Mikey's First Story
The Bear starts with a flashback to a time before 2018. Mikey is telling a story to Carmy, Richie, and Nat. It's a story they've heard before, but they love to hear it again. This scene shows Mikey at his most charismatic, being the center of attention. But it also shows that he doesn't think Carmy is experienced enough to work at The Beef, which sets the whole show in motion.
The Bear season 2's Christmas episode shows a different side of Mikey, one that's more troubled. "Ceres" gives us a brighter, more upbeat image of him.
The Berzatto Family Christmas
The Bear season 2, episode 6, "Fishes," is an entire episode dedicated to a flashback to a disastrous family Christmas. It takes place 256 weeks before the restaurant reopens, which is about five years. This puts the event sometime in late 2018. Carmy isn't allowed to work at The Beef yet, but his cousin convinces him to move to New York. Carmy meets Claire after Donna drives her car through the Berzatto family house, which is shown in The Bear Season 3, episode 1.
This Christmas episode is really tense and shows how dysfunctional the family is. It sets the stage for the rest of the show, where Carmy struggles with his family's legacy.
Carmy's Time at The French Laundry
We know that Carmy started his culinary career at The French Laundry, a fancy restaurant in New York City. The Bear Season 3 expands on this period of Carmy's life, showing that he stayed with his cousin Michelle and her partner Stevie in New York. This was based on an offer from his cousin in "Fishes." The Bear season 3, episode 10 "Forever" opens with a young Carmy learning how to make roasted chicken from Thomas Keller, the real-life chef and owner of The French Laundry.
This is a big part of Carmy's story, showing how he learned the skills that made him a great chef. We also see how he struggled to find his own voice in the world of fine dining.
Carmy at Ever in Chicago
After The French Laundry, Carmy worked at Ever in Chicago. This is where he met Chef Terry for the first time, who saw his talent and potential. He also met Chef Luca and Adam Shapiro, who were both working at Ever. Carmy quickly became the sous chef, showing how talented he was.
This period shows how Carmy started to develop his own style of cooking. He was still learning from others, but he was also starting to stand out.
Carmy at Noma in Copenhagen
Because of his potential, Chef Terry sent Carmy to Copenhagen to work at Noma. This is a famous restaurant owned by the chef René Redzepi. This experience helped Carmy expand his tastes and become even more innovative.
This trip to Copenhagen is a turning point for Carmy. He learns from some of the best chefs in the world and begins to develop his own unique style of cooking.
Mikey Meets Tina and Offers Her a Job
The Bear season 3, episode 6 "Napkins" is a flashback to Tina getting fired from her job. It shows how she met Mikey and ended up working at The Beef. Tina is disappointed after a job interview and goes to The Beef for coffee. Richie is kind to her, which makes her feel better. Mikey sees her crying and offers her a job on the spot. This happened while Carmy was in Copenhagen, since Mikey shows Tina a photo of a Noma dish sent by Carmy.
This episode is a reminder of how much Mikey cared about people, even though he wasn't always the nicest person. It also shows how Tina found her place in the world at The Beef.
