With The Bear becoming increasingly popular following the season 2 release, some fans still look for the meaning of the word “Berzatto” they hear in the series streaming on Hulu. What does Berzatto mean? Considering the origin of the protagonists, does Berzatto mean something in particular in Italian? Here’s what you should know.
What does “Berzatto” mean in The Bear?
Berzatto is the surname of Carmy.
Created by Christopher Storer, The Bear tells the story of how a young chef’s life changes after the suicide of his brother. After the tragic event, Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) returns to Chicago to run the Italian beef shop left by his dead brother, Michael. Carmy, Michael, and Natalie’s (their sister) last name is Berzatto, pronounced “bear-zaa-tow.”
In the series, both Michael and Carmy are affectionately called “bear” by their friends. To homage to his late brother, Carmy opted to close the old family restaurant, The Beef, and open a new one called The Bear. The story also hinted Carmy and Michael wanted to open a restaurant and name it like that when they were younger. As for Natalie, she’s known as “Sugar,” which is not short for “sugar bear,” but because she used to put sugar instead of salt in the family gravy. The bear is also deeply connected to Chicago, home of the Chicago Bears.
Does Berzatto mean something in Italian?
The word “berzatto” means nothing in Italian.
To say it all, “Berzatto” isn’t a widespread family name in Italy, unlike “Bearzatto,” which is way more widely used than the first. As much as fans would love to find a hidden reference in the word, it seems writers picked that peculiar family name just because of how it sounds.
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Carmy, Michael, and Natalie's (their sister) last name is Berzatto, pronounced “bear-zaa-tow.” In the series, both Michael and Carmy are affectionately called “bear” by their friends.
Carmy is a James Beard Award-winning chef who returns to his hometown of Chicago in the summer of 2022 to manage The Original Beef of Chicagoland, a restaurant owned by his recently deceased brother, Michael.
Summary. The title of FX's The Bear title is deeply symbolic; a tribute to Carmy's family nickname, a nod to Chicago, and a representation of hidden emotions. Season 1's end saw Carmy fulfill a dream with The Bear, honoring his late brother. The show explores family dynamics & grief in-depth.
Oliver Platt as Jimmy "Cicero" Kalinowski, the best friend of the late father of the Berzatto siblings, whom everyone affectionately refers to as "Uncle", and the restaurant's key investor.
Typically given to girls, Carmy is a short version of Carmen or Carmel, both with the same origins. Meaning “garden” or “orchard” in Hebrew, Carmy inspires images of budding flowers, vibrant colors, and lush greenery.
His deadbeat status remains rather mysterious, but keeping in mind that he supposedly still exists in the world of the show, who's to say he won't pop up at some point?
Ben Shields revealed that the "773" tattoo on Carmy's bicep represents Chicago's area code , suggesting that Carmy likely got it when he was much younger. The "773" on his left bicep serves as a timestamp that symbolizes his roots.
Although Michael and Carmy commonly refer to Richie as 'cousin', he is not actually related to them. He is an only child. In Richie's speech to the staff, he says 'We're gonna be streets ahead tonight'. The phrase "streets ahead" is a reference to the catchphrase of Pierce Hawthorne from the NBC sitcom Community.
As die-hard viewers will recall, Tina referred to Carmy as "Jeffrey" or "Jeff" because this was her snarky way of calling him chef. On Reddit, one fan explained about the nickname, "She's messing with Carmy when he was trying to bring more professionalism to the kitchen. She only calls Carmy 'Jeff.
Natalie "Sugar" Berzatto (Abby Elliot) is the sister of protagonist Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) while Neil Fak (Matty Matheson) is often referred to as Carmy's best friend and friendly handyman.
Natalie "Sugar" Berzatto is a secondary character in the comedy drama series The Bear. She is married to Pete and is the sister of Carmy and Mikey Berzatto.
Michael "Mikey" Berzatto is a minor character in the comedy drama series The Bear. He was the owner of The Original Beef of Chicagoland before he died by suicide, leaving it to his brother Carmen Berzatto. He is portrayed by Jon Bernthal.
Presumably Jimmy didn't extend the loan via a suitcase full of cash, so the KBL—Jimmy Kalinowski, Berzatto, and Lee Layne—ledger that Carmy finds in the Original Beef office with small amounts adding up to just over $300,000 might be withdrawals from a bank account associated with the restaurant.
James “Cicero” Kalinowski. In the episode, “Dogs,” Carmy points out a photo of his father and Jimmy in their younger years. Chuck Hodes/FX. When Jimmy asked Carmy if he ever missed his dad, Carmy admitted, “I didn't really know him well enough to miss him.”
Cicero, also known as "Uncle Jimmy", is a family friend of Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto, his sister Natalie "Sugar" Berzatto, and their late brother Michael "Mikey" Berzatto. He's introduced as someone to whom Michael owed a significant debt of $300,000.
Natalie "Sugar" Berzatto (Abby Elliot) is the sister of protagonist Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) while Neil Fak (Matty Matheson) is often referred to as Carmy's best friend and friendly handyman.
However, on a deeper level, the series is more about how familial ties can extend far beyond blood relationships. For instance, Carmy calls Richie "Cousin" in The Bear even though they are not actually related and even runs his kitchen as a whole family unit where everyone depends on one another.
Introduction: My name is Lidia Grady, I am a thankful, fine, glamorous, lucky, lively, pleasant, shiny person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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