The Raw Power of Repentance
I was reminded of this by an unlikely source, a television show — specifically, 'The Bear,' FX's hit drama about a Chicago restaurant and the small community of cooks and servers who are trying to transform a family-owned sandwich shop into a Michelin-starred culinary showcase.
'The Bear' is one of those shows that launched a thousand essays. But for those who don't know it, the series is centered on a young, talented chef named Carmen Berzatto. Carmy, as his friends and fellow workers call him, moves home to Chicago after his brother died by suicide.
Carmy is left with control of the family business, a sandwich shop called the Original Beef of Chicagoland. It's a small place, populated by an eccentric crew of employees, and Carmy is charged with keeping the place alive. The twist here is that Carmy is no ordinary cook — he's an elite chef who has worked in the best restaurants in the world.
It took me a minute to watch the show. My entertainment tastes run more toward superpowers, elves, dragons or warp drive than to watching a chef prepare one scallop for service in a fancy restaurant. To be honest, I find it hard to think of something I'd be less likely to watch.
Restaurant work is stressful, and 'The Bear' shows that all too well. I worked as a waiter in college. I had a recurring dream that all my tables were yelling for me at once and I was reduced to paddling from table to table in a canoe, never quite fast enough.
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