Check, Please! Bay Area reviews: Ristorante Milano, Scolari’s Good Eats, FuseBox

Check, Please! Bay Area Season 10 episode 2 airs Thursday, April 23 at 7:30pm on KQED 9. See other television airtimes. And never miss an episode by subscribing to the video podcast.

The name says it all at our first dining destination, where fresh, family favorite Northern-Italian fare is served up at San Francisco’s Ristorante Milano. Next, we head over to Alameda for towering fork-and-knife burgers and east coast classics that round out the menu at Scolari’s Good Eats. Recharge your taste buds at our final spot, where Seoul food meets soul food, at FuseBOX West Oakland.

Get Restaurant Information:

• Ristorante Milano (San Francisco)
• Scolari’s Good Eats (Alameda)
• FuseBOX (Oakland) [CLOSED]

My name is Leslie Sbrocco and I'm the host of Check, Please! Bay Area. Each week, I will be sharing my tasting notes about the wine the guests and I drank on set during the taping of the show. I will also share some wine (beer and spirits) tips with each episode. This week I discuss the language of wine - specifically, what is "oakiness"?

2013 Maximin Grünhauser Herrenberg “Kabinett” Riesling, Mosel, Germany ($30)
One of my favorite wine types is Riesling because it’s so flexible, pairing with a variety of dishes. Sip as a light-hearted aperitif, match with a hearty brunch, drink with spicy take-out dinner, or just take a glass with you to enjoy with a bubble bath. Dr. Carl von Schubert crafts this classic at the historic winery in Germany’s Mosel region. The area’s steep hillsides and slate-laden soils create wines with aromatic, floral notes and a core of racy minerality. A delicious, delicately sweet wine that has a taste profile to please.

2012 Ousterhout Rosé “Wood’s Vineyard,” Russian River Valley, California ($25)
Family-owned Ousterhout, is a winery quietly making a name for itself. Being a pink wine lover, I’m always on the look out for rosé with character and this one is packed with layers of flavor, elegance and complexity. A whisper of floral aromas is wrapped with strawberry and citrus scents, which is followed with succulent fruit flavors. With only 225 cases made of this wine, it’s a treat to sip. Don’t miss the other pinks in the trio of Ousterhoust rosés. A winning trifecta.

2012 Rodney Strong “Symmetry” Meritage Red Wine, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California ($55)
If wine could win an Oscar, this would take home a statue. The name aptly describes the balance of the wine with the five Bordeaux varieties fitting together seamlessly to achieve wine greatness. Cabernet Sauvignon is the star with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot playing supporting, but important roles. Grapes are grown on rolling hillsides in Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley. I have sampled young versions of this structured, intense wine and those aged for up to a decade. If you can hold on to the wine for a few years you will be rewarded with a velvety texture that deserves the accolades it's received as one of California’s icon red blends.