Why The Bear series two is a must-watch for food lovers

*This article contains some spoilers

A brand-new restaurant

While the first series was essentially a definitive guide to the pressures of running a restaurant, this one instead sheds light on the stresses and strains of opening a new one, as the gang work to transform their grimy sandwich joint into a fine dining spot.

Along with juggling the intense bureaucracy of permits and contracts, not only must they contend with the beauty and creative agony of menu planning, but also each other. As the renovation gets underway, each staff member undergoes a journey of personal transformation, as they confront the past and reckon with who they want to be in the future.

Next level food content

If ever you needed confirmation that the new series would be totally food-centric, you only need to look at the episode titles. The show kicks off with Beef, and there’s plenty more where that came from with Pasta, Sundae, and Fish also on the ‘menu’.

Each title is a nod to the types of recipes you can expect to see during the episode. In Fish, for example, guest star Jamie Lee Curtis attempts to master a lobster recipe for the Feast of the Seven Fishes (an Italian-American Christmas Eve celebration featuring seafood dishes). Elsewhere, a classic oyster Rockefeller and a hearty tuna casserole make an appearance.

A mouth-watering trip to Copenhagen

While the first series darted between Chicago and New York, this time you’ll get an inside look at Copenhagen’s vibrant culinary scene, as pastry chef Marcus (Lionel Boyce) heads to Denmark’s capital to refine his skills.

The Scandinavian city became a destination for food lovers in the mid-noughties thanks to Noma, the three-star Michelin restaurant that has been named the World’s Best Restaurant five times since opening its doors in 2004.

Now, Copenhagen has a reputation for shepherding a slew of inventive chefs and Marcus becomes one of them, as he learns from talented London-born chef Luca (Will Poulter). Together, they whip up a flawlessly presented ‘minty Snickers bar’ – a chocolate bar inspired dessert that’s built like a three-layer cake; on top, a layer of set coconut cream, a middle layer of mint shiso, and, on the bottom, a chocolate sauce with caramel. It almost looks too good to eat… almost.

The work of real chefs

When creating recipes for The Bear, the show’s culinary producer Courtney Storer often looked to fellow chefs for help. She also put the cast through their paces to ensure everything was as authentic as possible. Take the ‘minty Snickers bar’. This picture-perfect dessert was created by Storer and Curtis Duffy, executive chef and owner of Ever, which is considered by many to be one of Chicago’s best restaurants. Poulter even trained for months to be able to plate the delicate dessert, which is assembled with tweezers. That’s right, no smoke and mirrors here!

A celebration of Chicago’s finest food

The Windy City is full of culinary treasures and Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) samples some of the best in episode three. Her whistle-stop tour takes her to Avec, Elske and Kasama, where she devours the modern Filipino spot’s internet-famous breakfast sandwich. The whole thing was inspired by Storer’s rare days off when she was a full-time chef, when she would often sweep the city in search of inspiration.

Season 2 of The Bear is available to stream on July 19, exclusively on Disney+