Summary
The Bearis one of the most exciting and engaging kitchen comedies of the past few years, and while the complex characters are undeniably the show’s highlight, it’s the high-octane cooking scenes and mouth-watering dishes that set it apart from the competition. Throughout all three seasons, Carmy and his kitchen crew have created some delicious dishes in their kitchen (and sometimes in other places) that have stuck around and become a part of the show’s long-lasting legacy. These dishes have become integral to the story, with certain dishes playing large roles inThe Bear’s season 1 finale, for example.
Most ofThe Bear’s best episodesare the ones that center around a certain dish, often blending this with a particular character’s backstory. The show frequently uses food and cuisine as a method of storytelling, with certain dishes playing large roles in each character’s journey as they learn more about themselves through their cooking. It’s one aspect of what makesThe Bearsuch an engaging and innovative show, but it also means that lots of different gourmet dishes are needed throughout all three seasons.
The Bear Season 2 Soundtrack Guide: Every Song & When It Plays
The Bear season 2 is filled with new and classic songs in every episode, primarily rock hits from bands like REM, Pearl Jam, and Counting Crows.
10Sydney’s French Omelette
From Season 2, Episode 9
Although Carmy is undeniablyThe Bear’s main character, much of the show’s narrative unfolds from the perspective of Syndey, his sous-chef. As the seasons progress,Sydney becomes much more independentand learns to believe in her cooking abilities in a way that she’d previously been unable to: among the first instances of this self-confidence comes when she cooks up a French omelet for Natalie during her pregnancy. She asks Sydney for a basic lunch, but what the chef creates is much more specialized and complicated than she’d expected.
Sydney’s recipe fills the omelet with Boursin cheese, sprinkles fresh chives over the top, and uses crushed potato chips as a finishing garnish. When Natalie eats the meal, she praises Sydney’s cooking by saying: “This is so delicious I want to hug you.” It’s such a simple scene, and one of the show’s more basic recipes, but it perfectly displays howfood can create a bondbetween two people without all the gourmet touches that Carmy obsesses over.
9Marcus’ Perfect Donut
From Season 1, Episode 7
Throughout the first season ofThe Bear, Marcus obsesses over making the perfect donut, unable to find the recipe that delivers on all fronts. It’s one of his biggest insecurities as a chef, and at the beginning of the season, he relies on this dessert to bring him approval from Carmy. But as Marcus’ culinary journey progresses, he becomes much less obsessed with hitting all the technical notes of the recipe, and instead focuses on whathewants from the dessert - which is whenhe finally gets Carmy’s approval.
The ‘perfect’ donut inThe Bearis ametaphor for Marcus’ flourishing independence, as he learns that he doesn’t always need to be seeking approval from others or spending his entire life caring for other people. This is something that the show later builds upon withMarcus’ mother’s death in season 3, paying off the story threads that were set up way back at the beginning with the donut.
8Carmy’s Plum Gelée
From Season 1, Episode 3
The plum gelée that Carmy discusses with Marcus in season 1 episode 3 is a recipe that’s mentioned several times later in the show, as it’s the elusive dish that Carmy was seemingly unable to solve. During his time as the chef de cuisine in the world’s finest restaurant, Carmy and his team were unable to achieve the perfect consistency “like gummy bears” that the head chef wanted. Subsequently, the dish becomesan allegory for Carmy’s self-doubtand insecurity as he realizes that he isn’t perfect.
Carmy even admits that it took over a year for the sous-chef to perfect the recipe.
Carmy’s struggle with self-hate and anxiety is the crux ofThe Bear’s narrative throughout all three seasons, and the plum gelée is a perfect embodiment of that. He becomes obsessed with his work, and Carmy even admits that it took over a year for the sous-chef to perfect the recipe. His deep-rooted trauma from working in such a heated environment is an enormous part of Carmy’s character, but this plum gelée ultimately allows him toembrace the creativity of foodinstead of focusing on the technicality of it.
7The Original Braised Beef Sandwich
From Season 1, Episode 1
The braised beef sandwich is the beating heart ofThe Bear- despite all the complex gourmet dishes and fine-tuned recipes that make up so much of the show’s story, everything ultimately comes back tothe hearty beef sandwiches that Mikey perfectedwhen he was running The Beef. The contrast between this warm, rich comfort food and the small, intricate plates that Carmy makes is a perfect embodiment of the differences between the two characters, but they’re still connected by their love of food.
AlthoughCarmy and Mikey’s story is heartbreakingand doesn’t fully resolve into a happy ending, the protagonist’s attempt to recreate his younger brother’s braised beef sandwich at the beginning of season 1 immediately proves how much he cares for him. They’re completely different people with entirely conflicting views on food and restaurants, but thisclassic beef sandwich brings everybody togetherand celebrates the show’s message of family and togetherness.
6Mikey’s Family-Style Spaghetti
From Season 1, Episode 8
Similarly, the family-style spaghetti that Mikey would cook for his customers (and staff) before Carmy took over the restaurant plays a huge role in the first season of the show. In the beginning, Carmy is so invested in making The Beef cleaner, more efficient, and more ‘gourmet’ that he dismisses the spaghetti recipe, believing that it’s too simple and basic for his new menu. But it’s not until he learns crucial lessons about family, togetherness, and compassion that he realizesthe importance of these simple comfort meals, and embraces Mikey’s beloved recipe.
Of course, the family-style spaghetti also proves to be the show’s most lucrative meal when Carmy discovers huge amounts ofmoney that Mikey hid inside the tomato cansin the season 1 finale.This is a transformative moment for Carmy, as he learns that it’s not the technical prowess of his dishes that matters, but rather the experienceinsidethe kitchen that he can create for othersoutside. This is a key moment in his journey, and the family-style spaghetti is right in the middle of it.
5‘The Michael’ Cannoli
One ofThe Bear’s more inventive dishes comes in the form of a savory cannoli that Marcus creates as part of his desert course in the first season. During his trip to Copenhagen, Marcus is tasked with creating multiple new dessert recipes that Carmy can use in The Beef’s new gourmet menu. One of his ideas is the savory cannoli, which is filled with parmesan and mortadella.It’s one of Carmy’s favorites, and Marcus names it “The Michael” in memory of the head chef’s brother.
While the cannoli only appears briefly inThe Bear, it’s Marcus’ decision to name this dish in Mikey’s memory that makes it such a powerful scene. Carmy is clearly moved by the gesture, and it’s at this moment that he remembers exactly why he was brought into this restaurant in the first place.It’s an important step in Carmy’s realization of purpose, and it all comes from Marcus’ innovative dessert ideas.
4The Chocolate Banana
From Season 2, Episode 10
One of the more emotional moments inThe Bear’s season 2 finalecomes when Richie sends Uncle Jimmy a chocolate-covered banana during the opening night of their new restaurant. The gift is a callback to an earlier episode of the show, “Fishes,” whenJimmy recounts a childhood memoryof his father taking him to a chocolate banana stand and reflects on the smells, sights, and flavors that stuck in his memory.
It’s an ownership of responsibility from Richie, which hadn’t been shown before.
Richie’s decision to send Uncle Jimmy the same dessert is a clear moment of growth for the character, who had previously been depicted as somewhat selfish and unable to work alongside others. The gesture proves not only that Richie was listening closely to Jimmy’s story and remembered the details, but also serves as a gesture of good faith between the two men, who’d previously been sparring over the details of the business. It’san ownership of responsibility from Richie, which hadn’t been shown before.
3Sydney’s Chilean Sea Bass
Although this glamorous sea bass only appears briefly inThe Bear, it represents an important step in Sydney’s journey as a chef. It’s one of the first dishes that she invents, cooks, and serves all by herself, without the help of Carmy watching over her shoulder. Throughout the first season, Sydney is presented as Carmy’s sous-chef - but as the story progresses, it’s clear thatshe rivals the owner’s culinary talentdespite his subconscious attempts to subdue her independence.
This dish finally proves that Sydney is just as talented and hard-working as Carmy, and it’s one of the reasons that he finally starts to see her as his equal. When she returns to the restaurant in the finale and agrees to help with the rebranding, it’s asCarmy’s partner - not his employee. This is a huge step in Sydney’s journey, and the sea bass helped get her there.
2Mikey’s Beef Braciole
Mikey’s beef braciole is one of the few dishes inThe Bearthat isn’t created by any of the current-day chefs but rather introduced during a flashback scene with Carmy and Mikey. It’s an interesting meal thattakes inspiration from his family-style spaghetti, mixing beef with a marinara sauce in a slightly more sophisticated manner. It’s one of the dishes that Carmy is interested in from Mikey’s time running The Beef, perhaps spotting some potential in the recipe.
Although it doesn’t play a major role in the story, the dish holds some significance for Carmy as it’s presumably one of the last meals that he saw his brother make.
The dish is first mentioned during the opening flashback of the season 1 finale (aptly named “Braciola”), when Mikey is cooking for his family. Although it doesn’t play a major role in the story, the dish holds some significance for Carmy as it’s presumably one of the last meals that he saw his brother make. This would’ve been a powerful moment for him, ascooking is one of the few hobbies that Carmy and Mikey both shared.
1The Gourmet Deep Dish
From Season 2, Episode 7
During Richie’s time on work experience at Carmy’s old restaurant, he’s tasked with picking up a signature deep dish pizza for one of their guests who claims they’ve never tried the staple dish. His determination to get the pizza in time for the guests is one ofRichie’s funniest scenes inThe Bear,but it’s also extremely moving because this isthe exact moment that Richie discovers his purpose. Until then, he’d been unable to really care about serving customers, but this experience completely twists his perspective.
During this scene, Richie finds his love for service - he realizes how much joy and comfort he can bring to the guests by performing simple acts of service, and when he returns to The Beef, he implements this into his work. He’s finally falling in love with the restaurant, which is something he’s not been able to do since Mikey died. The deep dish may be a simple meal, but it’s arguably the most important meal inThe Bearwhen it comes to understanding Richie’s character.
