There's a local show, here in Chicago, that's kinda taken public television by storm. It's called "Check Please", and it began quite unnoticed in 2001, but soon took off. I blogged about it before, noting that in 2001, as they just began, they had a State Senator from Ilinois on the show. That show never aired... for many reasons... but due to Barack Obama's newfound fame, they decided to air it on this past Friday, as their 100th episode!
I watched the show (here's a clip). There were three normal Chicagoans (well, two and senator Obama) who'd recommended their favourite restaurants, sitting 'round a table, in an information discussion setting, as though they were eating dinner at a restaurant. Amanda Puck, the hostess, would ask questions as they described their restaurants and experiences, and reviewed the others suggestions.
As you can imagine... Barack was well spoken, and charming. (D'uh!).. he 
quickly took center stage, not because he was trying to steal the limelight, simply because his personality is larger than life. The hostess seemed a little uncomfortable with this new name "Braack", but he spoke so eloquently that she asked him many of the questions. Each answer, as we've learned from watching him carefully for the last two years, was tightly crafted, and went on for minutes. No "one word" answers from "Braaack". His smile was infectious, as he spoke about the need for time out with the girls, and the difficulty of planning his schedule for dinners out.
At one point, during a break in the shooting... He calmed one of the other attendees (A Chicago fireman), and said... "this is a perfect example... don't worry... producers are never satisfied".
The three guest reviewers were poorly matched. The fireman was inarticulate, and even explained that the French restaurant that the first guest had recommended was a bit over his head, and it made him uncomfortable. He had ordered something he was unfamiar with, and it didn't "appeal" to him... (soft shell crab) and didn't know how to eat it properly... "Maybe it just wasn't for me".. he suggested. Brrraaaack interjected, and tried to put him at ease, saying "maybe the shell was too hard".... "no the shell was fine, it was me".
Honestly, Barack Obama even outcharmed the hostess, who seemed highly enamoured of the state senator... and why not? He was talkative, put his companions at ease, smiled a lot, talked about his family...Everything a host should do... oh, wait... he's not the host!!! he recommended a restaurant within his district (Dixie Kitchen and Bait Shop)... a southern cooking restaurant in Hyde Park who's prices are reasonable, and even the firefighter enjoyed the food.
Oh, and Barack's a fan of the "peach cobbler".
We have it on DVR... I'm sure we'll watch it at least one more time. Maybe just before the inauguration.
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