WPBT2 is pleased to announce that six new episodes of Check, Please! South Florida will be rolled out in January 2011.

Popular host, Chef Michelle Bernstein returns to the studio, along with 15 South Florida foodies, chosen from a pool of over a thousand applicants.  (Those desiring to be a guest restaurant reviewer can fill out an application on the show’s website, www.checkpleasefl.com.)    Each season, the reviewers represent the widely diverse South Florida population.  In the upcoming episodes, we’ll hear from a firearms instructor, a fashion stylist, and a financial analyst, just to name a few.  Even a local mayor will join in the fun!  Favorite eateries from West Palm Beach to Miami will be featured, with a little something for everyone.

Tune in for new episodes beginning Monday, January 24, 2010 on WPBT2.  (Episodes repeat on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. and on Saturdays at 5:30 p.m.)  Check, Please! South Florida will also continue its wide menu of interactive opportunities including giveaways, behind-the-scenes video, and online chat sessions via the show’s website and Facebook page.  A special episode is also in the works, which will offer viewers a unique opportunity to support the show and receive tickets to a Check, Please! tasting event planned for 2011.    Stay tuned for more details!

Sponsors for Season 5 include George & Helen Weaver, Badia Spices, Whole Foods Market, Southern Wine & Spirits and Global Capital Financial Group.

 

About the Host
Michelle Bernstein is a Miami native of Jewish and Latin descent. A passionate culinaire, she has dazzled diners and critics alike with her sublime cuisine and a personality as bright and vibrant as the Florida sun. “My food is luxurious but approachable,” says Bernstein, a James Beard Award winner (Best Chef South 2008) and author of Cuisine a Latina (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2008).

Experience in the kitchen has made Michelle one of the most sought-after chefs in the television industry. For two years, Bernstein co-hosted The Food Network’s Melting Pot, where she introduced many Americans to the art of Nuevo Latino Cuisine. Bernstein would return to the Food Network years later to battle Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America, from which the Miami chef emerged victorious. Currently the host of WPBT’s Emmy-nominated Check, Please! South Florida, Michelle still manages to make appearances on national television shows, ranging from Top Chef and The Today Show to the Martha Stewart Show.

She also continues to consult for Delta Airlines, for which she creates in-flight menus for First and Business Class Elite. Most recently, Bernstein launched the Miami chapter of Common Threads, an after-school program dedicated to teaching underprivileged kids ages 8-11 to cook, socialize, and eat healthy one recipe at a time.

 

About the Producer
Joyce Belloise is a South Florida native, born and raised in Miami, and a graduate of Barry University. In her thirteen years at WPBT Miami, Joyce’s production credits include local magazine and public affairs programs, as well as national PBS specials and series. For ten years, Joyce wrote and produced feature segments for the Emmy-award winning weekly magazine series, New Florida. More recently, she produced several half-hour episodes of the PBS nature series, Wild Florida and also hit the road to create ten episodes of the highly-popular Florida Roadtrip series, a travel adventure show that features the attractions, beauty, and cuisine of the Sunshine State.  In her spare time, Joyce also writes and produces corporate videos and promotional spots for local businesses and produces segments for the Food Network’s hit show, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.  Her work has garnered numerous awards including several National Communicator Awards and Telly Awards, as well as seven Emmy Awards.