In Season 4 of the hit FX show, accolades are on the mind of Carmy Berzatto and his staff. But how much do they help real businesses?
This article discusses scenes from FX’s “The Bear” Season 4, now available in full on Hulu.
A single seared scallop crowned with foam. A dessert of dehydrated pear, violet caramel and shiso in an edible cup. All served in an unmarked building that once housed the Original Beef of Chicagoland sandwich shop, by a chef who worked at Noma, Daniel and the French Laundry. No restaurant seems more poised to earn a Michelin star than the one at the center of the hit show “The Bear.”
In Season 4, accolades are on the mind at the Bear, the ever-evolving, ever-struggling restaurant. The staff is reeling from a mixed review from The Chicago Tribune, and money is running out, illustrated by a countdown clock in the kitchen that ticks out the remaining two months of their financial parachute. Amid a discussion of this bleak picture, the chef and owner, Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), asks, “What about when we get the star?”
The star is a Michelin star, a mark of distinction for fine-dining restaurants awarded by anonymous inspectors. Once confined to France, Michelin Guides, owned by the French tire manufacturer, have become a global phenomenon, and the organization has awarded stars to restaurants in Chicago since 2010.
How realistic is it that a star could save a struggling fine-dining restaurant? For one in its first year of operation, chasing Michelin requires investing even more money, effort and stress.
“You’re trying to create a balance between what’s good for business and for your vision,” said Miguel Guerra, a chef at Mita, a plant-based Latin American restaurant in Washington, D.C., with one Michelin star.
