Va de Vi Bistro & Wine Bar, the Mt. Diablo Boulevard fixture known for its internationally inspired small plates and outdoor seating beneath an ancient oak tree, will be featured on KQED's Check, Please! Bay Area when its episode airs Thursday, Aug. 6, at 7:30 p.m. on KQED 9.

The show's format explains why the appearance matters for the 22-year-old downtown restaurant. Check, Please! Bay Area, which has won both James Beard and Emmy awards, sends anonymous local diners to review each other's favorite restaurants. The restaurants don't know the show's reviewers are eating there. Afterward, the diners join host Leslie Sbrocco for a roundtable discussion, according to KQED's press materials.

Co-owners John Walz and Dale Raaen opened Va de Vi in 2004 after leaving an international consulting firm, Patch reported. They brought a wine bar and small-plates concept to downtown Walnut Creek at a time when that style was still relatively uncommon in the East Bay. The restaurant's name translates to "It's all about wine!" in Catalan.

Executive Chef Marco Lera, who has led the kitchen since rising from a line cook in 2012 to sous chef in 2019, now oversees operations.

Va de Vi invited fans to attend filming on Friday, April 10, posting on Instagram that diners who showed up at 5:30 p.m. would have a chance to appear on the show. The post drew 146 likes and 14 comments.

The Va de Vi episode also features Afghan Awasana Kabob House in Fremont and Hakashi Japanese Sushi Bar & Grill in San Francisco's SoMa neighborhood. Each restaurant is presented by a local diner who explains what sets the spot apart before joining Sbrocco's roundtable.

The new season of Check, Please! Bay Area includes four episodes airing Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. on KQED 9. The season premieres Thursday, July 23, with a Wine Country-themed episode featuring restaurants in Sebastopol, Glen Ellen, and Napa.

Va de Vi is located at 1511 Mt. Diablo Blvd. and is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.