“The Bear,” a comedy/drama series first released in 2022 tells the story of Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) an esteemed chef who returns to his hometown of Chicago to take over his late brother’s Italian beef sandwich shop, aptly named “The Beef.” Carmy takes on the many difficulties that come with the new life he’s been thrown into, grappling with debts inherited from his brother, issues with the condition and staff of the kitchen and his own personal pain and trauma.
Aside from its award-winning acting, the show has also been extraordinarily relevant in Chicago and Evanston for its local filming locations.
Locations include 666 New Orleans Street in Chicago, locations in Glenview, IL and even the Evanston home of ETHS junior Charles Bird, which serves as the house of Sugar, Carmy’s sister, in the show.
“They have filmed here for three straight years. When they do, it’s usually a couple of days some time in the spring,” said Bird. “I personally haven’t watched much of the show, but when I have seen my house in it I have found it to be kinda cool and weird at the same time.”
Though the Bird family allows their home to be used in filming, they typically do not receive any special perks or insider information that avid fans may be curious to hear about.
“We have to stay in a hotel as long as they are there, and we aren’t really allowed to talk to the actors while they’re there,” explained Bird. “But my mom and sister last year were able to meet the main guy who was in Shameless [Allen White], and they said it was pretty cool to be able to talk with him.”
Since its release in June 2022, ETHS students and Evanston community members alike have been watching the first two seasons of the show and are eagerly awaiting the installment of the third, which is set to return beginning in June 2024.
News of the show’s local filming spread quickly around the community, and word of scenes being shot nearby intrigued some students enough to watch the show for themselves.
“When my parents recommended the show to me and my brother I thought they just thought it was cool because of its filming here, which is definitely interesting for sure,” offered Kathlen Carrasco, a senior at ETHS. “But I did not expect to laugh and feel for the characters as much as I did. I just think it’s cool to hear about a show being made so close to you and then to actually go and watch it and find out it’s a great show on its own.”
While some Evanstonians love watching the finished product that is “The Bear,” many also enjoy the work-in-progress.
Passers by and deliberate attendees gathered to form a small crowd on Mar. 19, when scenes were shot inside and outside a house on the corner of Harrison Street and Lincolnwood Drive, the previous filming location of last season’s star-studded “Fishes” episode. Held back by temporary barricades set up by the crew, fans were invited to spectate the making of their favorite show and even catch glimpses of the characters that had seemingly only existed on screen before.
With two acclaimed seasons of ‘The Bear’ already out and filming for another two well underway, excitement is building for the future of the show. Season three is only months away, and it is safe to say that Evanston has a lot to look forward to in the way of culture and content.
