This text is part of the special Pleasures notebook
Riding on the immense success of The Bearthe Windy City and deep-dish crust pizza offers a tour of the main filming locations of the tasty culinary series that won six Emmy awards in 2024. Report in Chicago by Carmy, Sydney and Richie.
On this beautiful morning, the sun has not yet had time to warm the frozen sidewalks of Chicago’s Ukrainian neighborhood. It’s 8:30 a.m. Kasama only opens its doors in 30 minutes. And there are already many of them braving the cold in an endless queue that stretches to the corner of Augusta Boulevard and Wolcott Avenue. The first Michelin-starred Filipino restaurant, which doubles as an afternoon bakery, has always enjoyed an excellent reputation. But The Bear clearly changed the situation.
Ever since Kasama appeared on the hit series, everyone has wanted to try the breakfast sandwich longanisa (Philippine sausage), discovered by Sydney during her culinary epic in the third episode of the second season. In search of inspiration, the sous chef played by the brilliant Ayo Edebiri embarked on a crazy tour of Chicago restaurants. The latter all benefited from this more than welcome publicity at the end of a devastating pandemic.
A true viral phenomenon
Like Kasama, Lao Peng You benefited from what was called the effect The Bear. “As soon as the second season episode aired, we really saw a difference. We had quite a few influencers who shared videos on Instagram and TikTok,” the manager of the dumpling restaurant, Arturo Barbosa, tells me. Having become a viral phenomenon, Lao Peng You, where Sydney comes to enjoy an exquisite ravioli soup, has set up a waiting list, failing to take reservations.
There is no need to wait for long hours to live the experience. The Bear. Since last fall, the “Yes, Chef!” Tour” honors the cult replica of the series by taking fans in a minibus to discover all the establishments, or almost all, seen on the screen. The guided tour organized by Chicago Food & City Tours begins at Mr. Beef. It was in this Italian sandwich shack on North Orleans Street that the first episode of The Bear.
From reality to fiction
Which owes nothing to chance. The owner of Mr. Beef, Chris Zucchero, is none other than a childhood friend of the creator of The Bear, Christopher Storer. When he left Chicago to settle in Hollywood, the latter had promised the former that he would one day write a story about his restaurant. Founded in 1979 by Zucchero’s father, Joe, the small business has overcome many crises and torments to survive in the heart of a neighborhood that has become considerably gentrified.
This affair of family and resilience fueled the inspiration of Christopher Storer. The Original Beef of Chicagoland in the series owes a lot to the real-life Mr. Beef. For the filming of the pilot, where Carmy Berzatto (played by the excellent Jeremy Allen White) takes over her late brother’s sandwich shop, only the exterior sign of the restaurant was changed. It’s hard not to think about The Bear when we push open the creaking door of Mr. Beef today to order a beef sandwich bathed in brown sauce.
Sandwiches by the hundreds
Already popular before the series, the River North restaurant also benefited from the effect The Bear. A new generation of customers now flocks to the counter, under autographed photos of some of the oldest and most famous regulars, such as host Jay Leno and actor Joe Mantegna. As he revealed to New York Times, Chris Zucchero more than doubled his sales, selling up to 800 sandwiches daily. And this, even though he did not believe at all, initially, in the success of The Bear.
Another unexpected effect: the popular series brought up to date a more than century-old Chicago institution. In the Bucktown district, to the north of the city, Margie’s Candies has been serving sweet delights since 1921. And the confectionery has welcomed many people in front of its nicely retro jukeboxes. “It was at this table that the Beatles ate ice cream after their 1965 concert at Comiskey Park. Years later, Mick Jagger asked to sit in the same seat,” chef Dave Zino tells me.
The 65-year-old former chef, who became a guide on the filming locations of The Bear, then points to another corner of the table. The one where Sydney dipped her spoon into a decadent sundae during her unforgettable adventure deep into Chicago’s foodie scene. This notable moment introduced Margie’s Candies to younger audiences, while also being an important turning point in the series. A sort of click, as the messy restaurant of the Original Beef is about to be transformed into an authentic gourmet restaurant.
Further into the second season, an equally impressive metamorphosis occurs during the seventh episode. After, among other things, selling cocaine in the backyard of the Original Beef, Richie (played by the incredible Ebon Moss-Bachrach) discovers a vocation as a smart butler. A miracle worked in the Fulton Market district, in the kitchens of the Ever restaurant, where Carmy’s scruffy cousin comes to learn good manners.
Although it only has two, and not three, Michelin stars, as the series claims, chef Curtis Duffy’s prestigious establishment flirts with culinary excellence. Behind the scenes, an army of waiters performs a majestic ballet in a very cozy atmosphere. We are far here from the chaos that most often reigns between Carmy and his family. But the alluring 10-course gastronomic experience offered at Ever almost makes you want to shout “Yes, chef!” » satisfaction. And if that was also the effect The Bear ?
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This content was produced by the Special Publications team at Duty, relating to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part.