Brezo, Minnie Bell's Soul Movement, Rise Woodfire Pizza & Rotisserie | Check, Please! Bay Area

We begin this episode at Brezo, a cheerful neighborhood spot known for its Latin-meets-Californian menus from sweet to savory. Diners enjoy banana Kahlúa French toast, gorditas stuffed with beans and meat, and the juicy Brezo Burger served with a bright bacon-garbanzo-tomato salad. Then it’s off to San Francisco’s Fillmore District, where Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement honors generations of Southern family cooking with a Bay Area twist. Don’t miss the rosemary fried chicken, creamy mac and cheese, and rich brown butter cornbread — a homecoming meal with history in every bite. The episode ends in downtown San Mateo at Rise Woodfire Pizza & Rotisserie, where a former finance professional-turned-pizzaiolo dishes out wood-fired pies and rotisserie meats in a stunning converted train station. Highlights include the housemade meatballs, tender beef back rib pizza, and a decadent brownie-stuffed cookie for dessert. Plus, in Cecilia Tries It, reporter Cecilia Philips dives into the rhythms, flavors, and reverence of San Jose’s Japantown, from fresh market finds to the drums and dances of the annual Obon Festival.

#CheckPleaseBayArea #MexicanFood #SanFrancisco #Albany #SanMateo #Pizza #SoulFood

0:00 Check, Please! Bay Area (Season 20, Episode 8)
1:21 Brezo (Albany)
2:57 Three Bay Area guests share their thoughts on Brezo
7:03 Where to find Brezo
7:30 Minnie Bell's Soul Movement (San Francisco)
9:36 Three Bay Area guests share their thoughts on Minnie Bell's Soul Movement
14:05 Where to find Minnie Bell's Soul Movement
14:38 Rise Woodfire Pizza & Rotisserie (San Mateo)
16:56 Three Bay Area guests share their thoughts on Rise Woodfire Pizza & Rotisserie
20:57 Where to find Rise Woodfire Pizza & Rotisserie
21:16 Japantown Farmers Market / Obon Festival (San Jose)

Support for Check, Please! Bay Area is provided by Graham’s Port, IRG, Oakland Airport, and Water Heaters Only.

👉 SUBSCRIBE to watch more Bay Area food videos:    / @kqedfood   👈

🥗 Join us on Instagram➡   / kqedfood  
🍔 Like us on Facebook➡   / kqedfood  
🍕 Follow us on Twitter➡   / kqedfood