Heritage, Stuart (December 25, 2022). " 'Best workplace drama since Mad Men ': the sandwich-makers who shook the world". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023 . Retrieved January 1, 2023. IPA Reveals Nominations for the 27th Satellite™ Awards". International Press Academy. December 8, 2022. Archived from the original on December 8, 2022 . Retrieved December 8, 2022. Kirsten, Chuba; Lewis, Hilary (December 12, 2022). "Golden Globes: List of Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 12, 2022 . Retrieved December 12, 2022.

Matty Matheson as Neil Fak (starring season 2, recurring season 1), a childhood friend of the Berzattos, and sometimes-handyman for the restaurant. Lewis, Hilary (November 28, 2022). " Everything Everywhere All at Once Tops Gotham Awards; Full Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022 . Retrieved November 28, 2022. The most watched TV shows and movies this week include some truly terrifying titles". Mashable. July 23, 2022. Archived from the original on October 7, 2022 . Retrieved October 4, 2022. Oliver Platt as Jimmy "Cicero" Kalinowski, the best friend of the late father of the Berzatto siblings, whom everyone affectionately refers to as "Uncle", and the restaurant's key investor.a b Moreau, Jordan; Schneider, Michael (July 12, 2023). "Emmys 2023: The Complete Nominations List". Variety. Archived from the original on July 17, 2023 . Retrieved July 12, 2023. a b Shanfeld, Ethan (May 8, 2023). " 'The Bear' Announces Season 2 Premiere Date". Variety. Archived from the original on May 18, 2023 . Retrieved May 9, 2023.

Lewis, Hilary; Coates, Tyler (December 13, 2022). "Film Independent Spirit Award TV Nominations: Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Severance, Station Eleven Lead". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 22, 2022 . Retrieved December 13, 2022. Chaney, Jen (July 7, 2023). "Pretty Much Everyone Was Dying to Guest-Star on The Bear". Vulture. Archived from the original on July 21, 2023 . Retrieved July 10, 2023. But some Chicagoans, always sensitive to any hint of coastal condescension from Hollywood, are not pleased at the way the city is portrayed on-screen. The Bear is mostly set in the River North neighborhood – scenes were shot at Mr Beef, an actual beef stand in the area – which is depicted as gritty and ungentrified without much in the way of restaurants, the sort of neighborhood where someone can shoot a gun in the air, as a character does in the first episode, without drawing any attention from the police.

The great appeal of The Bear is that it purports to give viewers an inside look into a restaurant kitchen. Even though it’s been 20 years since Anthony Bourdain published Kitchen Confidential and revealed the secrets of restaurants – that chef’s specials are usually made from yesterday’s leftovers and hollandaise is a breeding ground for salmonella – the appetite to know what goes on behind the kitchen doors remains.