The Sparkle Of Michelin Stars Muddles The Eyes Of The Bear Chefs
Contains spoilers for "The Bear," Season 2, Episodes 1, 2, and 4.
Michelin stars, while often considered to be an indicator of the ne plus ultra of fine dining, are nevertheless controversial in certain circles. Some chefs feel that Michelin ratings are unfairly biased, while others feel they put too much pressure on chefs. In the latter camp is where we find Carmy Berzatto, proprietor of the fictional fine dining establishment known as The Bear. While Carmy does seem to want to turn his new upscale eatery into a destination restaurant, "The Bear" Season 2 finds him seemingly ambivalent about the idea of shooting for the (Michelin) stars.
Sous chef Sydney Adamu, on the other hand, most definitely does have stars in her eyes. When she and Carmy discuss the subject, she seems to feel that the chef actually has some ownership of any Michelin stars awarded but Carmy disagrees, nor does he seem too interested in the prestige such a star would bring his establishment. He and Syd discuss the issue again at another point and this time around, his sous chef seems to have more than one star on her mind. While a single one, she agrees, might be a "personal victory," she wouldn't just stop there but would keep striving for a "three-star call" like the one Carmy got at the restaurant where he worked before returning home to take over his late brother's Italian beef business.
Maybe the stars aren't all that meaningful, after all
When Sydney really starts questioning Carmy about what it means to have won the coveted three Michelin stars, which happens in Episode 2, he relates how any joy he felt at first quickly turned to dread. In fact, in his estimation, he got about 10 seconds' worth of pleasure out of the whole deal before it was back to work with extra added pressure. Syd kind of laughs this off as "totally normal," but at this point, Carmy seems to be experiencing some sort of post-burnout stress.
Later on, in Episode 4, we get a different perspective on what does or does not constitute prestige. Marcus is talking with another chef and the latter confesses that he really doesn't have much culinary training. He says he learned from an informal apprenticeship of sorts, attaching himself to a superior chef. Marcus then compares him to Scottie Pippen, an NBA player whose skills increased exponentially when he started playing with Michael Jordan. The implantation seems to be that, when it comes to fine dining (or cooking), it's not about Michelin Stars or Cordon Bleu diplomas. Instead, the proof really is in the pudding, or rather, the mousse au chocolat.