But I thought the ensemble stuff was way better in Season 1. Loved watching people grow in real time through live action. The Amsterdam episode, Tina at Culinary school, Sidney spending am episode going to cool restaurants and interviewing chefs - just feel like infomercials for the wonder and nobility of the culinary world (this is part of the 'fan service's I'm talking about below). At least Richie's segment included something of an arc.

that you're not mentioning.

We don't have to belabor the discussion but you seem hyper focused on a minor thread about the menu experimentation, and missing the boat on the storylines of the entire ensemble, not to mention the running threat of the season introduced in the first episode concerning the onerous financing provided by Platt.

The renovation stuff I'll set to the side beyond saying that "train wreck renovation drama" is a very well worn path from a modern entertainment standpoint.

The hospitality stuff, while embellished, is too accurate in my opinion (and this is very much part of my day job). It feels more like fan service than storytelling. Same with the Chicago stuff.

All the more frustrating because they clearly have the chops. Like I said the Christmas episode was fantastic

..as someone who is involved in the bar/restaurant game at a higher level than "Yes, Chef" outside of my day job, it's something that happens day-to-day, far removed from my actual kitchen experience (like MQ, 30 years ago), but the back-and-forth and how things are discussed, especially during renovations, was spot on for me.

You leave a place for 30 years and suddenly you can never really go home again? Gtfoh

Seriously though 1990s Iowa is dead forever

I couldn't stand him until then.

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#Team128

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the focus on the craft of menu development, what hospitality means to people, etc. is very, like, 2012. There's nothing in this show that wasn't in the movie Chef, or generally released into the popular bloodstream many times over the past decade.

The Food Scene ended up not being that great after all, which is why you now see Chefs doing anything they can to turn their reputations and IP into some mode of remuneration that does not involve running an actual restaurant.

When compared to something like The Menu, which actually looks the untenable and stagnant world of contemporary haute cuisine in the eye, this show feels like a transparent sop to people who once worked in hospitality, plus Chicagoans

That episode, coupled with the finale was really satisfying for Richie fans.

Especially if you watch 'em all in one sitting. At 30ish minutes apiece it's just like sitting down for a movie.

Except Pequods, which is the best.

also deep dish fucking sucks.

It's been 30 years since I worked in a kitchen, but it's fun to see what they get right. There's some stuff right off the bat that just seems entirely wrong to me, but then I wonder if maybe it's just that 1) my own exposure was limited and 2) times have changed so much that maybe some of this stuff could happen.

It's a very good show, but it's also a grind to binge. I realized I should probably limit to 2 shows at a time.

Also, they way they "represent" Chicago is both fun and odd. It's kinda on par with how Rudy represents ND's campus layout.

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And maybe its fair to explain why.

Here you have a recently divorced guy that is struggling with his relationships and his place in the world. Young daughter, relationship struggles, his best friend just died and now his world has been upended further with his rock - Chicago Beef - now being completely taken over and renovated, etc. He's got nothing and even that's getting shaky.

And he finally finds his place/purpose and his talent, in his suit, in this place, in the pursuit of excellence. And it all culminates in this single act - bringing a commitment to excellence, above and beyond service, deep commitment and a little piece of Chicago - the place he loves - to these tourists who didn't get a chance to try deep dish while they were in town.

I understand if, as a Chicagoan, they got the details wrong and that could be frustrating. If it had been about Austin and barbecue, I'd probably feel the same. But I was inspired.

You went all the way to Chicago to eat at one of the best restaurants in the world but didn't schedule a trip to eat deep dish?

My buddies and I planned a Cubs weekend 15 years ago and a deep dish stop was planned and we were all in college.

They're trying to lay the Chicago stuff on too thick and making bizarre story choices as a result. I don't care if they get it wrong so long as the story stays coherent.

but you Chicagoans are the only ones who give a crap about this kind of stuff.

Which is a true Chicago thing, but they just picked such a silly way to do that. There was a way easier way - have Jimmy tell them who to grab in the hallway at City Hall and slip the envelope to (which is closer to how it actually works). Why try so hard to be authentic only to make such weird affectations in the end?

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I can't recall a more rapid transition from (a) worst character in a show to (b) maybe my favorite character in the show (potentially) than Richie. I hope they can continue that arc in Season 3 without forcing it.

In California there are liquor offices in every major city, I've gotten the one day licenses in a matter of a minutes but there's also a limit on how many restaurants can have a license in a specific area.

That scene appeared to be Carm driving to a location where he'd get a license doctored or was buying one under the table.

The season was a slow watch, Episode 6 made sense to some families but then others looked at it just dragged out although it did have easter eggs for episodes 9 and 10.

And I definitely felt like you had to slog through the first 5 to get there. Those setup some things that are necessary for the back half, but I honestly felt like it was quite a bit of filler. Don't think the expansion from 8 to 10 episodes in a season did them any favors.

Just finished ep 6 which is the Christmas episode and a masterpiece. First half of the season is so far up its own ass that it feels like a 19 year old's vision of opening a restaurant.

Also, there's this very silly thing they do where they go out of their way to shoehorn in some Chicago thing in a way that totally distracts from the main narrative. Like in Ep 5, Carmen needs to drop off the liquor license permit application, which apparently requires him to drive to a post office in Winnetka? It doesn't even make good nonsense. I understand they wanted to get the characters in a car but there are sane ways to do that which don't involve name dropping a north shore suburb like it's some kind of easter egg

Fun read here. Some minor spoilers if you haven’t binged The Bear yet.

https://chicago.eater.com/2023/7/12/23792660/the-bear-pequods-pizza-chicago-deep-dish-e...