A Q&A with Original Check, Please! Host Amanda Puck
Hello everyone! As we wrapped up our 15th season, we asked top chefs from around the city to pick their favorite places to dine out in Chicago – and who doesn’t want to know that? Watch the episode if you haven’t already!
Since this is the 15th anniversary year for Check, Please!, I thought it would be fun to go back to our roots and chat with the original Check, Please! host, Amanda Puck. Read on to learn about the early days at Check, Please!, find out what she’s working on now, and get some tips on how to always be party ready! Here’s what she had to say:
Q: You were the OG Check, Please! host. Tell us about what it was like the first couple years on the show.
Amanda Puck: It is hard to believe it has been 15 years! The first couple of years were WILD. We started the first few episodes barely being able to get guests, which quickly turned into thousands of people applying. The show had such instant appeal. And this was before social media really became a staple in our lives. The worst part for me was the crazy hair I had working at that time. I will never hear the end of it from my friends.
Q: What was it was like having Obama as your guest on the show?
Amanda Puck: Obama was the best guest. He was polite, witty, eloquent, and an avid foodie. He frequently ate at Spago with Michelle (Obama), the restaurant at which I was a partner in the River North area from 1996 to 2003. The episode never aired, but as soon as he became POTUS, the episode was recut and aired on WTTW11 and is available online. Having him as a guest was an experience I will never forget.
Q: You have remained in the culinary/hospitality industry since leaving Check, Please! How has the culinary landscape changed in Chicago?
Amanda Puck: It has changed tremendously since I moved here in 1996. The changes are across the board – concepting, availability of ingredients, and service level. The restaurant scene in our city is unrivaled in its amazing diversity. You can have tacos for lunch at Big Star, and then head to Grace for a 3 Michelin-starred meal.
Q: The last episode in Season 15 is a compilation show of chefs’ favorite places to eat in Chicago. What are a few of yours?
Amanda Puck: I have just a few favorite standbys (wink, wink). Nico Osteria in my neighborhood is our ultimate happy place. I could eat bowls full of the fried rice at Le Colonial. Big Star is perfect for a fun night with friends. GT Fish & Oyster is a date night fave, as well as a place to treat visiting family. I love all the dishes and cocktail programs at Wood & Salero. Paella night at Salero every Tuesday is a MUST. Osteria Langhe has become a go-to for Italian and the specialty pasta, plin. One of my favorite restaurants of all time is The Bristol, I have been going there since they opened. Chef Sean Pharr is killing it with his new menu. My biggest comfort food is the chicken parm sub from Nonna’s, or the Italian sub from Bari Foods. If I’m craving a burger, I head to Butcher & The Burger. Honey Butter for fried chicken, NY Bagel & Bialy for bagels and creamy spreads. I only eat sushi from Mariano’s – for real it is our family fave. I just could go on and on…
Q: You’re now the Director of Strategic Brand Development at Mariano’s. Every time we chat you are working on some fun projects – everything from food video production and tastemaker series to chef collaborations and cooking classes. What are some of the projects you are working on now?
Amanda Puck: We love our Tastemaker Campaign. We have the privilege of working with talented chefs and influencers such as Restaurateur Donnie Madia of One Off Hospitality, Chef Tony Priolo of Piccolo Sogno, Chef Stephanie Izard of Girl & The Goat and Little Goat, Sommelier Michael Muser of Grace, Chef Chris Pandel of the B Hospitality Group, Tom Kehoe of Kehoe Designs, and Bonnie Micheli &Tracy Roemer from Shred415, among other accomplished Chicagoans. They literally bring so much to the table!
Speaking of table, we have a new web series on YouTube, Bob’s Table, where Bob Mariano sits down with an expert guest. The concept is simple. The guest shares his or her knowledge on a particular subject with Bob, whether it is floral, cheese, or how to make the perfect meatball. It’s fun to work with Bob on the series, which really reflects the unique and interesting items we feature in the stores. We are also getting ready for the James Beard Awards and Chicago Gourmet (Mariano’s sponsors both). Come visit in our tent at Chicago Gourmet with some of the best chefs in Chicago. We for sure have the party tent! Community involvement is paramount to us. We work with many non-profits and organizations throughout Chicagoland that fight hunger, especially where it affects children – Blessings in a Backpack, The Chicago Bulls Meals that Matter Program, and the Greater Chicago Food Depository to name a few. We work hands-on with these groups, which really makes a difference. Our store events are great for everyone. We do kids event on the weekends, as well as cooking and mixology classes at all of our stores for adults.
Q: You always have so much going on! And your interest in food goes way beyond your professional life. It plays a huge role in your personal one as well. You even recently created your own beverage program at your house. Give us some tips on how to stock a home bar and what every hostess pantry should have for impromptu gatherings.
Amanda Puck: I wish our home bar was open for business! Our menu reflects classics and spins on classics, inspired by Death & Company in NYC and our travels. The easiest way to go is to have a few great cocktails that you can easily make up your sleeve. Whiskey Sours, Negronis, and Last Words are all different, refreshing, and easy to make…all you need to do is measure correctly. Always have some sparkling wine or champagne in the fridge. Nothing says start the party more than popping open a bottle of bubbly! You also need to stock spirits you love – gin, vodka, bourbon, rye, tequila, mezcal. They are the base for what you put together. I love vermouths, so we have several. My two favorite additions are Green Chartreuse and Luxardo Maraschino. I couldn’t live without those two.
To always be ready for last minute guests, stock ingredients for a charcuterie tray. I always have 5 or 6 cheeses on hand in my fridge. Guests love aged goudas and triple cremes from France. It’s also good to have a few types of salami, nuts, and assorted crackers and you are ready to go. Don’t forget the olives!
Q: Can you share your favorite cocktail recipe with us so we can all toast the 15th Anniversary of Check, Please!
Amanda Puck: My favorite cocktail is the Last Word, mainly because who doesn’t want the last word?! And it is EASY to make if you measure correctly. Make sure you have a good shot glass.
Last Word cocktail
Last Word Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients:
1 oz. Gin (I use Hendricks)
1 oz. Green Chartreuse
1 oz. Luxardo Maraschino
1 oz. Lime Juice, freshly squeezed
Instructions:
Add all ingredients in a shaker, and then add ice. Shake vigorously until icy cold, and strain into the coolest cocktail coupe you have, and toast Check, Please! 15!
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY CHECK, PLEASE! It is such a pleasure to be the current host after Amanda and Alpana, and work with such a talented and hard-working team to bring our audience a look at all of the fabulous dining options we have in our beautiful city. I can’t say thank you enough to Executive Producer David Manilow and Producer Jacqui Wedewer; the staff and production crew at WTTW, and all of our loyal viewers. I feel so proud to be a part of Check, Please!
Cheers,
Catherine
