The Bear is an eclectic, hectic television series on Disney. The synopsis is, “A young talented chef named Carmen “Carmy” Anthony Berzatto inherits his family’s Italian beef sandwich shop after the suicide of his older brother Michael. He comes home to Chicago to run it, leaving behind his world of working in Michelin-starred restaurants.”
It’s not only great television, but a good friend—who is a chef—says the show is well respected within the culinary community for its realistic portrayal and accuracy of the hospitality industry.
There is a flashback scene where Carmy is working in a Michelin-starred restaurant, and he is facing intense pressure from the Head Chef. The Head Chef says to Carmy, “To make it better, take stuff out.”
I loved the reminder that the temptation to add more never goes away. And that the answer can often be found in not what we add, but in what we subtract.