‘Check, Please! Bay Area’ Visits Sonoma, Napa for a Wine Country Special

From a locals' favorite burger shop to a popular Filipino eatery, these Wine Country restaurants will share the spotlight in an upcoming episode of KQED's hit food review series.


By Maci Martell

The James Beard and Emmy Award-winning KQED series “Check, Please! Bay Area” has occasionally ventured into Wine Country to highlight local restaurants. This summer, however, the show’s 21st season includes its first episode devoted entirely to dining in Napa and Sonoma counties.

The Wine Country special will air at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 23, and will feature Lunch Box in Sebastopol, The Mill in Glen Ellen, Carabao in Napa and several taquerias and food trucks along the Napa Taco Trail. A later episode, airing Aug. 13, will spotlight La Cheve in Napa.

What to expect

Lunch Box

Derek and Megan Harn launched Lunch Box as a roaming pop-up in 2019 before opening a permanent restaurant in Sebastopol in October 2022, taking over the former East West Cafe space. Since then, the burger shop has built a loyal following, earning consistently high Yelp ratings and a place on Sonoma Magazine’s list of the best burgers in the area.

Burger from Lunch Box restaurant
The Burger Harn from Lunch Box in Sebastopol. (Lunch Box)

Its signature Burger Harn is a classic cheeseburger: a 6-ounce prime chuck patty topped with American cheddar, tomato, red onion, shredded iceberg lettuce, dill pickle and Thousand Island-style sauce on a brioche bun. The restaurant also serves sandwiches, salads and sides, including Reubens, turkey hoagies and kimchi grilled cheese.

Lunch Box is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Online ordering is available. 128 N. Main St., Sebastopol, lunchboxsonomacounty.com

The Mill at Glen Ellen

The Mill opened in 2020 inside one of Sonoma Valley’s oldest buildings, a structure built by Gen. Mariano Vallejo in 1839. Chefs and co-owners Sanjeev K. Singh and Dana Jaffe bring more than five decades of combined experience to the restaurant, which, although relatively new, feels as though it’s been around for decades.

Pizza from The Mill restaurant in Glen Ellen
A peppers and sweet Italian sausage pizza with mozzarella and bitter greens from The Mill at Glen Ellen. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat, file)
Burnt Basque Cheesecake from The Mill at Glen Ellen. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat, file)
Burnt Basque cheesecake from The Mill at Glen Ellen. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat, file)

The rustic charm of the building and the tree-lined outdoor patio lend to a relaxed dining experience. The menu ranges from wood-fired pizzas and New England clam chowder to masala potato patties and Wagyu burgers. One standout dessert is the Basque cheesecake, finished with a deeply caramelized exterior and a custard-like center.

The Mill at Glen Ellen is open from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch and from 5-8 p.m. for dinner, Wednesday through Sunday. Reservations are available on OpenTable. 14301 Arnold Drive, Glen Ellen, 707-721-1818, themillatglenellen.com

Carabao

Carabao Filipino Eatery grew from a pop-up into a brick-and-mortar restaurant led by chef Jade Mauricio Cunningham and her husband, Mathew Cunningham, both alumni of The French Laundry. The couple combines fine-dining technique with the flavors of Jade Cunningham’s childhood in Bulacan, Philippines.

Lumpia from Carabao restaurant in Napa.
Lumpia from Carabao in Napa. (Carabao)

The menu includes Filipino staples such as lumpia and sisig, alongside dishes with a Wine Country twist, like tortang talong — charred and stuffed eggplant with smoky coconut béchamel — and crispy kare-kare — an oxtail croquette and beef tripe with coconut-peanut sauce. For dessert, there’s halo-halo, the traditional shaved-ice dessert layered with sweetened ingredients and topped with ube ice cream.

Carabao is open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday and for dinner from 5-9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Reservations are available on Resy. 145 Gasser Drive, Suite C, Napa, 707-699-1220, carabaonapa.com

Napa Taco Trail

The Wine Country episode also follows KQED reporter Cecilia Phillips, host of “Cecilia Tries It,” as she explores the Napa Taco Trail, a collection of taquerias and food trucks stretching from Calistoga to American Canyon. According to Visit Napa Valley, the trail includes Ray Ray’s Tacos in St. Helena, La Luna Market and Taqueria in Rutherford, Mothers Tacos in Napa and more than a dozen other stops.

Ray Ray’s Tacos is among the dozen or so restaurants on the Napa Taco Trail
A variety of lunch and breakfast tacos at Ray Ray’s Tacos in St. Helena Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (Beth Schlanker / The Press Democrat)
A flight of mimosas at La Cheve Bakery and Brews in Napa Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (Beth Schlanker / The Press Democrat)
A flight of mimosas at La Cheve Bakery and Brews in Napa on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (Beth Schlanker / The Press Democrat)

Several of the featured businesses have earned wider recognition. Tacos el Muchacho Alegre was named among Yelp’s “Top 100 Food Trucks in the US 2025,” the only Wine Country business on the list. La Cheve Bakery & Brews, whose owner, Cinthya Cisneros, received Napa County’s American Dream Award last year, will be featured in the Aug. 13 episode alongside Copper Mug in El Sobrante and Bacogai in Alameda.

More information about the Napa Taco Trail, including participating restaurants and locations, is available at visitnapavalley.com.