Grumblar's Cantina

Humans,

Last year, I shared with you the rich history I have with Chewbacca the Wookie, a friendship that bloomed when I was on a cooking assignment to the peaceful planet Kashyyyk. If you’re not yet a believer in the importance of quadriped chefs in space, I wanted to share the tale of the first bear chef to pioneer this industry. This, of course, is the story of Grumblar.

Many eons ago in a galaxy far, far away, a bearlike creature named Grumblar lived in a cave nestled near the bustling, neon-lit streets of Coruscant. A towering, fur-covered creature with a love for cooking (sound familiar?), Grumblar’s culinary skills were unmatched, drawing in patrons from all corners of the galaxy. He was known for his passion for flavor and a flair for innovative cuisine that combined both his species' rustic traditions and the sophisticated influences of intergalactic flavors. Grumblar's cantina, "The Galactic Grub," was a beloved hotspot, known for its exotic dishes made from rare ingredients sourced from across the stars.

Despite his impressive stature and intimidating appearance, Grumblar was a gentle soul with a knack for putting together meals that brought comfort and joy to his customers. His specialty? A savory dish called the "Bantha BBQ,” – slow-cooked with a blend of spices that would tantalize the senses and leave guests coming back for more. He used only the finest ingredients, some of which he sourced from his adventures through forests on Kashyyyk, and others that he scoured from vendors on Tatooine, thus ensuring that every bite was a burst of flavor. His reputation for mastering both traditional mammalian recipes and galactic fusion creations earned him a loyal following, from smugglers to Jedi and even the occasional bounty hunter.

Grumblar’s success wasn’t always guaranteed, though. Before opening his restaurant, he served as the head chef aboard a smuggler’s ship, where he first discovered his knack for creating meals that could sway even the most hardened individuals. His journey to fame was anything but smooth—there were moments when he faced off against rival chefs, like the notorious Rodian, Chef Skree, who would try to sabotage his meals or even outcook him using underhanded tricks. Yet, Grumblar’s kindness, patience, and refusal to compromise on quality won him the respect of many and ultimately led him to open his own establishment.

Amid the chaos of galactic politics, Grumblar's kitchen remained a sanctuary — a place where the hustle of bounty hunters and the quiet contemplation of a wandering Jedi alike could find solace in a bowl of his signature Yobacca Stew. Grumblar proved that no matter the conflict or the distance between worlds, food has the unique power to unite even the most unlikely of allies.

Stay Wild,

Bear

The Time Uncle Wilbur Sank My Boat

Howdy, Human Friends!

Many of you have been with the Bear Family for years, so you know my tenuous and fraught relationship with my Uncle Wilbur. The Cliff Notes version of it all is that Wilbur has been a bad news bear for our family since around 1994, when the rivers ran dry of salmon and Uncle Wilbur tragically ate my favorite cousin, Rico. 

It was a sad time that I don’t much like to talk about, but the story continues to a few years ago when Osa convinced me to give Uncle Wilbur a second chance by partnering with him for our “Fish by Bear” dining experience. As an accomplished fisherbear off the Oregon coast who has created a unique and environmentally sustainable one-bear fishing business selling to the highest-end seafood restaurants worldwide, we assumed Wilbur had amended his troubled ways. But alas, the story continues…

It was in the inky dark of the Scorpio new moon last week that our night vision cameras caught a large, ambling figure dressed in all black climbing aboard my new 70-foot yacht in San Diego’s Chula Vista Marina. Within minutes there was an explosion and my state-of-the-art boat was up in flames. Luckily, no one else was on board and authorities arrived quickly enough to rescue our high-end champagne and craft cocktail fixings from the rubble before it completely burned and sunk into the water. 

Your suspicions are correct: the culprit was Wilbur, bad bear that he is. He was nabbed somewhere near the San Fernando Valley this week, carrying a go-bag brimming with flammable explosive materials and, interestingly, piles of high-end tinned fish from around the world. We had so hoped that our connection with Wilbur could be a sustainable one, but our best guess on motive is that he was so overcome with jealousy regarding the success of another bear-owned business that he took matters into his own paws. I’m sorry to have to share this difficult news with our community. 

The upside to this story is that our Bear Buys A Boat dining experience lives on! We will indeed still be hosting you all on San Diego's bay waters on November 16th, but the location will be aboard a grand Newport Hornblower yacht in our lovely San Diego Harbor. There will be champagne, fresh oysters, and an open bar with craft cocktails. There will be incredible views of our city, balmy sea air, curious and interesting strangers, as well as delicious and filling appetizers. 

Please, don’t let Uncle Wilbur’s bad vibes deter you from joining us for this incredible evening. I suffered a huge loss, both regarding my yacht and the betrayal of a beloved bear, but you all showing up for this incredible party will really do a number on restoring my spirits.
I’ll see you then.

Your humble captain,
Chef Bear

Naboo Shaak by Bear

Humans,

By now you’ve most likely heard the news of my grand reunion with Chewbacca the Wookie on May 4, 2024, San Diego, California, Planet Earth. Since he will be traveling all the way from Kashyyyk for this dinner and will be bringing some special, fresh ingredients in his inter-galactic travels, I wanted to highlight a few special items on the menu.

Course one will be an extremely fresh fish aquachile from the planet Ahch-To. This planet, of course, was where the Jedi Order was birthed and is covered in water, with deep blue oceans and volcanic islands. We’ll be using Billfish for this dish, shipped galaxy to galaxy via food-grade stasis pods as freshly as if we caught it today. (On this note, a few of you have inquired on if we will have music by the Billfish double bass, but unfortunately neither Chewie or I have played in years!) We’ll pair this one with a delicate Green Milk cocktail, quite reminiscent of the old planet.

There is so much more to be highlighted, but your fourth course will be Shaak by Bear. Naboo Shaak, to be specific. (Though they are – of course – bred on other planets as well. We are partial to the Naboo Shaak because of the high quality prairie greens on which they feed there.) What’s that? You don’t know much about this bulbous mammalian species of non-sentient herbivores that grazes on the grasslands of Naboo?? Ah, well – the meat that comes from these slow-moving animals is rich with marbled fat and absolutely melts in the mouth. You will enjoy tender cuts cooked gently with buttered tokyo negi sauce. It’s going to be fantastic. Out of this world, even.

I’ve attached the full menu so you can preview more of what this special evening is going to be like. I haven’t been this amped up about a dinner since that first party in Kashyyyk, so I really hope you can join us. Grab your tickets now!

Baddie Bipedals

Humans,

It was sometime during the High Republic Era when I was called on cooking assignment to the peaceful planet Kashyyyk. As I was perfecting a roast porg and jogan fruit entree, I noticed a particularly tall and hairy bipedal who was not quite human hanging around the refectory, and I knew immediately we were kindred spirits.

I offered him a bowl of Rootleaf stew to strike up a conversation and as we spoke, I could tell he was highly intelligent. He told me (in a language not quite “bear-ish”, but not too far off either) that he had fallen on hard times – though he was a spacecraft mechanic and studying to be a pilot, jobs on Kashyyk were scarce. Add to this that he was married to a female named Mallatobuck and had a family to support; well, I knew I had to help.

I was being paid handsomely for this cheffing assignment, considering the long commute time between galaxies, and I certainly needed a sous chef for the dinner I was hosting. I asked him: was he possibly available to assist? He readily agreed. And that was the beginning of a long and rich friendship between myself and a Wookie named Chewbacca.

Over the years I’d return to Kashyyyk for various cheffing opportunities but by then Chewie would often be out on his own adventures, eventually working as a resistance fighter in the famous Clone Wars. But whenever I arrived I’d always find extra furry hards to help with my dinners, supplied by Chewie himself. Once he even had a spacecraft full of Ewoks sent over all the way from Endor, but that’s a story for another time.

With all that said, I’m extremely overjoyed to share that Chewie and I will be reuniting after quite a long hiatus and will be co-hosting a meal in San Diego, CA, USA, Earth on May 4th, 2024. This hasn’t happened in eons, and who knows when this intergalactic meeting of the menu minds will happen again! Please join us for delights and surprises, brought together by two old friends.

We are still working on our menu offerings but stay tuned! The menu will be released in Episode 2!

How to Overcome Arkoudaphobia

Hi everyone, it's Lil' Osito Bear again. As many of you know, I’ve been hosting the Cow by Bear dinners over the last month. I’ve really enjoyed myself but I must say that, as a cub, this is the most human interaction I’ve ever had in my whole life!

Maybe I’m a bit of a socialized beginner, but when I’m cheffing these dinners I try my best to smile, give bear hugs, and wave to the humans I’m interacting with. But there always seems to be a little miscommunication – a smile looks like a snarl to some, a wave is a warning, and a hug can be taken as a sign of aggression?!

I learned in school recently that many people tend to interpret bear actions based on their own fears. We had a guest speaker, bear expert Dr. Lynn Rogers, who said that fearful humans often perceive any noise as a growl, a glance as a threatening glare, and even a bear approaching them as an imminent threat. I couldn't believe what I was hearing! Listen, if I’m charging rapidly toward you with a distracted look on my face, it’s most likely that I’m trying to quickly drop a plate of fresh Shiitake Mushroom Cóctel in front of you while also ensuring that the carne asada that’s grilling in the back for the main course stays tender.

So next time you’re interacting with a cooking bear and feel a little fearful, I’d suggest sitting back and thinking about what this might say about yourself. And then drink some of that delicious wine that has been thoughtfully paired with your meal and – RELAX. The more you can learn about bears and how they behave, the less likely you will be to have a negative experience or misinterpret our interactions.

All that said, I still feel bad for anyone I’ve (accidentally) scared recently so I’m offering a 20% off code for all of our April dinners with the code APRILSHOWERS. Join us to experience my Mexico City-inspired menu for just a short time longer.

A Valentine Story

Humans,

In the summer of '99, I was motorcycling through Mexico on a spiritual journey. I was out to discover myself, as young bears often do. My goal was to find The Great Oso, guru of all walking and talking animals, rumored to be holed up in an abandoned minor league baseball stadium in Mexico City.

It was a wild ride, but in the end, The Great Oso was a huge disappointment. Whoever it was that said, "Don't meet your heroes" was right – he was a total nincompoop. But not all was lost, for after meeting The (Not So Great) Oso, I stumbled into a local taqueria and beheld Osa, daughter of the guru, breaking down one of the finest cuts of beef I had ever seen.

I knew right then I loved her, although it was months (full of me nervously pounding copious carne asada in said taqueria) before I could muster up the courage to say it out loud. Osa is the kind of bear that turns heads when she walks into a room, and I'm pretty sure it isn’t just because she was a bear. She can ice skate, fence, surf, write poetry, beat Contra on the Nintendo without cheat codes, and speak five languages (not including Bear).

She has taught me so much about life, about being a better bear, and more about cooking than all of my other masters combined. We came up with the idea to start Cow by Bear together and spent countless nights sketching out the plan. Cow by Bear is hers as much as it is mine, and her heart and soul are in every single dish we make.

It’s only appropriate then, that my Valentine and I cook up a special feast for you and your sweetheart. Nothing would make the two of us happier than to see you at our *love table* this Valentines Day. Check here for a little taste of the menu, and know that Osa and I will both be there – in and out of the kitchen! – and partaking in a few smooches between us while we plate, of course.

See you there!

Wine by Bear Pop-Up Shoppe

Happy Holidays, Humans!

Bear here. I was first inspired to create a dinner party experience experiment while traveling by foot in Buenos Aires. Having given up on the cheffing game at a dark point in my life, I stumbled upon a parrilla grilling the fattest, juiciest steak I'd ever seen. This is where I fell head over heels for cow. That same evening I attended a puertas cerradas dinner at a private residence that changed my life.

Food has always been central to the experiences I create, but I also make sure to pair it with the finest wine I can get my paws on. And few realize that wine was my first love, even before I became the chef you know me to be.

I was an adolescent bear when I had my first gulp of wine. I remember like it was yesterday, stolen from a human campsite by my older, bad bear cousin Rico (RIP). Red wine – I loved the stuff and spent the next year or so devouring campsites, flipping over airstreams, and digging through Coleman coolers to find it. Years later when I arrived in France, my love for wine was refined. French wine opened up my pallet in a way I couldn't have imagined when I was drinking the boxed stuff from Alaska in my youth.

From this love I created an experimental Wine by Bear program in the late 2010s, where we hosted educational Tuesday night tastings with myself and my sommelier friend. During the COVID lockdown, we continued that experiment with Virtual Wine by Bear, where Osito and his friend delivered handpicked wines and paired plates to your homes throughout San Diego and then gathered you all for a virtual tasting.

I’ve been feeling rather nostalgic lately – and wanting to offer you all something special for the holiday season – so I’ve decided to revive my Wine by Bear campaign in a new iteration for the end of 2023!

From December 20th to 23rd,  our partner restaurant, Nolita Hall, will be assisting me with the Wine by Bear Pop-up! You can order wines through our website and pick them up at the Nolita Hall between 3pm and 7pm – I’ll be there on Wednesday December 20th (at Nolita House, 2314 India Street) offering bear hugs too, or a holiday high five if you prefer! That Wednesday we will be handing out orders and offering a retail shopping experience--I hope to see you there!

We have a variety of super hard to find and delicious offerings, and I think you’ll find something for everyone who will be at your holiday table. (I do want to specifically mention have one single magnum bottle of Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo that retails at $1200 but my team and I are offering it for $600.) If your tastes are a little less refined, don’t worry, we have affordable bottles you will love. Head on over to our ordering page and take a look at the full offering of wines - you won't be disappointed!

Turducken With A Side of Bear Scare

Greetings, Humans!

A second cousin in Canada recently forwarded this alarming news article to me regarding etiquette if a bear shows up at your Thanksgiving dinner table.

I’ll save you time by summarizing – the (human) writer suggests eight tips for getting through this stressful dynamic during the holiday, which include:

• Not eating honey. (“The quickest way to piss off a bear is to use the honey.”)

• Avoiding eye contact. (“They simply don’t like being stared at, especially while they are trying to eat.)

• Resisting talking politics. (“Bears don’t give a crap but this is just good advice in general.”)

• Not praying too long. (“Bears are not only godless creatures, they are incredibly impatient.”)

It’s clear that the author has simply never met a bear. The most distressing part of the article was tip number seven, which begins as follows:

“Try to put the least desirable family members closest to the bear. Try to see this as a blessing in disguise. You have an opportunity to thin the family out and remove some of the members who nobody could really stand in the first place. They all taste the same to a bear.”

There are so many things wrong with this, I’m not sure where to start. But, at minimum, I must say that not all humans… er, flavors… taste the same to bear.

To combat this misinformation and fake news, our Bear family has decided to open our Thanksgiving table to a small handful of humans. On November 17 and 18, both Osa and I will be hosting a special menu inspired by our family Thanksgiving traditions.

Join us for three holiday courses, the piece de resistance being Turducken Roulade with sides like Truffled Green Bean Casserole with wild mushrooms and crispy onions, Roasted Honey Nut Squash with pomegranate and cinnamon yogurt, Roasted root vegetables with red onion, thyme, and date syrup, as well as our family recipe for Sausage Stuffing.

Bears, of course, will be present at this dinner, and we hope to show you what it’s really like when ursine show up at the holiday table: warm hospitality, new friends, and culinary delights.

See you then,

Bear