Leslie Sbrocco traces the genesis of “Check, Please! Bay Area Kids” to a note she received from a fan last February.

“In her handwritten letter (she wrote), ‘Dear Leslie, I am a huge fan of the show, I am 7 years old and one day I will have your job,” Sbrocco recalls, laughing as she tells the story. “I thought, ‘I love her! This is a girl with gumption!’”

The gumption-filled four-part special premieres Thursday, Nov. 29, on KQED-TV. It’s part of Season 13 of “Check, Please! Bay Area,” the long-running show that has developed a loyal following — proven by the 400 children who applied to be guest critics on the special, before producers cut off submissions at the 48-hour mark.

“Check, Please! Bay Area Kids” was pitched earlier this year, after years of requests from children who wanted to appear. The regular “Check, Please!” has a 21-or-older rule, but the special features children ages 10 to 14.

In this first kid-themed show, Sbrocco, a mother of two, keeps things comfortable — and on brand — from the beginning.

“I’ve got wine bottles older than all of you combined,” Sbrocco tells the children.

The kids prove to be poised, thoughtful and not too precocious.

“I got off the set the first day and went, ‘I love these little people, because they make my life so easy,’” Sbrocco says. “The adults can get so uptight.”

A huge part of the longevity of the show is the personality of wine consultant Sbrocco, the show’s effusive host, who exudes patience, enthusiasm and fun, all three seemingly amplified by the contents of her ever-present oversize wine glass.

But there’s a science to the show as well. A crew scrambles off camera to coordinate with restaurants and guests, then creates an on-set environment that fosters a casual approach to food criticism.

“It was pre-Yelp. It was the original,” says “Check, Please! Bay Area” senior producer Lori Halloran. “A regular person gives their nuts and bolts review, unguarded, and not being scared to say what they think. I think that’s the main appeal.”

“Check, Please! Bay Area” debuted in October 2005. It was the second “Check, Please!” on PBS after the original aired in Chicago, which famously had Barack Obama as a guest reviewer in 2001 when he was a member of the Illinois state Senate.

The basic structure has stayed the same throughout the 13 years on television: Three guests are invited, each picks a restaurant they frequent, and they visit each other’s restaurants in the weeks before their taping. “Check, Please!” above all strives for a diversity in guests and restaurants.

More Information “Check, Please! Bay Area Kids”: Premieres 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, on KQED-TV.

Read More

Part of the appeal of “Check, Please!” is the possibility that a guest may turn on another guest’s beloved dining spot, leading to an escalation of tensions — and inevitably good television.

Sbrocco keeps the conversation moving, but does not express her own opinions, even though she visits most of the restaurants and frequently has to stifle her own quips. (“The hardest part of the job,” she admits.)

The biggest issues aren’t with guests, but the behind-the-scenes puzzle pieces that need to be assembled for each show. One restaurant set to be featured closed suddenly last year. And then there are the little things, like coordination snafus that people who watch the show would never consider.

“Seasonal ingredients have been a problem for us,” series producer Tina Salter says. “Sometimes we’ll have a guest who had a dish that was served with asparagus when they went to their restaurant, and then asparagus season is over so now the chef is serving it with broccoli. That’s a problem for us.”

The core of “Check, Please! Bay Area Kids” is still the same; with the serendipity of a first restaurant, Art’s Cafe in San Francisco, being narrated by the young daughter of the immigrants who have run the Korean barbecue and breakfast place for 30 years.

The child guests, who were told to prepare their notes carefully, have a nice rapport with each other as well, discussing everything from the saltiness of caviar to the frustration of kids menus. (“It kind of kills me when the kids menu is 8 and under,” young guest Maddie says. “What if I want to have chicken nuggets?”)

“It’s probably some of the most fun I’ve had in more than 20 years in control rooms,” Halloran says. “They’re just hilarious. They’ll say things you’re not expecting. … They were very sweet and respectful of each other’s opinions as well.”

“Check, Please! Bay Area Kids” is a four-episode special, with the regular show featuring adults returning for its 14th season next year.

And with very few trendy restaurants and chains on the show — the producers prefer mom-and-pop joints and lesser-traveled dining spots — the Bay Area provides an unlimited resource of subject matter that can feed the series for seasons to come.

“There are so many wonderful people serving food to all of us in the Bay Area,” Salter says. “We’re very, very lucky to live here.”

Peter Hartlaub is The San Francisco Chronicle’s pop culture critic. Email: phartlaub@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @PeterHartlaub