When fiction meets reality

(Chicago) The series The Bear may be a work of fiction, but the effect it had on the popularity of the Chicago culinary scene is very real.

“This show is really good for our city. It shows Chicago as it is,” Curtis Duffy, one of the Windy City’s most celebrated chefs, tells us as he gives us a tour of his restaurant, Ever, on a Friday morning. “When I finally watched The Bear – Let’s just say that seeing the chaos of a restaurant kitchen on TV when I came home in the evening didn’t appeal to me much! – I felt really proud of my city and living there. We often hear about crime, but it’s good to see it presented in a positive light. »

The double Michelin-starred restaurant of Curtis Duffy and his business partner Michael Muser plays the role of “the best restaurant in the world” in the seventh episode of the second season, entitled Forks. The character of Richie, played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach, does an internship there which finally gives meaning to his life. The disillusioned restaurant owner discovers a deep desire to serve and please that he did not believe he had in him.

Curtis Duffy himself found meaning in his life when he discovered cooking as a teenager. His personal story is tragic, as can be seen in the striking documentary For Grace (2015) – we’ll spare you the spoilers. Watch it. While some viewers may have made connections between his life and the fictional one of Carmy, the main character in The Bearthe real leader claims that this is not the case.

“There are definitely connections, but not the ones people think. Writer and director Christopher Storer and his sister Courtney, who is a food producer on the show, ate at Grace’s when I was there. We know each other. But at the end of the day, The Bear, this is their story. They grew up in Chicago and Christopher is a childhood friend of Chris Zucchero, owner of Mr. Beef, the sandwich shop that serves as the inspiration for the sandwich shop in the series. »

When asked about his own motivation to strive for absolute excellence, like Carmy, Curtis speaks of his unwavering personal ethic.

I have to be great at something. I want to be the best at what I do. It’s never enough. It will be enough when they put me six feet under.

Curtis Duffy, chef

One thing is certain, The Bear has shone an even brighter spotlight on Ever. “It’s hard to know which bookings are linked to the show, but one thing is for sure, customers now want to see where this and that scene was filmed. It happens every night. So we show them all that,” says the chef, who hosted the film crew of the third and fourth seasons a few days before our visit. New scenes were filmed there.

Chicago shines

The spotlight also seems to have been turned on the city as a whole. “The impact on the growing interest in Chicago’s culinary scene is immense, because finally the hardest-working, most creative restaurants in one of the world’s greatest dining destinations are being showcased,” says Sam Toia, president of the Illinois Restaurant Association. The impact is hard to quantify right now, but it is tangible.

After, Ever’s beautiful neighboring cocktail bar, also owned by Curtis Duffy and Michael Muser, also appears on the show. Its kitchen is disguised as a Danish laboratory, where Marcus’ character does a high-flying pastry internship in the fourth episode of the second season. We stop by for a final Friday night cocktail, and the atmosphere is both festive and refined.

Another “star” of the second season is Kasama. This is where Sous Chef Sydney begins her exploration of Chicago restaurants to reset her taste buds and find inspiration for her menu. She arranged to meet Carmy, the main character, who ultimately does not come.

On the evening of our very difficultly reserved meal at Kasama, our kind waiter Angelo, who has a few lines on the show, talks about the post-experienceThe Bear.

Of course there are even more people queuing in front of the restaurant during the day. And, often, they want to eat exactly what Sydney ordered: the breakfast sandwich with the hashbrown she adds in it, the mushroom adobo, the mango tartlet and a matcha latte.

Angelo, waiter at Kasama

But it would be a shame to limit yourself to just one dessert if you go to Kasama since co-owner Genie Kwon (along with her husband and co-chef Timothy Flores) is an exceptional pastry chef. Order the signature truffle croissant at your own risk, however. It’s not for everyone!

Montrealers also have very indirect links with The Bear. Gastronomy is a small world. Star chef Matty Matheson, who plays the role of Neil Fak in the series, in addition to being a culinary consultant and producer, is a good friend of several local restaurateurs, such as Danny Smiles (Le violon) and Marc-Olivier Frappier (Mon lapin), among others. Unfortunately, our attempts to get an interview with the now star of the “small screen” were unsuccessful.

Part of the costs of this trip was paid by the Choose Chicago tourist office, which had no control over the content of this report.