Early in The Bear’s second season, one installment makes it clear that the show is settling in for a different vibe than its chaotic, tense first season. That episode is “Honeydew,” a half-hour that has all the budget flexing one would expect from the new season of a surprise hit: exotic locations and starry cameos, both in front of and behind the camera.
“Honeydew” follows Bear pastry chef Marcus (Lionel Boyce) to Copenhagen on a soul-searching trip to step up his desserts before the restaurant prepares to re-open on a much higher level than before. He’s trained by an old friend of Carmy’s (Jeremy Allen White), Very Special Guest Star Will Poulter—as tatted as Chicago’s resident Hot Chef but not quite as tormented—and the episode is directed by the show’s Hulu peer, Emmy-winning actor/writer/creator Ramy Youssef. Thankfully the show didn’t sacrifice story for star wattage: “Honeydew” is a fantastic episode in a season not lacking for standouts, a half-hour instantly notable for its quiet stillness in a show known for people screaming over each other.
Youssef’s gorgeous exterior shots of the Danish city, Boyce’s moving performance as Marcus finds himself at an emotional turning point, and the camaraderie he develops with Poulter’s chef Luca all come together in service of a truly great episode of television.
Youssef went to Noma in Copenhagen—largely regarded as one of the best restaurants in the world—to prepare. “I kept telling everyone at Noma that I had worked at a restaurant before,” he says. “Which I had, but I had worked at Panera Bread when I was 16. It was just really funny to be at Noma and talk about my experience at Panera.”
Ask Boyce about Youssef’s bit and he shakes his head: “That man, someone, has to stop him. He’s out of control.” Poulter chimes in: “I heard him tell at least five people that he worked at Panera Bread over the course of our two-day shoot. “
In Denmark, Marcus is trained by Luca (Poulter), a British chef, and the beauty of the episode is how smoothly it all goes. The Bear is a show that thrives on plans going awry, but Marcus’ visit to Copenhagen is lovely. He learns, grows, and tries great food. That relief was what Youssef and the team were trying to achieve. “It kind of felt like ‘character goes overseas’ might experience tension, and you are kind of waiting for it to drop, but it never does,” Youssef says. “That was kind of the fun thing about the episode: It actually doesn’t have to. He got this escape and he got to expand as a person.”
Of course, Youssef did not only rely on his time as a teenager slinging sandwiches and bread bowls for his stint on the lauded FX show. Before shooting, Boyce and Youssef, the latter of whom worked with Bear creator Christopher Storer on his series Ramy, headed to Copenhagen for research and scouting. They got to “stage” at Noma for a day, watching the team work from morning prep until dinner service. While Boyce went back to Chicago to start filming, Youssef ended up staying for two weeks. He tried food—(his favorite was the chicken sandwich at Poulette)—and wandered around taking photographs that he would later send to a location manager. “We built this episode out in a really organic way,” he says.
Boyce and Youssef later went back to Denmark to film, but not before they crafted the scenes with Poulter, which were shot in The Bear‘s home base of Chicago.
According to Poulter, he “crowbarred” his way into the series because he was such a fan, and even before he had officially signed on he was being integrated into the Bear family. Courtney Storer—the culinary producer and Christopher’s sister—invited Poulter to her house where she taught him how to make a French omelet. He also linked up with Benny Shields, the tattoo artist responsible for Carmy’s ink, to start planning what would adorn Luca’s arms. The result was tattoos that have tributes to Poulter’s own life: nods to Arsenal and the fish and chips he would eat with his dad. “I’ve never been more supported by a production ever with any job I’ve ever done,” Poulter says.
When everyone was in Chicago, Poulter and Boyce bonded, walking around downtown Chicago and hanging out at the Chicago Athletic Association, where Boyce played (and won) chess. Along with Youssef, the actors decided they weren’t going to play into the “grit” of the mentor and student relationship between Lionel and Luca. “The way it’s written it could be either way,” Youssef says. “But it was kind of really cool to shape it in a way where it was just this honest connection.” While Luca is initially standoffish, he and Marcus open up to each other as they tweeze hazelnuts and mold dough in one of the season’s best scenes.
On set in the kitchen of Chicago’s After, the sister bar to Michelin-starred Ever, Poulter was intimidated by Boyce’s preparation. After all, Poulter was supposed to be playing the more seasoned chef, but Boyce was the one who had trained in Copenhagen. Boyce insists Poulter is being modest. “He’s playing it down,” Boyce says. “He came in with these white chocolate cookies that he made, and I was jealous because these were some of the best cookies.”
“I got a bit obsessed with trying to perfect the cookie recipe,” Poulter admits, noting that he settled on one from Bon Appétit.
Unlike Youssef and Boyce, Poulter didn’t get a chance to travel to Copenhagen before playing a chef who works and lives there. He had, however, just gotten back from a visit when we spoke. He went armed with a list of establishments provided by co-executive producer Cooper Wehde based on where Youssef and Boyce had already been. He walked into one place, the wine bar Pompette, and was asked if he was there because of The Bear. “I was like, ‘Oh what do you mean?'” Poulter recalls. “He was like, ‘Oh, they shot in here,’ and I didn’t even know that. Then I was a bit worried that I would look like that guy who was retracing the sets of the show.”
That didn’t hinder his experience, however. “Copenhagen is just full of some of the best food going,” he says. “And also the nicest people. The level of hospitality is crazy.”