The Wine Ursine on Cocaine Bear

Humans,

As I’m sure you all know, the film Cocaine Bear was released recently to high acclaim, and since I alluded to my connection to this bear in a newsletter last year I have been asked about it quite frequently. I’m happy to share that my media embargo was lifted and I was finally able to publicly comment on the film in a recent interview with The Forest Reporter, excerpted below.

The Forest Reporter: We’ve gotta ask the question everyone has been wondering - were you indeed acquainted with the real-life Cocaine Bear?

Bear: I’ve been reluctant to discuss this out of respect for his family but - yes - I knew Eddie quite well. In the Cub Club community we sometimes playfully refer to him as Pablo Eskobear, though I’m not sure that’s in especially good taste.

TFR: We knew it! Okay so, since you know - er, knew - him, did anything surprise you about the way he was represented in this movie?

Bear: Well, I think the context that wasn’t able to really be shown in the film - due to time constraints - is that Eddie lived a bit of a troubled life prior to this unfortunate incident involving the cocaine. His vices really created a problematic loop for him.

TFR: Vices, vices… which begs the aside, Chef: what’s your vice of choice?

Bear: Besides a well-cooked 90-day-aged ribeye? <Chuckles> Listen, I don’t really want to go down that conversational road, but I will say that I’m more of a wine ursine myself. Shameless little plug here, but we have some AMAZING wines on the docket for our new spring Cow by Bear menu.

TFR: Alright, you’ve piqued our interest! Maybe you can share a little bit about them at the end of the interview. One final Cocaine Bear question - there’s a lot of gore in the movie, is this representative of the real life of a bear?

Bear: Happy to share the wines! And I’d have to say – definitely not. My experience involves a lot more heartwarming instances of bringing humans and bears together as opposed to violence against each other. I think this is the truest and highest mammalian way - that discovery of common ground.

TFR: Okay, last question. We heard a rumor that you were sourced as a stand-in backup actor for the bear in the movie. Is this true?

Bear: Haha, definitely not answering that one due to an NDA…. But maybe. <winks>

As promised, here are the wines we have chosen for my spring menu. Check them out, and - as a very serious and studied wine ursine - I recommend joining us to give them a try yourself.

Until then, yours,
Bear

Sun Bear Don't Care (Baggy Bear Booty)

Howdy Humans,

I was sitting on my porch this weekend sipping honeyed sweet tea and catching up on my crossword puzzles when I stumbled upon a news article that got me feeling a little salty. You may have seen it yourself: humans on social media are speculating that a sun bear in an Eastern China zoo could be a person in costume.

To share something a bit vulnerable… I can relate: it is not uncommon at our dinners that I hear humans speculating that I, myself, am not a real bear, but a person dressed in an ill-fitting bear suit. In light of this article, I wanted to address this appalling (and rather hurtful) rumor head-on.

Dr. Ashleigh Marshall, an expert from Chester Zoo, concedes bears do often "look a lot like people in their costumes” (but that doesn’t mean they are!). And to put a finer point on it, when asked about the ruffled appearance of a bear's skin around the rear end, she said this is “a normal and very important feature of its anatomy.”

The folds help protect the bears from predators, as the looseness allows the bear to "turn around in their skin" [when cooking] and fight back if a large animal like a tiger (or a tipsy diner) were to get hold of them, Dr Marshall explained.

I hope this helps quench the rumors and assuage any doubters out there. And for those of you who want to come and see this baggy bear booty for yourself, we still have 3 tickets available for our last August dinner on the 18th, and just released our September dates for booking.

Get in here quick and taste what I’m loving - our delicious five-ounce New York strip steak with confit asparagus, potato puree, and bourbon 'bear'naise sauce. See you all soon.

Yours,
Bear

In Accordance With An Overslept Grizzly

Humans,

Spring means something to us bears that cannot be understood unless you put yourselves in our claws.

Imagine: warm weather has arrived, the sun is high in the sky and the snow begins to melt. Inside your home, sleeping beneath layers of quilts and blankets, you are awoken by a growl so strong it matches your raging headache. You look around to realize the offender was simply your stomach, gurgling and rumbling with a pang of hunger as you’ve never felt. Except you have felt it before… last year at this time.

Yes, the yearly sleep called hibernation has ended and we bears wake up absolutely famished and ready to turn the den upside-down looking for something delicious and nourishing to eat.

Osito usually wants to crack open a tin of salmon from the cupboard at first wake, but I always encourage him to wait because every year when we arise, I make the most lovely and hearty spring feast from the freshest ingredients that have just sprouted and grown.

This feast is a precursor for our Cow by Bear spring menu, which I thoughtfully curate based on the raging cravings of a just-post-hibernation bruin. 

I’m especially proud of my opening course this year, which is a lucious fresh watermelon salad made with petit basil we found from a seedling in our garden, local honeysuckle, and bee pollen sourced from our neighborhood hive (a special shoutout to Lady Buzz and her hardworking crew). 

For those who seek satiety, never fear. We have, of course, our carnivorous dishes such as a chicken roulade with bacon and garden pesto and my classic ribeye with potato pave, horseradish creme, and beurre rouge. You will not return home hungry, my friends.

Join us this coming month for what is likely to be the best spring feast you have ever had. And, please, make sure to prepare your hunger in accordance with an overslept grizzly.

Yours,
Bear

Hot Bear Summer

Humans,

Bear here. Summer months for those of the family Ursidae are some of the slowest months of all. Generally, most bears pass the time lying in the shade, swimming, or splashing around in cool water waiting for the salmon run. With all that fur, us bears can easily overheat. In fact, in the hottest of months, if we amble too quickly we are liable to run a fever. 

This time of year, bear eating habits include berries, grasses, roots, fish, and insects. I’ll leave the insects out (you’re welcome), but our summer menu has been inspired by these our mammalian roots. Consider our Stone Fruit Salad opener or our second menu course of charred octopus, cucumber, pickled pearl onions, radish, and smoked avocado mousse. You won’t want to miss this. 

For the Bear Chef family, well, summer months are some of our busiest. Osito has a skate camp and is learning the electric guitar, Osa and I are planning another summer road trip to the Rocky Mountains to visit relatives, and we’ve got a bunch of fun dinners on the docket (with some amazing vegetarian options! I’m looking at you, MUSH-ATORI).

But this summer, we’ve vowed to try to slow down a bit and follow suit with our bear brethren. If you keep your eyes open, you might be able to find us lounging with some honeycomb and burrata beneath the Eucalyptus in Balboa Park, tossing pennies (and paws) into the Bea Evenson Fountain, or boogieing on a few waves over at Mission Beach. (Say hi if you do!) Besides us being bears, you’ll easily be able to spot us because we’ll be sporting our new Cow by Bear wear, now available at the Cow by Bear shop!

If you really want to get into the Bear way of life, while you’re there you can also check out our new subscription program which saves you $45 on dinners, $50 off of our Chef's dinner (quarterly), and a special code to get 15% off merch from the website. Oh! And make sure to check the July calendar for new dinner dates. I added a handful of dates since our last update!

Well GTG, we’re taking off for a day trip up the coast before prepping for this weekend’s dinners. See you there?

The Spooky Old Tree

Humans,

Happy October! As you all know, Fall is absolutely one of my most favorite times of the year. It's the best time to create, and I'm super excited to roll out the new menustarting this weekend at Cow by Bear.

I have so many great October memories, starting with my youth on Kodiak Island in Alaska. One Halloween, Goldilocks took ill after eating what she thought was a satchel of candy fish eyes. Well, it was my satchel, and they weren't candy…

And then there was the time a few years back when I dressed up like Guy Fi-Bear-i for the holiday. (It's not easy to transform yourself into disguise when you're a 900-pound bear, but that's never stopped me from trying!)

How about when I created a creepy seven course experience based on the seven deadly sins, all served in a haunted house filled with zombies? Fifty humans indulged in the seven courses, which included LUST (brown butter risotto with vanilla-poached lobster, lavender-honey-glazed duck, watercress and citrus) and a Candied Apple bonus as the Original Sin.

But one of my most memorable Halloweens was when I was taking a long slumber in my tree house before cheffing a special dining experience. I was suddenly jolted awake by three sets of tiny paws scrambling frantically over me. It was, of course, my old friends The Berenstains. Sister and Brother had decided to take a pal out to explore the local “Spooky Old Tree” and were caught up in the terror of my self-decorated bachelor pad. I must admit, it was a bit quirky, and I hadn’t done a lot of recent cleaning... I chased them out with a huge roar for good measure, and I’m not sure they ever knew it was me! They did write a story about it though.

That brings me to an important announcement: our upcoming Cow by Bear Halloween Chef's Dinner! This year, I wanted to create a dinner party experience that pays homage to the most iconic of human spooky stories. So along with our fine wine pairings, I have prepared five courses inspired by some of the most beloved Halloween films in human history. 

Join me on Thursday, October 27 and Friday, October 28 for an evening of incredible food, fine wine and the most memorable moments of terror...and don't forget, new friends. I hope you like your steak...BLOODY! Mwahahahaha!

Beaches & Bearnaise Sauce

Howdy Humans!

Here in San Diego it’s back-to-school time for the local cubs. The beaches have cleared out a bit now that out-of-town vacationers have returned home, school buses are back on the roads, and – in true Southern California fashion –  the weather hasn’t cooled down at all! 

For us the Bear family, September brings a bit of relief from the busy summer in that Lil’ Osito is also back in school. This year he’s balancing middle school (and all that comes with it) alongside our weekend brunch service! What an overachiever. Osa and I are two extremely proud bear parents.

These brunches are inspired by a very close family friend of ours (and Osito’s godfather) Chef Po’ Bear, who for a stint created delicious five course dining experiences out in Savannah, Georgia. Osito spent a lot of time as a small cub in the kitchen with Po’ and I, tasting and observing our food while playing with his legos, so this style of menu comes very naturally to him.

In fact, just last week we had Osito’s school skateboarding team in for a trial run of his delectable southern brunch – think course after course of delights like brown butter biscuits with maple butter and pork gravy, Osa’s famous cheesy grits smothered with white cheddar and fine herbs (secret family recipe there), and, of course, wagyu ribeye with farm fresh eggs and a housemade “bear”naise sauce to name a few. These cubs were just falling all over themselves for each course and even ate all the vegetables served! That, I believe, is a sign of some mature cheffing skills.

We have a few seats left for brunch this Sunday and – big news – have just opened up seats for our October dinners! We cannot wait to share my new fall flavors menu with you all. This one is going to be good!

See you at the table.

Bear

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