Sbrocco: Mexican brunch and brews in Napa.

Weir: Big burritos all around.

Sbrocco: Nepalese Indian fusion in El Sobrante.

Robinson: I cannot believe I just consumed 12 chicken wings.

Sbrocco: And Vietnamese hot pot in Alameda.

Ma: When you take a bite, it tastes like summertime in your mouth.

Sbrocco: Just ahead on "Check, Please!

Bay Area."

Robinson: So we were kind of standing there salsa-ing.

♪♪ Sbrocco: Hi, I'm Leslie Sbrocco.

Welcome to "Check, Please!

Bay Area," the show where 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 sex and relationship educator Tamar Weir, food and beverage manager Fabian Ma, and office manager Tamla Robinson.

Welcome, everybody.

You're excited for a good show?

Ma: Absolutely.

Sbrocco: We're ready to go.

Weir: So excited.

Robinson: Very.

Sbrocco: Tamar kicks things off with her top pick for decadent, boozy brunch.

This rustic bakery serves up Mexican breakfast favorites alongside craft cervezas and colorful cocktails.

Located in Napa, it's La Cheve Bakery and Brews.

♪♪ Cisneros: When I think of La Cheve, I think of, like, where I would want to go every single day, bringing my girlfriends, a date, my grandma, my aunts and have a good time.

We are hanging out at the oldest building in Napa.

It's known as the Old Adobe House, built in 1845 when it was still Mexico.

The walls are three feet thick.

It's absolutely cozy and warm, and literally we're standing and hanging out in history every single day.

It's called La Cheve because I used to brew beer in my parents' garage, and I love the concept of pairing beer with food and pastries, because that hadn't really been done before.

♪♪ La Cheve is the only place you can get a concha, a michelada and chilaquiles.

Man: Delicious.

Cisneros: Our flan French toast is ridiculous.

It's literally flan and French toast having a baby.

It's delicious.

Woman: It's my favorite.

Cisneros: When you think Mexican pastry, Mexican bakery, you think concha.

They have to have a concha.

And it's the most simple bread, just eggs, milk, sugar, and then the sugar coating on top.

But everybody has their own love that they put into it.

And ours has a little bit of a twist.

It's a bridge between my Mexican cultura with my American self.

My mom is an absolute rock star in the bakery.

She says you have to eat with your eyes before you eat with your tummy.

And so our pastries, they are very vibrant and colorful and eye-catching.

My dad, he takes a lot of pride in everything he does, making rice and beans, salsas from scratch.

Man: Cilantro and chili.

Cisneros: It takes a lot of work, and whenever someone compliments him, he loves it.

[ Laughter ] Every weekend we have a new thing that he creates.

The special this weekend, it's the blue corn gorditas with our house-made chorizo and our potatoes, They're such a hit.

They come back frequently because they are so tasty and very popular.

Woman: Mmm!

Cisneros: Having La Cheve in Napa, where there is a large Latino community, is very, very special.

Woman: Gracias.

Cisneros: I love that people are so excited to come and talk to us and talk to me.

Thank y'all.

Enjoy.

Man: Thank you.

Cisneros: And I think having another home where we all feel comfortable coming, no matter what, is something I'm very, very proud of.

The biggest compliment for me is that a lot of people drive really far, or they wait a really long time to try our stuff.

Woman: That is so good.

Cisneros: We are throwing parties every day, and there are so many house parties that you can go to.

And they decided to come to our house party.

And I think that's really special because they want to make memories here.

Man: Salud!

Sbrocco: Now, Tamar, you grew up in Napa, right?

Weir: I did.

I grew up in Napa on a farm and on a winery.

Napa is a small town, so growing up there, you just learn about everything happening.

Sbrocco: Yeah.

Weir: When I went the first time, I was very excited.

It's in a historic adobe building so it's in the oldest-- Sbrocco: Oldest building in Napa.

Weir: Yes, built in the 1840s.

So when you walk in, it just feels like a very special experience.

It's a really big menu, but everything is just so good that I like to go through the menu, order a few things each time I go.

Their concha is a classic Mexican pastry, and it's filled with arroz con leche, which is another classic Mexican dessert.

And so I love when two dishes get put into one.

It just makes it very special.

And then I also get their croissant, which is a guava-filled croissant with cream, and it includes shaved almonds on top.

So you get the crunch and it's really big.

You can really share these pastries.

Ma: The one that we love the most was almond raspberry tart.

It was so good.

It was very flaky, more of like a crumble to it too, but absolutely sweet.

A little bit of a nutty flavor mixed with a little bit of nice berry flavor too.

Robinson: We had two of the boozy pastries.

We had the strawberry shortcake and the boozy morning bun as our pastries.

Sbrocco: Wow, at 1:00.

Ma: Yeah, we got the same thing, yeah.

Weir: Yeah.

Sbrocco: So tell me about those.

Robinson: So the boozy morning bun, it's like really crispy and cinnamony, and then it has the whipped cream in the inside.

And I think the booze must be in that portion, but it's really light, so you don't really taste it.

So it keeps you coming back for more and more bites.

And then the strawberry was in a heart shape.

It's double decker and it had the strawberries and it had the cream.

It was crispy.

It had the powdered sugar.

So delicious.

We ordered the Uncle Wigs cocktail, which has orange juice and tequila and tamarind.

I love the spicy rim and it was so cooling.

It was awesome.

Ma: We ordered the chilaquiles.

And then we also ordered the chile relleno burrito as well.

Both were outstanding.

The burrito was nice and savory, and the chilaquiles gave like a nice crunchy texture to it.

Weir: I did get the chilaquiles and I got it in their salsa rojo.

Ma: Oh, yeah.

Weir: Which is my favorite.

They have a green salsa as well, so you can kind of choose what you're feeling that day.

It's topped with cilantro, onions.

You can have an egg of your style, your choice.

So we got like a medium-cooked egg on there.

And I did have the chile relleno burrito as well.

Very big, I can say, big burritos all around.

You get the chili poblano in there, you get the mozzarella cheese, you get the scrambled egg.

So it's kind of a twist off of like a classic, you know, breakfast burrito.

But they make it with their Mexican twist, which is just really nice.

So I also had the ceviche and I love getting this dish there because a lot of the other dishes are warm, hearty.

The ceviche is super light, super refreshing, and includes sea bass, of course, with the citrus marinade.

It comes with beautiful avocado on top, a little garnish of cilantro, of onion.

There's tomato and a little chili powder on top.

And of course you get the tortilla chips, which you need that to scoop up all the juices.

You're going to want to drink it all.

Sbrocco: Did anybody have their home-brewed beer?

Weir: Yes.

We actually ordered some coffee beverages to start.

I got the lochita, which is half coffee, half horchata.

It's perfect if you want something sweet and something caffeinated.

But then we were like, we have to have the beer.

You can't come and not try the beer.

So we did try two beers, their darker lager, which was named Cucuy.

And then they had just a classic lighter beer that they call American Dream.

Both super flavorful.

You know, the darker lager is just a little bit heavier, but also really delicious, more herbaceous.

And then the American Dream is like your lighter, fruity floral beer, so very delicious.

Sbrocco: I think it's such a wonderful Napa-esque or wine country-esque combination where you get a great beer -- forget the wine -- great beer.

And great pastries.

Right?

Ma: Absolutely.

And the cool thing is, like, you can sit inside or outside too.

So if you want to enjoy that Napa scenery, you can sit on the patio and have a great time out there too.

Sbrocco: Right.

Weir: You can.

Robinson: And the music too.

Ma: And the music.

Yeah.

Robinson: So even though we had to wait in line to get in, I was like, this is wonderful music because we love salsa music.

So it was just fun standing there.

Sbrocco: Did you break out and dance?

Robinson: We did.

Sbrocco: Ah, there we go.

Robinson: Yeah, we know how to salsa dance.

So we were kind of standing there salsa-ing.

Sbrocco: I love it.

Robinson: Yes.

Sbrocco: Alright.

If you would like to try La Cheve Bakery and Brews, it's located on Soscol Avenue in Napa.

And the average multi-course tab per person without drinks is around $35.

Tamla's date-night favorite blends bold flavors and lively vibes, serving up a delicious fusion of Nepalese, Indian, and American soul food.

Add in a bustling bar scene, some salsa lessons, and you've got the perfect evening out.

Tucked away in El Sobrante, it's Copper Mug.

Sandhu: Welcome to Copper Mug El Sobrante, everyone.

Oh, you got the mule.

Thank you.

Woman: Cheers.

Woman #2: Cheers.

Sandhu: Copper Mug is all about good Indian cuisines, all-American appetizers.

And above all, the friendliness.

Miss Christie.

Woman: Nice to see you.

Sandhu: So the name Copper Mug, it is inspired by two events.

My grandma, who passed away a few years back -- She used to give me water in a copper mug every morning.

So it was a personal connection for me.

And then number two was my favorite cocktail, which is a mule.

So I always thought like, you know, I would have a restaurant where I'll make every mule out there.

Perfectly marinated chicken, which we marinate normally overnight.

I've always been a foodie.

I love food.

I lived in different parts of India where, you know, I tried different kind of food, like chicken tikka masala, butter chicken, samosa chaat.

That's like everyday thing down there.

So I always thought if I ever have my own restaurant, I will have those authentic recipes, authentic flavors.

So through people that I used to love.

At the same time, I also wanted to have fan favorites.

Some Old Bay wings.

I fell in love with chicken wings when I came to U.S.

Very light coating, the perfect crispness, the juiciness inside, and then a perfect amount of seasoning.

We have different flavors on chicken wings, which people love.

Man: Delicious.

Sandhu: Bartending is a beautiful craft.

And it was just out of excitement.

I got into bartending.

There's a few things that are very important in mules.

The most important is the ginger beer.

So it's a funny story, but, like, we went through 17 brands of ginger beer before I decided what ginger beer pairs with which type of spirit.

Sometimes we also make cocktails specifically for somebody.

We create a lot of drinks over here that are actually recommended by the customers.

Woman: Really good, really refreshing.

Sandhu: 90% of my beers are all microbreweries.

Local breweries and one type I especially want to talk about is our root beer tap.

We also do a root beer float, of course, with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream and a beautiful cherry on top.

Okay, root beer floats.

When the customers come in, you know, they treat me as a friend.

Man: Great place.

Sandhu: Thank you.

The compliments I get makes me very happy.

Of course, my mustache makes me happy.

People always gonna be talking about my mustache.

You know?

People really accepting this place and making this place a success, that's what makes me happy.

All: Copper Mug!

[ Cheering ] Sbrocco: Okay, Tamla, I love the name of this place.

Copper Mug.

I'm a big mule fan, right?

So they've got a variety of mules to choose from, right?

Robinson: Yes, they do.

Sbrocco: What is it that drew you in there, though?

Robinson: Just being excited to have something like that in our neighborhood.

Sbrocco: And it's kind of a sports bar feel, right, in the spot.

Ma: Absolutely.

Robinson: My first experience, I had a margarita and it was really good.

We started with the chicken wings because I love chicken wings.

Ma: Oh, yes.

Robinson: Sweet chili and the barbecue.

The chicken wings are super crispy and really sauced with a side of ranch, but I always ask for a side of blue cheese.

And so you kind of get that double-dip situation.

Not too tangy, not too sweet.

So it just keeps you going back.

You keep eating them and keep eating them.

Then you look down and you're like, I cannot believe I just consumed 12 chicken wings.

[ Laughter ] Yeah.

Ma: So the first thing that we had, I saw their mule list.

I couldn't believe I've never seen so many mules in one place.

And so I was like, what's something I can't normally get?

Oh, a blackberry whiskey mule.

Robinson: Oh, I've had that.

Ma: It was fantastic.

It was one of the best meals I've ever had.

Weir: So I know that most people probably get, you know, the mules.

I was feeling something a little different that day.

So I got the sweet rosy lips cocktail.

Robinson: I've had that, yes.

Weir: You've had it?

Robinson: Mm-hmm.

Weir: It has elderberry flower syrup.

And overall, the beauty of it just makes you want to drink it and devour it.

Then I went with my mom and she doesn't like to drink so much alcohol.

So she had to get the mango lassi, which is a classic and something that we noticed that they included that not many other places include is they put saffron on the top, and it was honestly one of our favorite lassis we've had.

Sbrocco: That's great.

Ma: So food-wise, we got their catfish and chips.

It was breaded beautifully.

It's not too much breading, which I absolutely love.

They let the catfish be the star of the show.

Perfectly moist, flaky, comes with a side of really nice fries.

A great way to start the meal.

Sbrocco: Yeah.

Weir: We started with the veggie momo.

I love momo and they let you choose if you want to do half fried, half steamed.

So we of course did that.

And it's filled with vegetables in a paneer masala kind of mixture and really, really delicious.

Ma: The other one that we got was the butter chicken.

We tried the more Nepalese Indian side of things.

Their butter chicken was absolutely phenomenal.

Very generous portions, beautiful curry flavoring to it.

The chicken was very moist.

Even though it's covered in sauce, you can tell it is perfectly cooked.

Sbrocco: Tastes like butter.

Ma: Yeah.

And it's like I don't know if they bake it or what, but wow, the flavor is infused into the chicken.

Robinson: And then you get that pile of rice.

Ma: Yeah.

Awesome good.

Robinson: You just put it on there.

It's so good.

Ma: Yes.

Robinson: I've also had the chicken tikka masala.

We always get the butter chicken.

We always get the tikka masala.

Weir: We had that.

Robinson: We cannot decide between the two, so we always order both.

And it's not too spicy.

But if you need something spicy, Mr.

Kay can provide you with a side of some kind of spicy.

Sbrocco: Mr.

Kay is a magician.

Robinson: He is.

Sbrocco: It sounds like.

Robinson: He's just all over the place.

You know, you want for nothing.

And we also had the pineapple fried rice because I've not tried it before.

Ma: I saw it on the menu.

Robinson: Yeah, and it was really good.

I love that little bit of sweet with the salty.

It was so good.

Weir: So we tried another dish the owner convinced us to get, which was the loaded samosa chaat.

And you've had it.

Robinson: I've had it, yes.

Weir: So good.

So the samosa's, you know, like a classic dish with potato, right?

But then what they do differently is they put cooked chickpeas on top.

They have two sauces, the green cilantro mint sauce that adds a really herbaceous feel to it.

And then they also have a tamarind cumin sauce that really adds like a tanginess.

And then they have these little crispy fritters on top.

So you get the crunch, you get the savory, you get the fresh, all of that.

And it is good.

Robinson: Yes.

Sbrocco: Did you have anything to end the meal?

Robinson: I had another margarita.

[ Laughter ] And this time I had a lavender, so it came out purple.

It was beautiful.

Sprinkle a little lavender on top because I wanted to just try some new things.

Ma: That must have been so good.

Robinson: And it was so good.

Sbrocco: Okay, now I'm going to do a little interlude for dancing because they give salsa lessons there.

Tell us about your salsa-ing.

Robinson: So this is a new thing that they've started.

And that's how my boyfriend and I met eight years ago was at a salsa class.

And so I was like in our own neighborhood to have salsa?

We went and Miss Taylor, the salsa teacher, she is so nice.

I cannot wait to go back and salsa more.

Sbrocco: I love it because they have Indian, Nepalese, American.

And then you add in sort of a Latin flair.

Robinson: Yes.

Ma: It's so great that they have the space in the back where people can hang out and do salsa lesson, or they have that little stage with a karaoke machine or played live music.

I thought the venue was perfect for like a lively get-together.

Weir: And they have jazz too, which he mentioned to me as well.

So you can get a little bit of everything when you go.

Sbrocco: Alright.

If you would like to try Copper Mug, it's located on Valley View Road in El Sobrante.

The average multi-course tab per person without drinks is around $35.

Fabian's choice takes us to a modern Vietnamese spot known for a signature dish that's all about sharing.

From rich oxtails to fresh seafood and vibrant veggies all simmered in bubbling hot pots, this place is made for gathering around the table with friends and family.

Located in Alameda, it's Bacogai.

♪♪ ♪♪ Tran: Bacogai is our take on modern Vietnamese restaurant where we're introducing not so everyday Vietnamese food.

Bui: We are serving.

We created what we love to eat.

Man: Ooh.

Look at that.

Tran: My mom and also my dad, they came from Vietnam.

They're boat people.

Man: You can add Wagyu.

Bui: Like Khanh, my family is from Vietnam.

Tran: We decided to open Bacogai because our love for food, hospitality and our friendship.

Bui: We've been friends for 20 years.

We wanted to build something meaningful together.

We have two more shaking beef please.

Tran: Recipes -- I would say it literally came from something that we just grew up eating.

Bui: My mom always told me growing up, whatever you do, make it you.

Make it unique.

Make it different.

Pho, banh mi, rice plates, those are breakfast dishes in Vietnam.

Woman: Oh, check that out.

Bui: But Vietnamese food is so much more than that.

Vegan, guys.

Bui: You have to come here with the open mind and then it surprises you in a good way.

Woman: Thank you.

Bui: One of the crucial ingredients in Vietnamese cuisine is definitely fish sauce.

shTran: Every single component on the menu has fish sauce from the appetizer, from the main.

Unfortunately, not desserts, nor drinks.

Bui: We could.

Woman: Yummy.

Bui: Hot pot is essentially -- It's soup, boiling broth and then you add your ingredients to cook it.

Our hot pot is a little bit different from what you typically see at other hot pots.

At our restaurant, we serve our hot pot in a set.

Each set of hot pot comes in a very specific, veggie, specific mushroom and carbs that goes well with that pot.

Man: Oh, yeah.

Get you a hot pot, your favorite meal.

Bui: That's where the heart is, is the broth.

So whatever goes into the broth shouldn't change the taste of the broth, but complement the broth in the best way.

Tran: I think Vietnamese culture, when there's a celebration, how we bond is always through food, and that's something that we want to bring it to this community by emphasizing on sharing family style.

We create a space, hoping that people would come in to enjoy the music, the playlist that we created together.

It's very lively.

Bui: It's very fun.

[ Applause ] Sbrocco: Now, Fabian, how is this different than maybe a traditional or what we think of as a Vietnamese restaurant?

Ma: I think when people go to their typical neighborhood Vietnamese place, they think of, oh, I'm going to get pho.

I'm going to get a vermicelli bowl, I'm going to get a bahn mi sandwich, all of our great options.

But this place does something very different.

They focus more on Vietnamese hot pot, and they have a couple dishes that you wouldn't normally find in your average Vietnamese restaurant.

Sbrocco: What's so special about hot pot?

Ma: For me, the thing I love the most about hot pot is, it's just very shareable.

The favorite one that we always order is the beef oxtail.

Their oxtail is simmered for a long time, and when they put it in the hot pot, it is so tender, it is fall off the bone.

They also give you a side of vegetables, tofu, mushrooms, the accoutrements, so to speak.

They also provide three different kinds of sauce on the side.

I particularly like the soybean paste sauce.

I put it in there, adds a little bit of a nutty, sweet flavor to everything that you're eating.

Ah, perfect on a cold day.

Sbrocco: Alright.

Do we have other hot pot fans?

Weir: I had that same one.

When I saw it on the menu, I was like, that's for me.

Ma: So unique.

Weir: I really appreciated the broth is a nutty bean curd broth.

So it's very creamy.

It's very balanced.

And then with the oxtail it's slow cooked as you said.

So it literally is falling off the bone as you're adding all of these other elements to the hot pot.

It came with also some fried taro, tofu, the ramen noodles, some watercress greens.

So you get a big balance of a lot of different things that you can add in there.

Comes with beef balls, tripe.

So it's a lot of things that you're adding into there.

And like you said, I love something that's communal.

So I went with my mom and we're both choosing what we want to add, having fun with it.

So it just makes the dining experience really fun.

Ma: Absolutely.

Robinson: When I went, it was hot.

It was like 79 degrees and I was like... Sbrocco: It was a hot day.

Robinson: Hot day.

Sbrocco: No hot pot.

Robinson: So I chose a different dish.

But I did start with the chicken wings.

Ma: Oh, yeah.

Robinson: Yeah, that was just the highlight because I love chicken wings.

And it had just an unctuous, umami, sticky chef's kiss kind of wing-osity.

[ Laughter ] Weir: Yeah.

Robinson: That made me go home and try to make some kind of tamarind fish sauce, but it didn't even come close.

But it was delicious.

Ma: I see a lot of other tables ordering the chicken wings, too.

I know it's a favorite.

Absolutely crunchy and moist on the inside.

Fantastic.

Weir: So I had an appetizer.

We got the spring rolls, which were filled with crab, pork.

You got some noodles in there and it had a beautiful nuoc cham sauce, which is balanced in terms of the flavor because you get a little bit of that sweet, you get a little bit of the tangy and the spring rolls are fried to a perfect crisp.

We really enjoyed that dish.

Ma: So I also ordered a appetizer too.

It's called the shaking beef luc lac.

It's something that is almost like a spring roll, but instead of being wrapped in like a rice paper noodle, you actually wrap it in lettuce.

And it comes with this beautifully marinated strips of beef and the vermicelli noodles.

And you wrap it all together with some mint sprigs.

When you take a bite of it, oh, my gosh, it tastes like summertime in your mouth.

And the beef flavor is fantastic.

Robinson: We also ordered the banh hoi.

It's mushrooms and tofu and lemongrass and the vermicelli noodles.

They come in white and purple.

It's a really attractive dish and it also comes with a side of a fish sauce, dipping sauce.

And it was really good.

It was so much food.

We had plenty to take home.

Sbrocco: And what about something to imbibe with that food?

Robinson: We had the green Thai milk tea and it was really good.

Really refreshing.

It's not too sweet.

And I think it has the pandan.

It's something I've never had before.

Sbrocco: It gives you that color.

Robinson: Yes.

I was really excited to taste it and I was not disappointed.

Ma: Even had a little bit of like floral notes to it too.

Great refresher for us.

Sbrocco: Is that a go-to drink for you?

Ma: Yeah.

Oh, yes.

Especially if you're going to eat something spicy.

Perfect palate cleanser.

Sbrocco: Yeah.

Weir: So for the drinks I actually had the Bacogai spritz.

It came with rosé, passion fruit, seltzer.

It was very beautiful.

Kind of garnished with this rosemary on top.

Very refreshing to kind of go with the very hot pot.

And then my mom got the barley tea, which was unsweetened, but we liked that it kind of had more of an unsweet flavor to balance with the other flavors of the dishes.

We also ordered dessert.

We had the banana fritter and the pandan waffle.

The banana fritter was so good.

It was crispy and then you crack into it.

Steaming hot.

Just perfect, and then you cooled it off with just the right amount of the vanilla ice cream.

And we enjoy the waffle.

We took some of that home so my mom could taste it, and it was wonderful.

Sbrocco: Fantastic.

Alright.

So in terms of value, this sounds like again, like a place that's really affordable.

Ma: Absolutely.

Especially if you're going to go, you're going to go with people too.

And so you're going to share the food and the bill.

Sbrocco: Yeah.

[ Laughter ] The way to go.

Alright.

Ma: Yeah.

Sbrocco: If you would like to try Bacogai, it's located on Blanding Avenue in Alameda.

The average multi-course tab per person without drinks is around $55.

Looking for more Bay Area bites you've just got to try?

Check out "Cecilia Tries It" online at kqed.org/checkplease.

I have to thank my fabulous guests on this week's show.

Tamar Weir, who craves the conchas at La Cheve Bakery and Brews in Napa; Fabian Ma, who obsesses over the oxtail hot pot at Bacogai in Alameda; and Tamla Robinson, who savors samosas, sips and salsa at Copper Mug in El Sobrante.

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.

Robinson: Cheers.

Sbrocco: Cheers.

Cheers.

Bui: Clay pot -- it is caramelized Vietnamese dish.

Traditionally in Vietnam, fish clay pot is made with catfish, but it has a lot of bones.

So we decided to serve it with salmon.

A little bit more elevated, easier to eat.

And it tastes amazing.

Thank you so much for coming.

We hold a very, very soft spot for our parents.

My mom came here more than 20 years ago so that I can have a better life.

All I wanted to do is to make my mom proud.

And she told me many times that yes, she's proud.