Hit show ‘The Bear’ sets up in Wilmette for Season 2 shoot

Is that a film crew in the parking lot?

Yes, chef.

If you did not understand that playful wording, you will soon have more opportunities to get in on the joke as Season 2 of “The Bear” in production and filming near Wilmette.

Wilmette Park District officials confirmed that the rows of trailers and trucks in the parking lot of Centennial Recreation Complex, 2300 Old Glenview Road, belong to the team behind “The Bear,” an FX television series that charmed viewers, especially those in Chicagoland, in 2022.

The series follows Carmen Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White, “Shameless), a classically trained chef who inherits and runs a hole-in-the-wall Italian beef shop in Chicago. The show’s first season was nominated for three Golden Globes, including best comedy and best actor (White, win).

The intense dramaedy, which is available to stream on Hulu, began filming for its 10-episode second season in late February.

“The Bear” film crews rented space in the Centennial parking lot but did not file a permit to film on park district property, said Steve Wilson, executive director of the Wilmette Park District.

Village of Wilmette officials also said no filming permits were pulled for “The Bear,” and a member of the show’s crew would only say that filming was happening nearby.

The City of Evanston confirmed filming of a project was set to occur in town on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 4-5, but would not confirm the project or the location. The Record submitted a public-records request to the City of Evanston that was not yet fulfilled as of press time.

Season 1 of “The Bear” was primarily set at Mr. Beef on Orelans Street in Chicago’s River North area. But scenes were also filmed across Chicagoland, such as a neighborhood in Evanston.

Wilson said the film crew will be set up at Centennial until Friday, April 7.

All filming for the show’s second season is expected to wrap by the end of April with a television debut sometime this summer.

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