?? SetJetting & Dining - The Bear: Inspired by Chicago's Culinary Scene ??
Joan McGee Qualls
Travel Advisor at Tasteful Voyages, An independent affiliate of Gifted Travel Network — a Virtuoso? Member
It's been a while! I hope this message finds you well and ready for some travel inspiration. After taking a small break, I'm thrilled to reconnect with you and share some fantastic updates, travel tips, and dreamy destinations. Life's journeys sometimes take unexpected turns, but my passion for curating memorable travel experiences has never wavered. I look forward to bringing you new insights and adventures to spark your wanderlust. ?
With this newsletter, I'm hoping to get you thinking about visiting spots you may have seen in a movie or a favorite television show - a travel style called “SetJetting” - I was inspired by the recent release of Season 3 of The Bear. ?And last October I had a great time in Richmond, just outside of London, on a private tour of locations used during the filming of Ted Lasso, (as you can see in the photo above.) ?I'd love to hear which filming locations you'd like to visit! ?As a little bonus, I've included a link to the Food & Wine Magazine article featuring the Chocolate Cake, which is a key element of the show.? Happy Travels, Joan
“Setjetting” is the name for the type of trip in which travelers visit on-location filming sites of their favorite films or television shows. ?The Bear is a hugely popular show by FX - its highly anticipated third season recently dropped on Hulu. ?It's set in my birthplace of Chicago - a great food town. ?The plot revolves around a Michelin-star chef who returns to Chicago to take over the operations of his family's relatively humble business. ?I'll admit, I started watching during the buzz of the first season - and I just didn't get it. ?The hype drew me back during the second season - and this time it grabbed me. ?I've started watching Season Three - and I'm sharing this article by Amanda Rosenberg, published recently by Virtuoso. I'm also sharing the favorite Chicago restaurants of Matty Matheson - a Toronto-area chef who has a recurring role on The Bear - I hope you enjoy - and perhaps are inspired to visit my hometown for A Taste of Chicago.
Watch the New Season of The Bear, Then Add These Chicago Restaurants to Your List
Adapted from June 2024 article published on Virtuoso.com ,?
written by Amanda Rosenberg
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Six great Windy City dining spots that deserve a “Yes, chef!” – from Mr. Beef to Kasama.
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The Bear tells its millions of viewers what Chicagoans already know: The city's dining scene rolls deeper than a slice of its famous pizza. The stressful and at times amusing plotline doesn't just give viewers ample glimpses of Jeremy Allen White's biceps ?– it lets Chicago's real-life restaurant world shine on the screen.?
Some of the city's best restaurants act as supporting characters on The Bear, with the show's fictional characters using their fired-up kitchens, real-life menu items, and impeccable settings. We've rounded up a few of those places here, plus some other of-the-moment spots where we could imagine ourselves running into Carmy or Sydney on their days off.?
The OG: Mr. Beef
No restaurant is more synonymous with The Bear than Mr. Beef, the inspiration for the show's fictional Original Beef of Chicagoland. After Joe Zucchero opened the River North neighborhood stand in 1979, it quickly became one of the most prominent among Chicago's herd of Italian beef shops. Zucchero's son, Chris, took over Mr. Beef, and his friendship with?The Bear?creator, Christopher Storer, helped generate Storer's initial idea for the show. Since The Bear's debut, Mr. Beef has become a pilgrimage site for fans, who come for the daily lunch specials: Italian beef – topped with hot and sweet peppers and sandwiched in a French bread roll dripping in "au jus” – plus hot dogs, pizza puffs (Chicago's version of a calzone, with puff pastry instead of traditional dough), and deli subs. (Joan here - I vividly remember how much Jay Leno loved this spot during a visit to Chicago. ?If you don't know, Italian Beef is a roast beef braised in a tasty gravy, thinly sliced, and put in a split piece of Italian bread. ?Optional add-ons include spicy giardiniera, sauteed sweet or hot peppers, and sometimes a piece of Italian Sausage. ?If served wet, the sandwich is dunked in the juices generated during the braising process. ?Delicious!)?
Taco Time: Cari?o
Cari?o opened its doors in Uptown last December, treating visitors to fine dining with Latin flair. Make a reservation for the 12- to 14-course tasting menu or, after 10 p.m., let chef Norman Fenton change the way you feel about tacos forever: His eight-course taco omakase showcases options such as a suadero (a cut of beef from the cow's middle) taco wrapped in a corn tortilla and tetela (a blue-corn masa triangle filled with duck confit). The experience makes for a great nightcap after seeing a show at the Aragon Ballroom a five-minute walk away.?
Filipino Ingenuity: Kasama
Make like sous-chef Sydney on her epic, restaurant-hopping day off in season two and head for the Ukrainian Village neighborhood and Michelin-starred Kasama. In 2020, spouses Tim Flores and Genie Kwon opened the sleek restaurant with the idea that Flores would make the food and Kwon would bake the pastries. Copy Syd's ambitious order and get the mango tart, a breakfast sandwich with longanisa (a sweet Filipino sausage) and a hash-brown patty (which must be put into the sandwich before taking a bite), the mushroom adobo, and a matcha latte. Later, a reservation-only dinner showcases the couple's 13-course, Filipino-inspired tasting menu.?
Dessert Central: Loaf Lounge
领英推荐
In The Bear's third episode, pastry chef Marcus obsesses over his chocolate cake recipe, meticulously refining it throughout season one. Behind the scenes, Sarah Mispagel-Lustbader, co-owner of the Avondale cafe Loaf Lounge, worked as a consultant on the show, developing recipes for every sweet that viewers see. At Loaf Lounge, Marcus' pièce de résistance is known as The Bear Chocolate Cake – a moist, three-layer mountain of cocoa slathered in a Ta?nori chocolate ganache. Also worth trying are the oatmeal cream pies and vegan blueberry scones.?
?France by Way of Chicago: La Serre
To match the upscale tone of The Bear's second season, head to La Serre in the West Loop for a meal inspired by Provence and Saint-Tropez. Opened in March this year, the restaurant's bohemian, greenhouse-style interior teems with troughs of flowers, ferns hanging from the ceiling, and white wicker chairs. The vibe matches chef Nikitas Pyrgis' fresh, light food: Order the Dover sole meunière or the Angus beef steak – either way, add a pairing from La Serre's expansive French wine selection.?
Bonus Link: ?Food & Wine Magazine recently shared the? Recipe for the Bear Chocolate Cake provided by The Bear's Pastry Consultant, Sara Mistpagel-Lustbader
For the Love of Carbs: Daisies
After Logan Square's Daisie's debuted in 2017, it closed briefly before reopening in March 2023 at a larger, improved location nearby. The Michelin-green-starred restaurant specializes in seasonal pasta dishes (with gluten-free alternatives) such as agnolotti with beets and smoked trout roe, plus protein-packed plates of pork loin and salmon collars. Although Daisies is known for its pasta, dessert is a must – the strawberry shortcake is a classic choice. The Chicago-style hot dog croissant – a beef frank wrapped in pastry and topped with a pickle – highlights the restaurant's collaboration with popular local hot-dog stand The Wiener's Circle.
Finally, the role of Carmy's cousin/handyman, Neil Fak, is played by Marty Matheson - a well-regarded chef hailing from Toronto. ?He recently shared his favorite Chicago restaurants with Esquire Magazine. ?They are:
Where's Joan Headed?
Joan Qualls, Founder | Luxury Travel Advisor
Tasteful Voyages
CST #2123649-40
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