Unless you're living under a rock, you've heard of the show "The Bear" by now. At least you’ve heard of the actor playing the show’s main character, Jeremy Allen White. The Bear has given everyday people a look into restaurant culture and the chaos that goes on in the kitchen of even a simple sandwich shop.
My favorite part of the show is the strong characters, all with their own unique backgrounds and tastes. Their differences in opinion make for what some may consider a hostile work environment (let’s not forget Sydney got stabbed in the kitchen). However, it also showcases a wide array of cultures and palettes. Here are the restaurants where each character would eat if they took a trip to Gainesville.
Carmen - The Top
Let’s start by saying Carmen has good taste. He knows a good meal when he tastes one and is not afraid to give his honest opinions. The Top is one of the more upscale restaurants in Gainesville while maintaining a trendy, eclectic vibe. Carmen isn’t boastful about his culinary talents, just like The Top isn’t pretentious about having delicious food.
They have elevated versions of dishes Carmen grew up on in Chicago, like a skirt steak sandwich, as well as upscale masterpieces like the salmon affumicato pasta and San Diego chicken (chicken breast stuffed with Rosemary, crab, corn, and smoked gouda topped with spicy tomato tequila sauce). The Top also has many vegan and vegetarian options which I’m sure Carmen was used to seeing during his time working in New York City.
Sydney - Superette
Sydney is a professionally trained chef who knows the importance of the five taste elements of flavor. She is ready to sophisticate The Beef and turn it into the kind of well-run kitchen she learned about in culinary school. At the beginning of Season 2, Sydney goes on a food tour around Chicago to inspire new menu items for the reopening of the restaurant. Based on her restaurant choices, Sydney likes Mediterranean food and trying as many different things as possible (who can blame her).
Superette is a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant with an upscale atmosphere and many small dish options for her to order. Superette is organized and polished but modern and creative with its dishes. I would guess Sydney would explore new flavors by ordering the sagnaki, parsnip and rutabaga soup, and mushroom flatbread. She would, of course, also order the braised short rib with feta polenta and smoked fig demi-glaze to compare to her own cola-braised short rib with risotto recipe she made on the show.
Richard - Fehrenbacher’s
Richard isn’t thrilled when elite sous chef Carmy moves back home and starts “changing everything” about the Chicagan staple, The Beef. Why fix something that’s not broken? The Beef is known for mastering the Italian beef sandwich and Richard isn’t ready for the restaurant to get any snazzier than that. Fehrenbacher’s is a meat market and deli in Gainesville with a roster of sandwiches like the Frank Stallone (sausage of the day, prosciutto, olives, roast garlic, lettuce, tomato, pickled onion, mozzarella, and parmesan) or the Muffuletta (smoked ham, salami, mozzarella, provolone, swiss, olive tapenade, lettuce, tomato, and pickled onions on ciabatta).
Fehrenbacher’s keeps it simple with a humble walk-up bar for ordering and limited indoor seating; the kind of white tablecloth-free sandwich joint Cousin Richie would love.
Marcus - Uppercrust Bakery
Marcus spends most of his airtime perfecting his chocolate cake and the perfect donut, inspired by desserts served at Carmy’s old Michelin-star restaurant. He is committed to delivering the best baked goods possible, sometimes neglecting other tasks in his pursuit. Marcus would be inspired by Uppercrust bakery, especially by their Gâteau au Chocolat.
Uppercrust delicately bakes all of their goods with attention to detail and a lot of love. From cookies, eclairs, and scones to quiches and tartelettes, they have a wide range of desserts for Marcus to try. Most importantly they specialize in baguette bread so they have the expertise to teach Marcus how to keep up with Carmy’s endless sandwich orders.
Tina - Tinker Latin Restaurant
Tina is a Latina who has a lot of fun with her coworkers in the kitchen and is dedicated to improving her cooking abilities. She doesn’t do well with new people, especially when they try to tell her what to do, and is very loyal to the staff that she has worked with for many years. Because of this, Tina would love Tinker, a family owned and operated Latin street food restaurant in Gainesville. It is named after Tinker himself, but his wife and two sons are just as essential to the restaurant’s success.
At Tinker they tend to take things slow which wouldn’t bother Tina who is never in much of a rush to finish her tasks in the kitchen. With options like a Venezuelan breakfast plate, reina pepiada for lunch, and pabellon for dinner, I don’t think Tina would ever find a reason to leave this lively restaurant.
Can I Get a, "Yes, Chef"?
The Bear is my favorite show right now so if the cast was actually coming to Gainesville, I would sit at all of these restaurants waiting for them to arrive. This show perfectly displays how much food means to people, especially when it bonds you to loved ones. Next time I eat at these restaurants, I will appreciate them on a deeper level from the perspectives of a few great Chicagoan chefs.