humor. I predict her presence on the show will ground the conversation of Check, Please! in territory local food lovers can really appreciate.

More about Amy, from the press release, after the jump:

A lifelong food lover, Amy Pennington has been immersed in Seattle’s restaurant scene for nearly 15 years. Starting as a host at Tom Douglas’s Palace Kitchen, she went on to produce and guest on KIRO’s weekly In the Kitchen with Tom & Thierry radio show and teach at Seattle Culinary Academy and Bastyr University.

Amy is a regular contributing writer to Edible Seattle, Crosscut, Food52 and SIP Northwest. Her first book, Urban Pantry, was named one of 2010’s Best Cookbooks by Amazon.com. Her most recent book is Apartment Gardening–Plants Projects and Recipes for Growing Food in Your Urban Home. As creator and owner of GoGo Green Garden, she builds and tends edible backyard gardens for city folk who want to grow their own produce and launched a website, urbangardenshare.org, that pairs city gardeners with available garden space.

Check, Please! takes my favorite things—eating good food, dining out and entertaining people—and wraps them up in one awesome show,” says Amy Pennington. “I’m looking forward to sharing food, laughter and great times with folks around the table. Let’s eat!”

Check, Please! Northwest begins airing on KCTS 9 March 8 at 7 p.m. To be a guest on the show, sign up online.

 

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