Spinato's and Check, Please! Arizona

Updated: May 13, 2024

Chef Mark Tarbell and the team at Check, Please! Arizona were excited to bring back this local favorite show to the valley, and we were incredibly excited too. Our family couldn't believe it when we received that phone call that they wanted to feature us in their upcoming April show. 

Spinato's & Check, Please! Arizona

There are 3 different reviewers who visit one of our locations and they get to pick from several different menu items: apps, salad, pizza, entree and dessert. In this case, they visited our Tempe location. Getting ready for the show was a lot of fun and to be honest a bit nerve wracking. It's Chef Mark Tarbell, a valley favorite! Who wouldn't be nervous? Plus, the last few years, if we're being honest, have been challenging due to COVID, staffing, supply chain issues, and making sure we remained consistent throughout each location.

However, our nerves were calmed when working with Shana Fischer and Melissa Thompson of Brilliant Sky Media, such incredible women! Each of them has 20+ years of experience in news, broadcast, corporate and medical video, and you can tell. Once they stepped on the scene, everything went seamlessly and the nerves melted away. 

Spinato's Favorite Dishes for Check, Please! Arizona

Day of the shoot our staff made the food that the 3 reviewers ate during their visit. It was videoed and discussed. Lots of ooey gooey goodness was shown for the camera, and Anthony Spinato, my better half of 17 years, made his debut, giving some history about our restaurant and our Family Kitchen. 

Needless to say, it is a day that will go down in the books for our Pizzeria! My mom and her friends, who absolutely love Check, Please! Arizona was so excited that they had a Check, Please! Arizona watch party at their house once they heard that the Spinato's would be featured on it. 

We are very appreciative of Chef Mark Tarbell and his desire to highlight local restaurants and bring awareness to the valley of the hidden gems sprinkled throughout Arizona. You can watch the full episode Here

~Jaime Spinato