The Bear Dish You Are, Based On Your Zodiac Sign

Named an AFI Television Program of the year in every one of its first three seasons — not to mention the 21 Emmy Awards it has earned — there's no denying the impact of the FX series, "The Bear." A lot of that can be handed down to the characters themselves, with much of the episodes revolving around their often heart-wrenching and complex backstories. But, aside from what the series tells about the industry at large — including the struggles of opening a restaurant and the importance of restaurant jobs — many of those backstories are explained through the scope of food, with entire episodes revolving around a certain dish and the characters' journeys centering around them. It's through those journeys that every dish from "The Bear" can be associated with a zodiac sign. 

Nearly every food featured on the show plays a role in a character's development — from Mikey Berzatto, who dies but still seemingly comes back to life in flashback scenes and the resurgence of his recipes, to "cousin" Richie Jerimovich who, despite not cooking a single thing, finds meaning and growth in the witnessing of a chef turning a deep dish pizza into a Michelin restaurant-worthy dish. With the internationally recognized chef, restaurateur, personality, and now actor, Matty Matheson, as both a star and executive producer on the show, it's no surprise that all of these dishes appear undeniably mouth-watering on screen. It's the stories they tell, however, that make them so personable and, therefore, zodiac-coded.

Aries have a habit of thinking after they leap, which is fitting, seeing as they're represented by the ram. Even more fitting, they tend to do so with their heads first, and at full speed. While everyone can admire their decisiveness, this can lead to some big headaches, most of them completely unnecessary and avoidable if they had stopped to consider the potential consequences. What the Aries must learn is that it's not always about getting somewhere or doing something first. Most of the time, having the discipline to slow down and take the time to do something right pays off more in the end, and no dish from "The Bear" is as representative of Aries more than Sydney's French Boursin omelet.

Mastering the art of a perfect French omelet is standard among chefs. Soft and creamy on the inside, and perfectly yellow without any sign of browning, Sydney Adamu demonstrates it flawlessly in Season 2, Episode 9. In this episode, pregnant Natalie Berzatto asks Sydney to prepare her something for lunch. Filled with Boursin cheese and sprinkled with crushed potato chips and chives for garnish, what Sydney brings Natalie puts her studies at the Culinary Institute of America on full display. The scenes in between show a mastery of the delicate control and technique the dish requires. One can't just whip one up without thinking, and there's certainly no rushing the process. The Aries could learn something from that.

Tauruses are considered fixed signs, a quality representative of their loyalty, consistency, and reliability, but also the one trait this sign is most known for — stubbornness. When Carmen, or "Carmy" Berzatto, first took over his brother's Italian beef shop, the staff saw him as an outsider. The same was true for his sous chef, Sydney Adamu, with Tina Marrero disregarding her and her advice. Alas, the two did eventually come to respect one another, and all because of a pot of herb mashed potatoes she was tasked with preparing.

Of all of the staff, Tina was the most resistant to the change to the status quo, and she began to feel the pressure — even if she was too stubborn to admit it. This is most obvious in Season 1, Episode 4, when Tina is seen struggling over the herb mashed potatoes, the "The Bear" dish the Taurus would be based on their zodiac sign. The scene shows her fighting with the potato masher before the cream on the stove starts to overflow, forcing her to scratch the batch and start over. But when she returns to her station, Sydney's got it all prepped. Maybe it's her insecurities getting the best of her, maybe she's too stubborn to ask for help, but in the end, Sydney approves.

Geminis aren't the most popular of the zodiacs, but that's mostly because many have come to associate them as being two-faced or having multiple personalities. While it is true these signs are notorious gossips, the real reason why they're represented by twins is because Geminis are social and curious. For the Gemini to be everywhere, do everything, and meet everyone they'd like to, they'd need to be in multiple places at once. It's this same curiosity that drives this sign to adopt multiple hobbies — and it's only right that the "The Bear" dish they'd be, based on their zodiac sign, represents that: Mikey's signature, beef braciole.

The braciole is introduced during a flashback Carmy Berzatto has about his brother, Mikey. In it, Mikey is preparing the braciole — a classic Italian-American dish consisting of thin slices of beef rolled around a savory filling and simmered in a rich red sauce — while sharing a story with his siblings, Carmy and Natalie, and "cousin" Richie Jerimovich. Only, he gets so caught up in telling the story that Carmy has to take over the cooking for him. Not only is the scene cognizant of these signs' passion for storytelling (or gossip, depending on who you ask), but it also showcases how the one hobby the two brothers share continues to bring them together.

Cancers are, arguably, the most sentimental of the zodiacs. But, they don't always show it. Like the crabs that represent them, Cancers have hard shells. When you get past that cold exterior, though, you'll be happy to find them to be warm, caring, and incredibly loyal friends. What these signs value the most, at the end of the day, is shared history and time. They cherish the memories that build meaning in relationships, and they're the most likely to hold on to items that remind them of them. That's why, if the Cancer were any dish from "The Bear," they'd be the one that Carmy Berzatto's older brother, Mikey Berzatto, wrote down for him on a note before his death: the family meal spaghetti.

Made from 10 garlic cloves, basil that gets steeped in oil, and two 28-ounce cans of San Marzano tomatoes — specifically the smaller cans, as, according to Mikey, they taste better — Mikey's family meal spaghetti is far from the only recipe he passed down to his younger brother. But this one represented a sort of passing of the torch. Before his death, Mikey left his Italian beef shop to Carmy, leaving him with the responsibility of not only sustaining the business and financially supporting its staff, but also feeding them. Fortunately, when Carmy went to pour a small can of those San Marzano tomatoes into the saucepan he was preparing the spaghetti in, a big wad of cash poured out with them.

Leos are known as the signs of the summer — and they have the personalities to back it up. Warm, confident, and outgoing, with all of the big personality to match, these signs are almost impossible to ignore. Any room a Leo walks into is instantly brighter, and not just because they love having the spotlight on them. For that reason, based on their zodiac sign, if a Leo were any dish from "The Bear," they'd be one that's equally as light and bright: Carmy Berzatto's upscale chicken piccata, prepared by him, step by step, on Season 1, Episode 5.

Chicken piccata is, essentially, a shorthanded, Italian-American take on a classic dish Italians have been enjoying since the early 1900s, known locally as "piccata di vitello al limone." In Italian, "piccata" refers to a shallow-fried, thin cutlet of veal or chicken, and there are many different variations of the dish. Carmy's chicken piccata happens to be one that's been enjoyed on Italian-American holiday tables for decades as a lighter, brighter alternative to the heavier, red sauce-based chicken parmesan. Only, being Carmy, he is made to feel slightly more high-end (which is perfect for these luxe-loving signs).

Virgos are known for being productive. But what many people don't know about these signs is that they're also relentless perfectionists. It's surprising, but it's also fairly telling. Not only does a lot of this sign's self-esteem stem from how many things they're able to cross off their to-do list at the end of the day, but also how flawlessly they can do each of them. Any mark of perfection is, in turn, taken and internalized as a reflection of their own shortcomings. Having said that, there's really only one dish from "The Bear" that the Virgo could be, and that's the infamous plum gelée.

The plum gelée is referenced many times on the show, but the first mention of it is in the first season, when Carmy Berzatto is speaking with pastry chef, Marcus Brooks. During this conversation, he shares with Marcus that, while he was working as the chef de cuisine at the world's best restaurant — which can only be assumed to be Eleven Madison Park — the plum gelée took years to perfect. Of course, he never admitted that it was actually he who obsessed over perfecting the dessert for every minute of that year. In the end, though, it's what taught him to embrace his creative abilities, and not just his technical ones.

Libras make talented interior designers, art curators, fashion stylists, cake decorators — you name it, if it has anything to do with making something look good, these signs can do it. Interestingly, apart from an impeccable taste and sense of style, their aesthetic talents and appreciation for beautiful things have come to garner them a reputation for being materialistic. But the truth is that anything these signs indulge in has to taste as good as it looks. At least, that's the case with the "The Bear" dish they'd be, authentic Chicago hot dog.

Hot dogs aren't necessarily an aesthetic food. On the other hand, Chicago hot dogs — which are served on a poppy seed bun and garnished with colorful, fresh ingredients like juicy red tomatoes, large cut pickle spears, onions, bright green relish, yellow mustard, and sport peppers — happen to photograph beautifully. But, they also taste rather exquisite, too. In Season 1, Episode 4 of "The Bear," Carmy Berzatto and Richie Jerimovich cater a kids' birthday party for Uncle Jimmy, or James Kalinowski, a close friend of the family and investor in the restaurant. The day does not go smoothly, but it does result in one of the show's most iconic scenes. 

Apart from being deep, dark, and mysterious, Scorpios are also known for being transformative — undergoing what's known as a "Phoenix phase" in which they experience a process of personal evolution. Knowing that, the "The Bear" dish that represents them would undergo something similar on the show, and that's the Chicago deep dish pizza Richie Jerimovich literally runs to pick up from Peqoud's for a table of guests while he's staging at a fictionalized version of the Michelin-star restaurant, Ever.

Chicago pizza is different because it's deep, but that's not all the food from "The Bear" and the Scorpio share in common. Being Chicago's most famous style of pizza, when Richie overhears a guest expressing their disappointment over not being able to try it during the visit, he feels the need to mention it to Jessica at the expedite station. That, in turn, leads him to sprint on foot to nearby Pequod's, where he picks up a deep dish to bring back to the kitchen. When he returns, the chef takes a set of cookie cutters to make small bite-sized pieces and garnishes them with micro basil and basil gel.

While the more obvious transformation in this scene centers around the pizza, there's also another one happening with Richie. He realizes running a Michelin restaurant could be fun — and, not only that, he could be good at it.

There's no other sign like the Sagittarius. Obviously, one could say that about all of the zodiac signs, but it's especially true when it comes to the Sagittarius. These signs don't like to follow the rules, and they refuse to subscribe to the limitations put on them by others. The Sagittarius isn't looking for anyone's approval. The dish from "The Bear" they'd be, in turn, is representative of that, which means they could only be Marcus Brooks' donut — the same one he obsesses over throughout the first season.

He shares a memory of his favorite childhood donut that drives this passion, and goes as far as to bring in dozens of donuts from different bakeries around the city, evaluating the texture and taste of each as a part of his research and even developing new skills like fermenting. But, somewhere along the way, he becomes desperate for Carmy Berzatto's approval. Marcus starts sleeping at the restaurant to save time commuting and devote more time to his donuts, while Carmy and Sydney grow frustrated with how distracted he becomes. Until one day, it clicks.

It's not until Marcus lets go of his need for others' approval and focuses on himself — and a particularly heated conversation with Carmy that ends up with his donut on the floor — that he gets the donuts right. It's that same raised donut that Carmy eventually picks up and eats that he approves of.

Represented by the goat, Capricorns have both the resilience and the drive to get to the top of any mountain — and running a restaurant runs you into a lot of those. Nobody knows that better than Carmy Berzatto, who, after inheriting the responsibility of his brother's Italian beef shop, suddenly has an entire business to lead. He only makes the journey even more challenging when he sets his mind on turning the humble sandwich shop into a fully operating, high-end restaurant with a Michelin star to match.

If he has any Capricorn in his chart, Carmy is sure to make that happen, the "The Bear" dish that the Capricorn would be represents the very beginning of that steep trek: the Chicago original, Italian beef sandwich. Italian beef sandwiches are another Chicago staple highlighted on "The Bear" — but, in this show at least, they represent something much more meaningful, and that's hard work. In the early episodes of the first season, we see Carmy struggle to run the shop on the Italian beef sandwiches alone, easily becoming overwhelmed by an overflow of orders, financial dramas, and, of course, clashing personalities.

After Carmy perfects his brother's recipe, he starts to see the potential of it all. The connection between the sandwiches, the business, and him and his brother begins to seep in like the au jus. 

Being the humanitarians of the zodiac, Aquariuses aren't afraid to stand on their own if it's for what's best for everyone else. These signs aren't scared to stand alone, period. Aquariuses are known for being loners, valuing the unbiased opinions and uninfluenced perceptions their individualism provides. But what makes these signs different is that, unlike most people who claim to care about the well-being of all, they have the skills to bring change to action. As it pertains to the dish from "The Bear," they'd be, however, this kind of innovation shows up in the form of a pistachio cannoli.

During Season 2 of "The Bear," Marcus Brooks gets sent to Copenhagen to train under a talented pastry chef. When he returns to Chicago, he has an entire menu of newly developed desserts, including a particularly unconventional style of savory cannoli. The cannoli is made with a baked parmesan shell that's filled with a whipped mortadella cream and perched on top of a spread of tapenade. Then, each cannoli end is dipped in crushed pistachios, but the final product is given a bit of fine-dining flair by a generous topping of red caviar or salmon roe upon plating.

Not only is this cannoli completely non-contrarian in nature, and especially inventive of Marcus' part, but it's also given a touch of humanity when he decides to name it "The Michael" after Carmy's brother.

Anyone who has ever met a Pisces knows that, of all the signs on the zodiac, they're the most imaginative. Now, this can manifest in many different ways — with most people knowing these signs for being easily distracted, chronically tardy, and almost overly easy going. Aside from their inherent creativity, most of the skills their imagination lends them aren't particularly useful inside a restaurant kitchen. That's especially true for kitchens of the level of those shown on "The Bear," but also other, more traditional, corporate positions that tend to value technical skills over emotional ones. For this reason, the Pisces tends to struggle with feeling like they need to prove themselves.

While Sydney Adamu certainly has more than all of the skills needed to succeed in the kitchen, the early episodes depict her battle to assert herself within the restaurant. Beginning as a sous chef and, eventually, becoming the chef de cuisine and Carmy's business partner, it's obvious that Sydney goes on to succeed in her role. But, none of it would've happened without Sydney's sea bass — the first dish brought to the menu that was created by her, and the "The Bear" dish the Pisces would be based on their zodiac sign. Made from a perfectly pan-seared cut of tender Chilean sea bass, laid on top of a pool of tomato confit dressed in fresh herbs, the dish is both creative and indicative of her capabilities as a chef.